Gunhilda of Poland (d. around 1015)

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Gunhilda of Poland (d. around 1015)

Polish princess. Name variations: Gunhild of Poland; Sygryda Swietoslawa. Died around 1015; daughter of Mieszko I, duke of Poland, and Dobravy of Bohemia (d. 977); married and was first wife of Sven or Sweyn I Forkbeard (b. 965), king of Denmark (r. 985–1014), around 990 (divorced in 1000); children: (second marriage) Canute the Great (c. 994–1035), king of England (r. 1016–1035), king of Denmark (r. 1019–1035), king of Norway (r. 1028–1035); Thyra (d. 1018); possibly Harald (d. 1019), king of Denmark (r. 1014–1018).

Gunhilda of Poland, a Polish princess and sister to Duke (later King) Boleslav Chrobry, became consort and mistress of Sweyn I Forkbeard, king of Denmark. Though they had no formal marriage arrangement, King Sweyn made their infant son Canute one of his heirs. When Sweyn married Sigrid the Haughty (the widow of King Eric of Sweden) in order to cement an alliance with Sweden, Gunhilda had to leave Sweyn's court. Evidently, she took her son Canute—then no more than two or three years old—to the court of her brother Boleslav.