by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2026
Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England, husband of Sigrid the Haughty and Gunhild of Wenden; Credit – Wikipedia
The marriage history of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England, is sketchy. Supposedly, he had two wives, Sigrid Storråda (the Haughty) and Gunhilda of Wenden. Both women are mentioned in the Norse sagas, but there is very little information about them in somewhat more reliable medieval chronicles. Sweyn had seven known children, but it is uncertain which of the two women is their mother.
Known children of Sweyn Forkbeard:
- Gunnhild Svendsdatter (after 970 – 1015), married Wyrtgeorn von Rugen, Prince of the Wends, had six children
- Gytha Svendsdatter (circa 976 – 1015), married Erik Håkonssøn Ladejarl, Earl of Lade, Governor of Norway, and Earl of Northumbria, had one son
- Santslaue Svendsdatter (985 – ?), a nun in England
- Thyra Svendsdatter (993 – 1018), married Gōdwine Wulfnothsson, Earl of Wessex, no known children
- Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway (circa 995 – 1035), married (1) Ælfgifu of Northampton, had two sons, Sweyn Cnutsson, King of Norway and Harold Harefoot, King of England (2) Emma of Normandy, had two children, including Harthacnut, King of Denmark and England
- Harald II, King of Denmark (circa 996/998 – 1018), unmarried
- Estrid Svendsdatter (before 1005 – after 1057), married Ulf, Jarl of Orkney, had two sons, including Sweyn II, King of Denmark
Sigrid the Haughty
Sigrid Storråda (the Haughty) was the daughter of Skogul Toste, a powerful nobleman from the Swedish province of West Gothland. It is thought that she lived circa 955 to 1014. Her first marriage was to Eric the Victorious, King of Sweden, but Eric separated from her because of her difficult moods.
According to Icelandic sources, Sigrid Storråda and Eric the Victorious had two children:
Gunhilda of Wenden
Gunhilda of Wenden supposedly was a Polish or Slavic princess. Exactly who her parents were is unclear. The 13th-century collection of sagas, Heimskringla, tells that Sweyn Forkbeard was captured in an attack on the Jomsvikings and turned over to Burislav, King of Wenden. As part of their negotiations, it was agreed that Sweyn would marry Burislav’s daughter Gunhilda. Gunhilda of Wenden was probably the mother of Sweyn Forkbeard’s sons, Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway, and Harald II, King of Denmark.
This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.
Works Cited
- Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, Norway, and England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sweyn-forkbeard-king-of-denmark-king-of-norway-king-of-england/
- Gunhild von Wenden. (2025). Geni.com. https://www.geni.com/people/Gunhild-von-Wenden/6000000026168408255
- Sigurd the Haughty. (2024). Geni_family_tree. https://www.geni.com/people/Sigrid-the-Haughty/347655337870012697
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Gunhild of Wenden. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Sigrid the Haughty. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
