Letter of congratulation from Gustavus of Sweden, to Elizabeth I, 1559 (SP 70/3 f.38).
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Transcription (translated):
Gustav, by the grace of God king of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, etc, to the most serene and illustrious leader our very dear sister, lady Elizabeth, queen of England, France and Ireland, greetings, joined with prosperity, and happy success in all things, and whatever goodness and blessedness can be desired from God. O most serene and illustrious leader, seeing how old friendship exists for us, due to just causes, with the realm of England, and especially how that was close, constant and unshaken between us and the most illustrious and powerful leader of pious memory, our most beloved brother, lord Edward VI, once king of England, France and Ireland, the very dear brother of your illustriousness. We think that this is very well known not only to your illustriousness, but also to the inhabitants of both kingdoms. Since therefore a constant and very true rumour, not without the great desire of our mind and singular joy, has grown stronger with us, that your illustriousness, by divine providence and by the unanimous desire of all the friends of your illustriousness, has been exalted to the government of the ancestral realm and administration of the whole state of England, a most honourable honour of dignity, and has been proclaimed queen, crowned and inaugurated. By the duty of friendship, by which we, being tied and bound to the realm of England, cannot stop from declaring more openly silent joy that we have gained from this message in letters to your illustriousness, and from congratulating you at such a great height of honour and greatness of dignity and good fortune, being confident that your illustriousness, on account of the fraternal friendship and benevolence, by which we have always embraced your illustriousness, will understand this our zeal of duty and readiness of friendly will, not otherwise than dutifully. For since we have never understood anything with greater desire, we are more joyful and we also rejoice as to how the royal power of England and the crown has been delivered to your leadership, our kingdoms and the many names of a very friendly family. We pray with very great zeal that the best and greatest God deigns worthy to govern and direct the beginning of this gift so that, in propagation of the God’s divine word, your illustriousness and the whole realm of England, there falls a singular, not only temporary but also perpetual, emolument, advantage and utility, and that this is so successful, happy and fortunate, in as much as we continually desire this from God, certainly hoping that the friendship and confidence, which has existed from ancient times between our kingdoms and the greater men of your illustriousness, be renewed and confirmed by your illustriousness by the desire of friendship. For we voluntarily deliver our extraordinary enthusiasms and whatever is in our power, or ever will be, to your illustriousness, together with a most devoted mind. We commend this to the best and greatest God and we pray again and again for successful rule. Dated at ?Ulatstenis in our castle on the Nones of March in the year 1559.
Gustav.