Mette Dyre

Mette Iversdotter Dyre ( or Märta Ivarsdotter; 1465 before 1533) was a Danish noble, nominal sheriff and chancellor. She was married three times to powerful men: two royal councillors and finally Svante, Regent of Sweden. As such she was a de facto queen consort. Mette Dyre is credited with political influence on the affairs of state through her spouse. Early life Mette Iversdatter was born at Tirsbæk in Jutland in Denmark. She was the daughter of the Danish knight Iver Jenssen Dyre (d. ca. 1463) and Kristine Pedersdatter Oxe (d. after 1503). In ca. 1483, she married the Norwegian knight and riksråd Anders van Bergen (d. 1491). With her first spouse, she had her only child to reach adulthood, her daughter Christina Andersdatter. In 1496, she married secondly to the Norwegian-Swedish noble Knut Alvsson Tre Rosor (d. 1502), who was a Norwegian riksråd and the fiefholder of Akershus Fortress in Oslo. In 1499, Knut Alfsson lost his position in Norway, and she followed him to Sweden. In Sweden, the couple allied themselves with Svante Sture: he was at that time not yet Regent of Sweden, but a leading member of the Swedish party who wished to dissolve the union between Sweden and Denmark-Norway. In 1501, supported by Sture, Knut Alfsson invaded Norway in an attempt to unite Sweden and Norway against King Hans. Mette remained in Sweden at Svante's fiefdom Stegeborg Castle. Initially successful, Knut Alfsson was murdered by Henrik Krummedige during a parley.