Finland at the coronation of his eldest brother King Birger of Sweden in 1302. Valdemar's elder brother Duke Eric in the 1310s was establishing a truly independent principality in Western Sweden, Duke Valdemar being his ally. There is no evidence that Duke Valdemar succeeded in having as independent a position as Eric, but it is obvious that Valdemar used his ducal revenues to assist Eric's campaign against the King and kept his Finnish appanage and administration under Eric instead of the King. In 1315, in alliance with Eric, Valdemar gained Turku castle and Häme Castle together with their provinces, that is most of Finland, as well as Stockholm Castle, most of Uppland and Borgholm with Öland, as the result of their revolt against the King. On December 10, 1317 he was imprisoned by King Birger in Nyköping together with Eric. Sometime in 1318, Dukes Valdemar and Eric died while incarcerated. With his second wife Ingeborg of Norway, Duke Valdemar had a son, born in 1316, who is assumed to have died as a child. Duke Benedict Algotson Lord Benedict Algotsson (1330–60), accused for political reasons by Saint Bridget of being a homosexual lover of King Magnus IV of Sweden (nephew of Duke Valdemar above), had already in 1353 been recognized as Duke of Halland, originally a Danish principality, and in 1353 or 1354 also was given the Duchy of Finland. The Duke apparently never seriously attempted to establish himself as ruler of Finland, being satisfied to bear revenues from the duchy. He had his seat in Southern Sweden, where he also acted as Viceroy of Scania. The Duke became the victim of certain nobility's opposition to King Magnus, was exiled in 1357, and killed without an heir in 1360. In 1357, his holdings, including Finland, had been given (without the title) to King Eric, then co-ruler with Magnus. Eric did not need the ducal title, and it was then vacant almost 200 years. Duke John the Elder: from duchy to grand duchy In 1556, two hundred years after it was vacated by the removal of Duke Benedict, King Gustav I of Sweden (reigned 1523–1560) gave the Duchy of Finland to his second son, the then 18-year-old Prince John (1537–1592). John was the only holder of the title to establish a genuine princely rule of his own in Finland. The duchy included the Southwest Finland, Raseborg together with Western Uusimaa, and