A Catholic heir to Lutheran Sweden

John III dies in 1592 and Sigismund inherits Sweden. He travels to receive a second crown, accompanied by his wife Anna of Austria. Meanwhile, the Uppsala Synod of 1593 has affirmed the kingdom’s Lutheran confession. The prince’s succession is recognised, but his religion worries his new subjects. His coronation in 1594 requires guarantees about religion and the kingdom’s rights. Sigismund makes those promises. His uncle Charles, duke of Södermanland, and the council participate in the negotiations with interests of their own. Sharing a king does not merge Sweden with Poland-Lithuania. Keeping both crowns will require agreement about who governs during the monarch’s absences and how far his authority extends.