the royal children accompanied the King to the province of Finland, where they stayed until 1556. During their stay on Åland, where they spend the winter upon their return after their visit to Finland, Catherine was affected by "Sudden motherly problems", which has been interpreted as a miscarriage, which is the closest information available of a pregnancy of Catherine Stenbock. In Stockholm 1 October 1559, she was present at the wedding between her stepdaughter Princess Catherine and Edzard II, Count of East Frisia. On their departure from Sweden, the newly weds was accompanied by the sister of the bride and the brother of the groom, Princess Cecilia of Sweden and Johan II of East Frisia. On their stay in Vadstena, Cecilia and Johan were discovered by Crown Prince Eric to have a sexual affair. The great scandal were to be known as Vadstenabullret (The Vadstena Thunder). Catherine and Edzard were placed in house arrest, Johan were imprisoned, while Eric and Cecilia where both called back to Stockholm. The King is said to have cried when he related the story to Queen Catherine. During the whole affair, Catherine Stenbock was on numerous occasions asked to act as mediator between the King and his children. She accompanied Cecilia to her confrontation with her father after her return to the capital, and she acted as channel through the King for Princess Catherine, who tried to negotiate Johan's release and permission for her and her spouse to leave for East Frisia. In May 1560, Prince Eric asked her for a permission from his father to travel to England to propose to Elizabeth I of England. King Gustav fell sick and died during the scandal. According to the chronicles, Catherine was present by his bedside during his entire sickness until death, had a bed brought in by his side where she slept, and eventually fell sick herself. She continued to act as mediator between the King and his children, and upon his complaints that they were not there, answer that they would have been, and wished to, had they not been so afraid for his anger. Reign of Eric XIV King Gustav died on 29 September 1560 and was succeeded by his son in his first marriage, Eric XIV. In his will, Catherine was promised custody of the Princesses, who were to live at the court of Eric or her until they married, an allowance