This article examines the media construction of Duke Johan of Östergötland (1589–1618), a Swedish prince, through the lens of his recorded gift giving practices. It posits that gifts should be conceptualized as media, shaping the construction of Duke Johan as a ruler and virtuous prince, both in the early seventeenth century and for posterity. By analyzing the remediation of Duke Johan’s gift giving practices in primary sources such as account books, letters, testaments, and funeral sermons, this study proposes a novel approach to gift analysis. It emphasizes that all archives are media archives, suggesting implications for understanding princes not only as producers and content of media but also as media entities themselves.