Difference between revisions of "Christina of Sweden" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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| reign          = [[6 November]] [[1632]] – [[6 June]] [[1654]]<br/><small>([[caretaker government]] until <br/>[[8 November]] [[1644]])</small>
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| reign          = November 6 1632 – June 6 1654<br/><small>([[caretaker government]] until <br/>8 November 1644)</small>
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| coronation      = [[20 October]] [[1650]]
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| coronation      = October 20 1650
 
| full name      =  
 
| full name      =  
 
| predecessor    = [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustav II Adolf]]
 
| predecessor    = [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustav II Adolf]]
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| consort        = Unmarried
 
| consort        = Unmarried
 
| issue          = None
 
| issue          = None
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| royal house    = [[House of Vasa|Vasa]]
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  place of death  = [[Rome]]
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| royal motto    = ''Columna regni sapientia'' ("Wisdom is the prop of the realm")
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| date of burial  = June 22 1634
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| father          = [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustav II Adolf]]
 
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| mother          = [[Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg]]
 
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| date of birth  = [[8 December]] [[1626]]
 
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| place of birth = [[Stockholm]]
 
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| date of death  = {{Death date and age|1689|4|19|1626|12|8|df=yes}}
 
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| place of death  = [[Rome]]
 
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| date of burial  = [[22 June]] [[1634]]
 
 
| place of burial = [[St. Peter's Basilica]], [[Vatican City]]
 
| place of burial = [[St. Peter's Basilica]], [[Vatican City]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
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'''Christina''' ({{lang-sv|Kristina}}) ([[8 December]]<ref>Note that the birth date is December 8 in the [[Julian calendar]], which was in effect in Sweden at the time, corresponding to December 18 in the [[Gregorian calendar]].</ref> [[1626]] – [[19 April]] [[1689]]), later known as '''Maria Christina Alexandra''' and sometimes '''Countess Dohna''', was [[Monarch of Sweden|Queen regnant]] of [[Sweden]] from [[1632]] to [[1654]]. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustav II Adolf of Sweden]] and his wife [[Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg]]. As the [[heir presumptive|heiress presumptive]], at the age of six, she succeeded her father to the throne of Sweden upon his death at the [[Battle of Lützen (1632)|Battle of Lützen]] in the [[Thirty Years' War]].
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'''Christina''' (December 8<ref>Note that the birth date is December 8 in the [[Julian calendar]], which was in effect in Sweden at the time, corresponding to December 18 in the [[Gregorian calendar]].</ref> 1626 – April 19 1689), later known as '''Maria Christina Alexandra''' and sometimes '''Countess Dohna''', was [[Monarch of Sweden|Queen regnant]] of [[Sweden]] from 1632 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden|Gustav II Adolf of Sweden]] and his wife [[Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg]]. As the [[heir presumptive|heiress presumptive]], at the age of six, she succeeded her father to the throne of Sweden upon his death at the [[Battle of Lützen (1632)|Battle of Lützen]] in the [[Thirty Years' War]]. During her reign, Sweden established its short-lived [[Swedish colonial empire|North American colony]]. She was especially troubled by relations with [[Poland]]. A series of wars had ended in 1629 and started again shortly after her abdication.  
  
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After having converted to [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]] and abdicated her throne, she spent her latter years in [[France]] and [[Rome]], where she was buried in [[St. Peter's Basilica]].
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She was a patron of [[dance]].[music]] and [[art]]. She was tutored by [[[René Descartes]]. Choosing not to marry despite many offers, she appointed her cousin, Charles Gustavus as her heir. After having converted from the [[Lutheran Church]] to to [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]] she abdicated the throne, spending sher latter years in [[France]] and [[Rome]], where she was buried in [[St. Peter's Basilica]] devoting herself to [[science]] and [[culture]]. She has been described as a libertine for allegedly having serial affairs with men and women. In 1656 she was involved in a failed attempt to become Queen of Naples and in 1660, after Charles Gustav's death, unsuccessfully tried to re-ascend the Swedish throne. She also tried to assume power in [[Poland]].
  
 
==Early life==
 
==Early life==
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Christina was born in [[Stockholm]] and her birth occurred during a rare [[astrological]] conjunction that fueled great speculation on what influence the child, fervently hoped to be a boy, would later have on the world stage.<ref>http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/BasicFactsheet____4403.aspx</ref> The king had already sired two sons, one of whom was stillborn and the other lived only one year, heightening pressures for a male heir to be produced. She was educated in the manner typical of men, and frequently wore men's clothes (such as dresses with short skirts, stockings and shoes with high heels - all these features being useful when not riding [[pillion]]).  
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Christina was born in [[Stockholm]] and her birth occurred during a rare [[astrological]] conjunction that fueled great speculation on what influence the child, fervently hoped to be a boy, would later have on the world stage.<ref>http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/BasicFactsheet____4403.aspx</ref> The king had already sired two sons, one of whom was stillborn and the other lived only one year, heightening pressures for a male heir to be produced. She was educated in the manner typical of men, and frequently wore men's clothes (such as dresses with short skirts, stockings and shoes with high heels - all these features being useful when not riding pillion).  
  
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Christina's mother, [[Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg|Maria Eleonora]] of [[Prussia|Brandenburg]], came from the [[Hohenzollern]] family. She was a woman of quite distraught temperament, and her attempts to bestow guilt on Christina for her difficult birth, or just the horror story itself, may have prejudiced Christina against the prospect of having to produce an heir to the throne.
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Christina's mother, [[Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg|Maria Eleonora]] of [[Prussia|Brandenburg]], came from the [[Hohenzollern]] family. She was a woman of distraught temperament, and apparently tried to make Christian feel guilty for her difficult birth. Either this or just the horror of the story itself may have prejudiced Christina against the prospect of having to produce an heir to the throne.
  
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Her father gave orders that Christina should be brought up as a prince. Even as a child she displayed great precociousness. In 1649, when she was twenty-three, she invited the philosopher [[René Descartes|Descartes]] to Sweden to tutor her (so early in the morning, according to one popular account, that the lessons hastened Descartes' death from [[pneumonia]] in 1650). Christina also took the oath as king, not queen, because her father had wanted it so. Growing up, she was nicknamed the "Girl King."
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Her father gave orders that Christina should be brought up as a prince. Even as a child she displayed great precociousness. In 1649, when she was twenty-three, she invited the philosopher [[René Descartes|Descartes]] to Sweden to tutor her (so early in the morning, according to one popular account, that the lessons hastened Descartes' death from [[pneumonia]] in 1650). Christina also took the oath as king, not queen, because her father had wanted it so. Growing up, she was nicknamed the "Girl King."
  
 
==Queen regnant==
 
==Queen regnant==
 
[[Image:René Descartes i samtal med Sveriges drottning, Kristina.jpg|thumb|left|Queen Christina in discussion with French philosopher [[René Descartes]].]]
 
[[Image:René Descartes i samtal med Sveriges drottning, Kristina.jpg|thumb|left|Queen Christina in discussion with French philosopher [[René Descartes]].]]
  
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The Crown of Sweden was hereditary in the family of Vasa, and from Karl IX's time excluding those Vasa princes who had been traitors or descended from deposed monarchs. Gustav Adolf's younger brother had died years earlier, and therefore there were only females left. Despite the fact that there were living female lines descended from elder sons of Gustav I Vasa, Christina was the heiress presumptive. Although she is often called "queen", her father brought her up as a prince and her official title was King.  
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The Crown of Sweden was hereditary in the family of Vasa. Gustav Adolf's younger brother had died years earlier, and therefore there were only females left. Despite the fact that there were living female lines descended from elder sons of Gustav I Vasa, Christina was the heiress presumptive. Although she is often called "queen," her father brought her up as a prince and her official title was King.  
  
 
National policy was directed during the first half of Christina's reign by her guardian, regent and adviser [[Axel Oxenstierna]], chancellor to her father and until her majority in 1644 the principal member of the governing regency council.  
 
National policy was directed during the first half of Christina's reign by her guardian, regent and adviser [[Axel Oxenstierna]], chancellor to her father and until her majority in 1644 the principal member of the governing regency council.  
  
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As ruler, Christina resisted demands from the other estates (clergy, burgesses and peasants) in the [[Riksdag of the Estates]] of [[1650]] for the reduction of tax-exempt noble landholdings. Several princes of Europe aspired to her hand; but she rejected them all.  
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As ruler, Christina resisted demands from the other estates (clergy, burgesses and peasants) in the Riksdag of the Estates of 1650 to the reduce the tax-exemptions of noble landholders. Several princes of Europe aspired to her hand; but she rejected them all.  
  
 
To prevent a renewal of applications on this subject, in 1649 she appointed her cousin [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden]] (also called Karl) her successor, but without the smallest participation in the rights of the crown during her own life.
 
To prevent a renewal of applications on this subject, in 1649 she appointed her cousin [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden]] (also called Karl) her successor, but without the smallest participation in the rights of the crown during her own life.
  
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It was under Christina that Sweden undertook its short-lived effort at [[North America]]n colonization, known as "[[New Sweden]]". [[Fort Christina]], the first [[Europe]]an settlement in the environs of what is now [[Wilmington, Delaware]] (and the first permanent settlement in the [[Delaware Valley]] as a whole) was named for the Queen.    
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It was under Christina that Sweden undertook its short-lived effort at [[North America]]n colonization, known as "New Sweden." Fort Christina, the first [[Europe]]an settlement in what is now Wilmington, [[Delaware]] (and the first permanent settlement in the Delaware Valley as a whole) was named for the Queen.  
  
 
Christina was interested in [[theatre]] and [[ballet]]; a French ballet-troup under [[Antoine de Beaulieu]] was employed by the court from 1638, and there were also an Italian and a French Orchestra at court, which all inspired her much. She invited foreign companies to play at [[Bollhuset]], such as an Italian Opera troupe in 1652 and a Dutch theatre troupe in 1653; she was also herself an amateur-actor, and amateur-theatre was very popular at court in her days. Her court poet Georg Stiernheilm wrote her several lays in the Swedish language, such as ''Den fångne Cupido eller Laviancu de Diane'' performed at court with Christina in the main part of the godess Diana. She founded the dance order Amaranterordern in 1653.  
 
Christina was interested in [[theatre]] and [[ballet]]; a French ballet-troup under [[Antoine de Beaulieu]] was employed by the court from 1638, and there were also an Italian and a French Orchestra at court, which all inspired her much. She invited foreign companies to play at [[Bollhuset]], such as an Italian Opera troupe in 1652 and a Dutch theatre troupe in 1653; she was also herself an amateur-actor, and amateur-theatre was very popular at court in her days. Her court poet Georg Stiernheilm wrote her several lays in the Swedish language, such as ''Den fångne Cupido eller Laviancu de Diane'' performed at court with Christina in the main part of the godess Diana. She founded the dance order Amaranterordern in 1653.  
  
 
==Abdication==
 
==Abdication==
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Christina abdicated her throne on [[June 5]], [[1654]] in favour of her cousin [[Charles X Gustav of Sweden|Charles Gustavus]] in order to either practice openly her previously secret [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]], or to accept the same publicly so as to be at the centre of a scientific and artistic [[renaissance]]. The sincerity of her conversion has been questioned. In [[1651]], the [[Jesuit]] [[Paolo Casati]] had been sent on a mission to [[Stockholm]] in order to gauge the sincerity of her intention to become Catholic.  
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Christina first contemplated abdication in 1651 but was persuaded to remain Queen. On June 5, 1654 she followed through with her intent to abdicate in favor of her cousin, Charles Gustavus , possibly after experiencing some type of break-down. She did so either in order to openly practice her previously secret [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]], or to be at the center of a scientific and artistic [[renaissance]] unencumbered by royal responsibilities. She is said to have stayed in her rooms for some time before her abdication, consulting with her priest.<ref>Lewis, Jone Johnston. Queen Christian of Sweden.] About Women. Retrieved August 18, 2008.[http://womenshistory.about.com/od/rulerspre20th/p/queen_christina.htm The sincerity of her conversion has been questioned. In 1651, the [[Jesuit]] [[Paolo Casati]] had been sent on a mission to [[Stockholm]] in order to gauge the sincerity of her intention to become Catholic.  
  
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Her conversion was however not the only reason for her abdication, as there was increasing discontent with, in the words of her critics, her arbitrary and wasteful ways. Within ten years she had created 17 counts, 46 barons and 428 lesser nobles; to provide these new peers with adequate [[appanage]]s, she had sold or mortgaged crown property representing an annual income of 1,200,000 [[Swedish riksdaler|riksdaler]]. There were clear signs that Christina was growing weary of the cares of what remained a provincial government in spite of a large conquered territory.  
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Her conversion, however, not the only reason for her abdication. There was increasing discontent with, in the words of her critics, her arbitrary and wasteful ways. Within ten years she had created 17 counts, 46 barons and 428 lesser nobles; to provide these new peers with adequate appanages (an estate to accompany the title), she had sold or mortgaged crown property representing an annual income of 1,200,000 Swedish riksdaler. There were clear signs that Christina was growing weary of the cares of what remained a provincial government in spite of a large conquered territory. She may have been especially tired of having to deal with disputes with Poland: Sweden and Poland had fought a series of wars earlier in the seventeenth century. War broke out again in 1655, the year after her abdication and continued until 1661.
  
 
===Political contributions===
 
===Political contributions===
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The importunity of the senate and Riksdag on the question of her marriage was a constant source of irritation. In retirement she could devote herself wholly to art and science, and the opportunity of astonishing the world by the unique spectacle of a great king, in the prime of life, voluntarily resigning her crown, strongly appealed to her vivid imagination. It is certain that towards the end of her reign she behaved as if she were determined to do everything in her power to make herself as little missed as possible. From 1651 there was a notable change in her behaviour. She cast away every regard for the feelings and prejudices of her people. She ostentatiously exhibited her contempt for the Protestant religion. Her foreign policy was flighty to the verge of foolishness. She contemplated an alliance with Spain, a state quite outside the orbit of Sweden's influence, the first fruits of which were to have been an invasion of Portugal. She utterly neglected affairs in order to plunge into a whirl of dissipation with her foreign favorites. The situation became impossible, and it was with an intense feeling of relief that the Swedes saw her depart, in masculine attire, under the name of Count Dohna{{Fact|date=January 2008}}.
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The senate and Riksdag kept insisting that she consider a suitable marriage, which was a constant source of irritation. In retirement she could devote herself wholly to art and science, and the opportunity of astonishing the world by the unique spectacle of a great king, in the prime of life, voluntarily resigning her crown, appealed to her vivid imagination. It is certain that towards the end of her reign she behaved as if she were determined to do everything in her power to make herself as little missed as possible. From 1651 there was a notable change in her behavior. She cast away every regard for the feelings and prejudices of her people. She ostentatiously exhibited her contempt for the Protestant religion. Her foreign policy was flighty to the verge of foolishness. She contemplated an alliance with Spain, a state quite outside the orbit of Sweden's influence (and solidly Catholic), the first fruits of which were to have been an invasion of Portugal. She utterly neglected affairs in order to plunge into a whirl of dissipation with her foreign favorites. The situation became impossible. It was with an intense feeling of relief that the Swedes saw her depart, in masculine dress and using the name "Count Dohna".
  
 
==Setting off to Rome==
 
==Setting off to Rome==
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Upon conversion she took a new name, ''Maria Christina Alexandra'', and moved to [[Rome]], where her wealth and former position made her a centre of society. Her status as the most notable convert to Catholicism of the age, and as the most famous woman at the time, made it possible for her to ignore or flout the most common requirements of obeisance to the Catholic faith. She herself remarked that her Catholic faith was not of the common order; indeed, before converting she had asked church officials how strictly she would be expected to obey the church's common observances, and received reassurances. Christina's visit to Rome was the triumph of [[Pope Alexander VII]] and the occasion for splendid [[Baroque]] festivities. For several months she was the only preoccupation of the Pope and his court. The nobles vied for her attention and treated her to a never-ending round of fireworks, jousts, fake duels, acrobatics, and operas. At the [[Palazzo Aldobrandini]], where she was welcomed by a crowd of 6,000 spectators, she watched in amazement at the procession of camels and elephants in Oriental garb, bearing towers on their backs. [[Image:Christina barberini.jpg|thumb|300px|''Celebrations for Christina of Sweden at [[Palazzo Aldobrandini|Palazzo Aldobrandini-Chigi]] on [[28 February]] 1656''.]]
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After her conversion she took a new name, ''Maria Christina Alexandra'', and moved to [[Rome]]. Once in Rome, her wealth and former position made her a center of society. Her status as the most notable convert to Catholicism of the age, and as the most famous woman at the time, made it possible for her to ignore or flout the most common requirements of Catholic obedience. She herself remarked that her Catholic faith was not of the common order; indeed, before converting she had asked church officials how strictly she would be expected to obey the church's common observances, and received reassurances. Christina's visit to Rome was the triumph of [[Pope Alexander VII]] and the occasion for splendid [[Baroque]] festivities. For several months she was the only preoccupation of the Pope and his court. The nobles vied for her attention and treated her to a never-ending round of fireworks, jousts, fake duels, acrobatics, and operas. At the [[Palazzo Aldobrandini]], where she was welcomed by a crowd of 6,000 spectators, she watched in amazement at the procession of camels and elephants in Oriental garb, bearing towers on their backs. [[Image:Christina barberini.jpg|thumb|300px|''Celebrations for Christina of Sweden at Palazzo Aldobrandini-Chigi on 28 February28  1656''.]] Reputedly, she took Cardinal Decio Azzolino as her lover and was involved in a plot to place him on the Papal throne. That did not succeed either. Azzolino led the free thinking "Flying Squad" (Squadrone Volante) movement within the Catholic Church, in which she appears to have played a role as well.
  
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Having run out of money and surfeited with an excess of pageantry, Christina resolved, in the space of two years, to visit France. Here she was treated with respect by [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]], but the ladies were shocked with her masculine appearance and demeanor and the unguarded freedom of her conversation. When visiting the ballet with la [[Grande Mademoiselle]], she, as the latter recalls, "surprised me very much - applauding the parts which pleased her, taking God to witness, throwing herself back in her chair, crossing her legs, resting them on the arms of her chair, and assuming other postures, such as I had never seen taken but by Travelin and Jodelet, two famous buffoons... She was in all respects a most extraordinary creature".<ref>''Memoirs of Mademoiselle de Montpensier''. H. Colburn, 1848. Page 48.</ref>
 
  
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In [[1656]], Christina planned to become Queen of [[Naples]]. Her plans involved the help of French military. She had made an agreement with [[Cardinal Mazarin]]. Apartments were assigned to her at [[Fontainebleau]], where she committed an action which has indelibly stained her memory and for which in other countries (says her biographer) she would have paid the forfeit of her own life. This was the execution of [[Monaldeschi|marchese Gian Rinaldo Monaldeschi]], her master of the horse, who had betrayed Christina's plans in the autumn of 1657. He was summoned into a gallery in the palace; letters were then shown to him, at the sight of which he turned pale and entreated for mercy; but he was instantly stabbed by two of her own domestics in an apartment adjoining that in which she herself was. The killing of Monaldeschi was legal since Christina had judicial rights over the members of her court. It was however seen as murder. The French court was offended by this deed; yet it met with vindicators, [[Gottfried Leibniz]] among them. Christina sensed that she was now regarded with horror in France, and would gladly have visited England, but she received no encouragement from [[Oliver Cromwell|Cromwell]]. She returned to Rome and resumed her amusements in the arts and sciences.  
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In 1656, Christina planned to become Queen of [[Naples]] with the help of [[Cardinal Mazarin]]. She was not very short of money and this secret scheme was intended to restore her financial independence. French militia "under the titular leadership of the Queen herself, would secure the throne,"  says Buckley. According to Buckley, she had wanted since childhood to lead an army into battle and planned to do so personally. The attraction of Naples was that there she would be "preeminent" whereas in Rome everyone was in the Pope's shadow. In Rome, there were many patrons of culture; in Naples, as Queen, she would take precedence. Azzolino, too, would be "just fifty miles away, along the sparkling coast"<ref "name=Buckley">Buckley, page 302.</ref> Apartments were assigned to her at [[Fontainebleau]].  
  
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After the death of Charles Gustav in [[1660]], she took a journey to Sweden to recover her crown, but her estranged subjects rejected her claims. She submitted to a second renunciation of the throne and returned to Rome. Some differences with the Pope made her resolve in [[1662]] once more to return to Sweden; but the conditions annexed by the senate to her residence there were now so mortifying that she proceeded no farther than [[Hamburg]]. She went back to Rome and cultivated a correspondence with the learned men there, and in other parts of Europe, as well as acting as patron to musicians such as [[Arcangelo Corelli]] and [[Alessandro Scarlatti]].  
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Pretending to be returning to Sweden to attend to some business there, she left Rome and traveled to Paris. She had arranged a meeting with Mazarin there and seemed to think it her best route to Naples.  
  
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She died on April 19, [[1689]], leaving her large and important library, originally amassed as war booty by her father Gustavus from throughout his European campaign, to the [[Papacy]]. Among other paintings, [[Titian]]'s ''[[Venus Anadyomene (Titian)|Venus Anadyomene]]'' originally was in the possession of Queen Christina.  
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However, her scheme was betrayed by her master-of-horse, marchese Gian Rinaldo Monaldeschi. He was summoned into a gallery in the palace and shown letters as proof of his guilt. He is said to have turned pale and begged for mercy; but he was instantly stabbed by two of Christina's domestic servants primed to do so. The killing of Monaldeschi was legal, since Christina had judicial rights over the members of her court. It was, however, seen as murder. The French court was offended and Christina forfeited her earlier popularity. Her act had its defenders, though, including [[Gottfried Leibniz]]. Christina sensed that she was now looked on with horror in France, and thought about visiting England. However, but received no encouragement from [[Oliver Cromwell|Cromwell]] and could not travel there. Instead, she returned to Rome and resumed her interests in the arts and sciences.  
  
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She is one of only three women to be given the honor of being buried in the grottoes of [[St. Peter's Basilica]], alongside the remains of the popes. A monument to her was carved later on and adorns a column close to the permanent display of [[Michelangelo's Pietà|Michelangelo's ''Pietà'']]. At the opposite pillar across the nave is the ''[[Monument to the Royal Stuarts]]'', commemorating the other 17th century monarchs who lost their thrones due to their Catholicism.
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After Charles Gustav died in 1660, she took a journey to Sweden to recover her crown, but her estranged subjects rejected her claims. She submitted to a second renunciation of the throne and  returned to Rome. Some differences with the Pope made her resolve, in 1662 once again return to Sweden.  However, the Senate placed such strict terms and conditions on her living there that she turned back when she reached [[Hamburg]]. Going back to Rome, she re-established her position there. Cultivating a correspondence with various scholars there, and in other parts of Europe, she also acting as patron to musicians such as [[Arcangelo Corelli]] and [[Alessandro Scarlatti]]. She may have made a bid for the Polish throne, which was also unsuccessful.
 +
 
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She died on April 19, 1689, leaving her large and important library, originally amassed as war booty by her father Gustavus from throughout his European campaign, to the [[Papacy]]. Among other paintings, [[Titian]]'s ''Venus Anadyomene'' was originally in the her possession.
 +
 
 +
She is one of only three women to be given the honor of being buried in the grottoes of [[St. Peter's Basilica]], alongside the remains of the popes. A monument to her was carved later on and adorns a column close to the permanent display of [[Michelangelo]]'s Michelangelo's ''Pietà''. At the opposite pillar across the nave is the ''Monument to the Royal Stuarts'', commemorating the other 17th century monarchs who lost their thrones due to their Catholicism.
  
 
==Legacy==
 
==Legacy==
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The complex character of Christina has inspired numerous plays, books, and operatic works. [[August Strindberg]]'s 1901 ''[[Kristina]]'' depicts her as a protean, impulsive creature. "Each one gets the Christina he deserves" she remarks.  
 
The complex character of Christina has inspired numerous plays, books, and operatic works. [[August Strindberg]]'s 1901 ''[[Kristina]]'' depicts her as a protean, impulsive creature. "Each one gets the Christina he deserves" she remarks.  
  
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The most famous fictional treatment is the classic feature film ''[[Queen Christina (film)|Queen Christina]]'' from [[1933]] starring [[Greta Garbo]]. This film, while entertaining, had almost nothing to do with the real Christina.   Another feature film, ''[[The Abdication (film)|The Abdication]]'', starred the Norwegian actress [[Liv Ullmann]], and was based on a play by [[Ruth Wolff]].  
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The most famous fictional treatment is the classic feature film ''[[Queen Christina (film)|Queen Christina]]'' from 1933 starring [[Greta Garbo]]. This film, while entertaining, had almost nothing to do with the real Christina. Another feature film, ''[[The Abdication (film)|The Abdication]]'', starred the Norwegian actress [[Liv Ullmann]], and was based on a play by [[Ruth Wolff]].  
  
 
The [[Finland|Finnish]] author [[Zacharias Topelius]]' historical allegory ''Tähtien Turvatit'' also portrays her, like her father, as having a mercurial temperament, quick to anger, quicker to forgive. [[Kaari Utrio]] has also portrayed her tormented passions and thirst for love.
 
The [[Finland|Finnish]] author [[Zacharias Topelius]]' historical allegory ''Tähtien Turvatit'' also portrays her, like her father, as having a mercurial temperament, quick to anger, quicker to forgive. [[Kaari Utrio]] has also portrayed her tormented passions and thirst for love.
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Christina's reign was controversial, and literature circulated during her lifetime that described her as participating in multiple affairs with both men and women. This, along with the emotional letters that she wrote to female friends, has caused her to become an icon for the [[lesbian]] community (and inspired comedian [[Jade Esteban Estrada]] to portray her in the solo musical ''ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World'' (Vol. 2), though there is no clear-cut evidence that she actually was involved in love affairs with either sex.  
 
Christina's reign was controversial, and literature circulated during her lifetime that described her as participating in multiple affairs with both men and women. This, along with the emotional letters that she wrote to female friends, has caused her to become an icon for the [[lesbian]] community (and inspired comedian [[Jade Esteban Estrada]] to portray her in the solo musical ''ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World'' (Vol. 2), though there is no clear-cut evidence that she actually was involved in love affairs with either sex.  
  
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The strongest evidence of a lasting [[Platonic love|platonic]] love-affair from afar surfaced as encrypted letters she had sent to a Cardinal [[Decio Azzolino]] (with whom she was already at the time rumoured to be a lover), which were decrypted in the 19th century. They speak of intense but sublimated erotic desire. She later named him as her sole heir. Azzolino was the leader of the free thinking "Flying Squad" ([[Squadrone Volante]]) movement within the Catholic Church.  
+
The strongest evidence of a lasting platonic love-affair from afar surfaced as encrypted letters she had sent to Cardinal Decio Azzolino (her rumored lover), which were decrypted in the 19th century. They speak of intense but sublimated erotic desire. She later named him as her sole heir.  
  
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Her unusual attire caused her to later become an icon of the [[transgender]]ed community, even though Christina herself was not transgendered. During the [[20th century]], her grave was opened so that her [[death mask]] could be examined, and her bones were examined to see if sex abnormalities could be identified, but none identified.
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Her unusual attire caused her to later become an icon of the [[transgender]]ed community, even though Christina herself was not transgendered. In 1965, , her grave was opened so that her [[death mask]] could be examined, and her bones were examined to see if sex abnormalities could be identified, but none identified.
  
 
==Ancestors==
 
==Ancestors==
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{{start box}}
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{{s-hou|[[House of Vasa]]|[[December 8]]|[[1626]]|[[April 19]]|[[1689]]|name=Christina}}
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{{s-aft|after=[[Charles X Gustav of Sweden|Karl X Gustav]]|as=[[List of Swedish monarchs|King of Sweden]]}}
 
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* Åkerman, Susanna. 1991. ''Queen Christina of Sweden and her circle: the transformation of a seventeenth-century philosophical libertine.'' Brill's studies in intellectual history, v. 21. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004093102
 
* Åkerman, Susanna. 1991. ''Queen Christina of Sweden and her circle: the transformation of a seventeenth-century philosophical libertine.'' Brill's studies in intellectual history, v. 21. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004093102
 
* Buckley, Veronica. 2004. ''Christina, Queen of Sweden: the restless life of a European eccentric.'' New York: Fourth Estate. ISBN 9780060736170  
 
* Buckley, Veronica. 2004. ''Christina, Queen of Sweden: the restless life of a European eccentric.'' New York: Fourth Estate. ISBN 9780060736170  
 +
* Mender, Mona. 1997. ''Extraordinary women in support of music.'' Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810832787
 
* Meyer, Carolyn. 2003. ''Kristina, the girl king. Royal diaries.'' New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439249768
 
* Meyer, Carolyn. 2003. ''Kristina, the girl king. Royal diaries.'' New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439249768
 
* Goldsmith, Margaret L. 1933. ''Christina of Sweden, a psychological biography.'' Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.
 
* Goldsmith, Margaret L. 1933. ''Christina of Sweden, a psychological biography.'' Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.
−
* Hjortsjö, Carl-Herman. 1966. ''The Opening of Queen Christina's Sarcophagus in Rome.'' Stockholm: Norstedts
+
* Hjortsjö, Carl-Herman. 1966. ''The Opening of Queen Christina's Sarcophagus in Rome.'' Stockholm: Norstedts
 
* Hjortsjö, Carl-Herman. 1966. Queen Christina of Sweden: a medical/anthropological investigation of her remains in Rome. ''Acta Universitatis Lundensis.'' no. 9. Lund: C.W.K. Gleerup, Sweden.
 
* Hjortsjö, Carl-Herman. 1966. Queen Christina of Sweden: a medical/anthropological investigation of her remains in Rome. ''Acta Universitatis Lundensis.'' no. 9. Lund: C.W.K. Gleerup, Sweden.
−
* Mender, Mona. 1997. ''Extraordinary women in support of music.'' Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810832787
+
* Rodén, Marie-Louise. 2000. ''Church politics in seventeenth-century Rome: Cardinal Decio Azzolino, Queen Christina of Sweden, and the Squadrone Volante.'' Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, 60. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International.ISBN 9789122018384
−
 
 
  
 
{{1911}}
 
{{1911}}

Revision as of 10:20, 18 August 2008

Portrait by Sébastien Bourdon.
Christina
Queen of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends;
Grand Princess of Finland; Duchess of Estonia, Karelia, Bremen, Verden, Stettin, Pomerania, Kashubia and Wendia; Princess of Rügen;
Lady of Ingria and Wismar
Reign November 6 1632 – June 6 1654
(caretaker government until
8 November 1644)
Coronation October 20 1650
Buried St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Predecessor Gustav II Adolf
Successor Charles X Gustav
Consort Unmarried
Issue None 
place of death  = Rome

Christina (December 8[1] 1626 – April 19 1689), later known as Maria Christina Alexandra and sometimes Countess Dohna, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 1632 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden and his wife Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg. As the heiress presumptive, at the age of six, she succeeded her father to the throne of Sweden upon his death at the Battle of Lützen in the Thirty Years' War. During her reign, Sweden established its short-lived North American colony. She was especially troubled by relations with Poland. A series of wars had ended in 1629 and started again shortly after her abdication.

She was a patron of dance.[music]] and art. She was tutored by [[[René Descartes]]. Choosing not to marry despite many offers, she appointed her cousin, Charles Gustavus as her heir. After having converted from the Lutheran Church to to Catholicism she abdicated the throne, spending sher latter years in France and Rome, where she was buried in St. Peter's Basilica devoting herself to science and culture. She has been described as a libertine for allegedly having serial affairs with men and women. In 1656 she was involved in a failed attempt to become Queen of Naples and in 1660, after Charles Gustav's death, unsuccessfully tried to re-ascend the Swedish throne. She also tried to assume power in Poland.

Early life

Christina was born in Stockholm and her birth occurred during a rare astrological conjunction that fueled great speculation on what influence the child, fervently hoped to be a boy, would later have on the world stage.[2] The king had already sired two sons, one of whom was stillborn and the other lived only one year, heightening pressures for a male heir to be produced. She was educated in the manner typical of men, and frequently wore men's clothes (such as dresses with short skirts, stockings and shoes with high heels - all these features being useful when not riding pillion).

Christina's mother, Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, came from the Hohenzollern family. She was a woman of distraught temperament, and apparently tried to make Christian feel guilty for her difficult birth. Either this or just the horror of the story itself may have prejudiced Christina against the prospect of having to produce an heir to the throne.

Her father gave orders that Christina should be brought up as a prince. Even as a child she displayed great precociousness. In 1649, when she was twenty-three, she invited the philosopher Descartes to Sweden to tutor her (so early in the morning, according to one popular account, that the lessons hastened Descartes' death from pneumonia in 1650). Christina also took the oath as king, not queen, because her father had wanted it so. Growing up, she was nicknamed the "Girl King."

Queen regnant

Queen Christina in discussion with French philosopher René Descartes.

The Crown of Sweden was hereditary in the family of Vasa. Gustav Adolf's younger brother had died years earlier, and therefore there were only females left. Despite the fact that there were living female lines descended from elder sons of Gustav I Vasa, Christina was the heiress presumptive. Although she is often called "queen," her father brought her up as a prince and her official title was King.

National policy was directed during the first half of Christina's reign by her guardian, regent and adviser Axel Oxenstierna, chancellor to her father and until her majority in 1644 the principal member of the governing regency council.

As ruler, Christina resisted demands from the other estates (clergy, burgesses and peasants) in the Riksdag of the Estates of 1650 to the reduce the tax-exemptions of noble landholders. Several princes of Europe aspired to her hand; but she rejected them all.

To prevent a renewal of applications on this subject, in 1649 she appointed her cousin Charles X Gustav of Sweden (also called Karl) her successor, but without the smallest participation in the rights of the crown during her own life.

It was under Christina that Sweden undertook its short-lived effort at North American colonization, known as "New Sweden." Fort Christina, the first European settlement in what is now Wilmington, Delaware (and the first permanent settlement in the Delaware Valley as a whole) was named for the Queen.

Christina was interested in theatre and ballet; a French ballet-troup under Antoine de Beaulieu was employed by the court from 1638, and there were also an Italian and a French Orchestra at court, which all inspired her much. She invited foreign companies to play at Bollhuset, such as an Italian Opera troupe in 1652 and a Dutch theatre troupe in 1653; she was also herself an amateur-actor, and amateur-theatre was very popular at court in her days. Her court poet Georg Stiernheilm wrote her several lays in the Swedish language, such as Den fångne Cupido eller Laviancu de Diane performed at court with Christina in the main part of the godess Diana. She founded the dance order Amaranterordern in 1653.

Abdication

Christina first contemplated abdication in 1651 but was persuaded to remain Queen. On June 5, 1654 she followed through with her intent to abdicate in favor of her cousin, Charles Gustavus , possibly after experiencing some type of break-down. She did so either in order to openly practice her previously secret Catholicism, or to be at the center of a scientific and artistic renaissance unencumbered by royal responsibilities. She is said to have stayed in her rooms for some time before her abdication, consulting with her priest.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag Apartments were assigned to her at Fontainebleau.

Pretending to be returning to Sweden to attend to some business there, she left Rome and traveled to Paris. She had arranged a meeting with Mazarin there and seemed to think it her best route to Naples.

However, her scheme was betrayed by her master-of-horse, marchese Gian Rinaldo Monaldeschi. He was summoned into a gallery in the palace and shown letters as proof of his guilt. He is said to have turned pale and begged for mercy; but he was instantly stabbed by two of Christina's domestic servants primed to do so. The killing of Monaldeschi was legal, since Christina had judicial rights over the members of her court. It was, however, seen as murder. The French court was offended and Christina forfeited her earlier popularity. Her act had its defenders, though, including Gottfried Leibniz. Christina sensed that she was now looked on with horror in France, and thought about visiting England. However, but received no encouragement from Cromwell and could not travel there. Instead, she returned to Rome and resumed her interests in the arts and sciences.

After Charles Gustav died in 1660, she took a journey to Sweden to recover her crown, but her estranged subjects rejected her claims. She submitted to a second renunciation of the throne and returned to Rome. Some differences with the Pope made her resolve, in 1662 once again return to Sweden. However, the Senate placed such strict terms and conditions on her living there that she turned back when she reached Hamburg. Going back to Rome, she re-established her position there. Cultivating a correspondence with various scholars there, and in other parts of Europe, she also acting as patron to musicians such as Arcangelo Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti. She may have made a bid for the Polish throne, which was also unsuccessful.

She died on April 19, 1689, leaving her large and important library, originally amassed as war booty by her father Gustavus from throughout his European campaign, to the Papacy. Among other paintings, Titian's Venus Anadyomene was originally in the her possession.

She is one of only three women to be given the honor of being buried in the grottoes of St. Peter's Basilica, alongside the remains of the popes. A monument to her was carved later on and adorns a column close to the permanent display of Michelangelo's Michelangelo's Pietà. At the opposite pillar across the nave is the Monument to the Royal Stuarts, commemorating the other 17th century monarchs who lost their thrones due to their Catholicism.

Legacy

Queen Christina's monument in St. Peter's Basilica

The complex character of Christina has inspired numerous plays, books, and operatic works. August Strindberg's 1901 Kristina depicts her as a protean, impulsive creature. "Each one gets the Christina he deserves" she remarks.

The most famous fictional treatment is the classic feature film Queen Christina from 1933 starring Greta Garbo. This film, while entertaining, had almost nothing to do with the real Christina. Another feature film, The Abdication, starred the Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann, and was based on a play by Ruth Wolff.

The Finnish author Zacharias Topelius' historical allegory Tähtien Turvatit also portrays her, like her father, as having a mercurial temperament, quick to anger, quicker to forgive. Kaari Utrio has also portrayed her tormented passions and thirst for love.

Christina's reign was controversial, and literature circulated during her lifetime that described her as participating in multiple affairs with both men and women. This, along with the emotional letters that she wrote to female friends, has caused her to become an icon for the lesbian community (and inspired comedian Jade Esteban Estrada to portray her in the solo musical ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World (Vol. 2), though there is no clear-cut evidence that she actually was involved in love affairs with either sex.

The strongest evidence of a lasting platonic love-affair from afar surfaced as encrypted letters she had sent to Cardinal Decio Azzolino (her rumored lover), which were decrypted in the 19th century. They speak of intense but sublimated erotic desire. She later named him as her sole heir.

Her unusual attire caused her to later become an icon of the transgendered community, even though Christina herself was not transgendered. In 1965, , her grave was opened so that her death mask could be examined, and her bones were examined to see if sex abnormalities could be identified, but none identified.

Ancestors

Christina's ancestors in three generations

 
 
 
 
 Gustav I of Sweden (Vasa)
 
 
 Charles IX of Sweden (Vasa)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Margaret Leijonhufvud
 
 
 Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (Vasa)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
 
 
 Christina of Holstein-Gottorp
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Christine of Hesse
 
Christina of Sweden (Vasa)
 
 
 
 
 
 Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg
 
 
 John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Catherine, Princess of Brandenburg-Küstrin
 
 
 Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia
 
 
 Anna, Duchess of Prussia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Marie Eleonore of Cleves
 

See also

Commons
Wikimedia Commons has media related to::
  • Fort Christina
  • History of Sweden
  • New Sweden
  • Alessandro Scarlatti
  • Swedish Empire
  • List of Swedish monarchs
  • List of Swedish queens
  • Queen Village, a neighborhood in South Philadelphia, named for Queen Christina of Sweden
  • Coenraad van Beuningen
  • Isaac Vossius
House of Vasa
Born: December 8 1626; Died: April 19 1689
Regnal Titles


Preceded by:
Gustav II Adolf 		Queen regnant of Sweden
1632-1654 		Succeeded by: Karl X Gustav
Monarchs of Sweden
House of Munsö
Eric the Victorious & Olof Björnsson · Olof Skötkonung · Anund Jacob · Emund the Old
House of Stenkil
Stenkil · Eric Stenkilsson & Eric the Pagan · Halsten · Anund Gårdske · Haakon the Red · Halsten & Inge the Elder · Blot-Sweyn · Eric of Good Harvests · Inge the Elder · Philip Halstensson & Inge the Younger · Ragnvald Knaphövde · Magnus the Strong
Houses of Eric (E)
and Sverker (S)
Sverker the Elder (S) · Eric the Saint (E) · Magnus Henriksen · Charles Sverkersson (S) · Kol & Boleslas (S) · Canute I (E) · Sverker the Younger (S) · Eric Canutesson (E) · John Sverkersson (S) · Eric Ericsson (E) · Canute II · Eric Ericsson (E)
House of Bjelbo
Valdemar Birgersson · Magnus Ladulås · Birger Magnusson · Mats Kettilmundsson (regent) · Magnus Ericsson‡ · Eric Magnusson · Magnus Ericsson & Haakon Magnusson‡
House of
Mecklenburg
Albrekt of Mecklenburg
Monarchs (M) and
Regents (R) during
the Kalmar Union
Margaret I of Denmark (M)†‡ & Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (R) · Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Charles Canutesson (R) · Eric of Pomerania (M)†‡ · Charles Canutesson (R) · Christopher of Bavaria (M)†‡ · Bengt Jönsson (Oxenstierna) (R) & Nils Jönsson (Oxenstierna) (R) · Charles Canutesson (M)‡ · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (R) & Erik Axelsson Tott (R) · Christian I (M)†‡ · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) (R) · Charles Canutesson (M) · Kettil Karlsson (Vasa) (R) · Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna (R) · Erik Axelsson Tott (R) · Charles Canutesson (M) · Sten Sture the Elder (R) · John II (M)†‡ · Sten Sture the Elder (R) · Svante Nilsson (R) · Eric Trolle (R) · Sten Sture the Younger (R) · Christian II (M)†‡ · Gustav Eriksson (Vasa) (R)
House of Vasa
Gustav I · Eric XIV · John III · Sigismund* · Charles IX · Gustavus Adolphus · Christina
House of
Palatinate-
Zweibrücken
Charles X Gustav · Charles XI · Charles XII · Ulrika Eleonora
House of
Hesse-Kassel
Frederick I
House of
Holstein-Gottorp
Adolf Frederick · Gustav III · Gustav IV Adolf · Charles XIII‡
House of Bernadotte
Charles XIV John‡ · Oscar I‡ · Charles XV‡ · Oscar II‡ · Gustav V · Gustav VI Adolf · Carl XVI Gustaf
† also Monarch of Denmark · ‡ also Monarch of Norway · * also Monarch of Poland

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  1. ↑ Note that the birth date is December 8 in the Julian calendar, which was in effect in Sweden at the time, corresponding to December 18 in the Gregorian calendar.
  2. ↑ http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/BasicFactsheet____4403.aspx

Bibliography

  • Åkerman, Susanna. 1991. Queen Christina of Sweden and her circle: the transformation of a seventeenth-century philosophical libertine. Brill's studies in intellectual history, v. 21. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004093102
  • Buckley, Veronica. 2004. Christina, Queen of Sweden: the restless life of a European eccentric. New York: Fourth Estate. ISBN 9780060736170
  • Mender, Mona. 1997. Extraordinary women in support of music. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810832787
  • Meyer, Carolyn. 2003. Kristina, the girl king. Royal diaries. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439249768
  • Goldsmith, Margaret L. 1933. Christina of Sweden, a psychological biography. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.
  • Hjortsjö, Carl-Herman. 1966. The Opening of Queen Christina's Sarcophagus in Rome. Stockholm: Norstedts
  • Hjortsjö, Carl-Herman. 1966. Queen Christina of Sweden: a medical/anthropological investigation of her remains in Rome. Acta Universitatis Lundensis. no. 9. Lund: C.W.K. Gleerup, Sweden.
  • Rodén, Marie-Louise. 2000. Church politics in seventeenth-century Rome: Cardinal Decio Azzolino, Queen Christina of Sweden, and the Squadrone Volante. Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, 60. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International.ISBN 9789122018384

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