The crown of Norway passed to Eric II in 1280 following the death of his father, King Magnus VI the Lawmender. Although designated as a co-ruler in 1273, the young monarch faced an immediate transition to sole power, requiring a royal council of barons to oversee the kingdom throughout his minority years and beyond.
Ascension and Governance
Eric was crowned in Bergen during the summer of 1280. While he officially held the position of monarch, the structure of his government remained heavily influenced by a council of prominent barons and his mother, Queen Ingeborg of Denmark. His younger brother, Haakon, functioned as a duke, governing territories surrounding Oslo and Stavanger. This arrangement centralized Eric’s residence and influence within Bergen, while administrative authority remained fragmented by the council's ongoing participation in state affairs.
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Between 1287 and 1295, Eric engaged in the War of the Outlaws against Denmark. This campaign was partly driven by his desire to secure his mother’s Danish inheritance. In 1287, he provided sanctuary to Danish nobles accused of murdering King Eric V, specifically Stig Andersen Hvide and Jacob Nielsen, Count of Halland. Utilizing these alliances, Eric led a naval expedition in 1289 that targeted Elsinore and menaced Copenhagen. Despite subsequent raids in 1290 and 1293, the conflict yielded few permanent results and concluded with a peace treaty in 1295.
Dynastic Marriages and Succession
Eric entered his first marriage in 1281 to Margaret of Scotland, the daughter of Alexander III. Their daughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway, became heir to the Scottish throne but died in 1290 while traveling to Scotland, an event that precipitated the Wars of Scottish Independence and led to an unsuccessful claim on the Scottish crown by Eric. Following his first wife's death, he married Isabel Bruce in 1293. This union produced a daughter, Ingeborg, who would later wed Valdemar Magnusson, Duke of Finland. Eric died in Bergen on 15 July 1299 without leaving any sons, leading to his succession by his brother, Haakon.
Fast facts
- Born: 1268, Norway
- Died: 15 July 1299, Bergen
- Monarch of Norway: 1280–1299
- Father: King Magnus VI the Lawmender
- Mother: Queen Ingeborg of Denmark
- Burial site: Bergen Cathedral
- Religion: Christianity
Questions readers ask
Who succeeded Eric II as the monarch of Norway?
He was succeeded by his younger brother, Haakon.
What was the significance of Eric's daughter, Margaret?
Known as the Maid of Norway, she was the heir to the Scottish throne, and her death in 1290 triggered the Wars of Scottish Independence.
