King Gustavus Adolphus
fighting in Battle of Breitenfeld, 1631
Christina of Sweden (1626-89) was born in Tre Kronor castle, only surviving child of King Gustavus Adolphus and Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, last of the Vasa dynasty to rule Sweden.
King Gustavus had made Protestant Sweden into a great European power. He was a major leader in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48) from 1630, a conflict that changed the balance of power between Catholics and Protestants across the Holy Roman Empire.
Anticipating his death, Gustavus got Parliament to swear an oath to his daughter, securing her royal inheritance. He organised a Regency Council of 5 men, led by trusted Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna. Luckily Gustavus got it done, since Christina's mother was unstable.
When Gustavus died at Battle of Lützen in 1632, Christina became queen at 6. Oxenstierna & the regents governed Sweden until 1644 when Christina reached adulthood.
Christina was passionate about the arts & sciences. Sweden was unsophisticated, compared to the famous cultured courts in Rome and Paris, and the Queen dreamed of transforming Stockholm into the North’s cultural capital. After reaching her majority in 1644, Christina made a name for herself as a dedicated collector, spending on scientific instruments, drama, music and art, and sending her agents out to purchase treasures across Europe.
But Christina clashed with Oxenstierna and actively tried to ignore him. In 1645 the leaders in the Thirty Years’ War agreed to meet for negotiations. Oxenstierna wished to continue the conflict, which had given Sweden significant territorial gains. But Christina disagreed and sent her own delegate to conclude peace unconditionally. The Peace of Westphalia was eventually signed in 1648; Christina was powerful and Oxenstierna was bitterly disappointed.
Queen Christina studying with Descartes
by Pierre-Louis Dumesnil the Younger
New World Encyclopaedia
The Queen created one of the greatest libraries in Europe and leading scholars, theologians, scientists and philosophers were invited. In 1649, she invited French philosopher René Descartes to Stockholm to establish a new scientific academy and become her private tutor. But when Descartes arrived in a Swedish winter, he discovered that the Queen could only meet with him at 5am. Anyhow Descartes died from pneumonia in Feb 1650.
In 1649 the Queen frustrated her advisers by refusing to marry and have babies, and she named her first cousin Charles as heir presumptive. Combined with her masculine behaviour, posture, hair, humour and clothing, it quickly led to rumours regarding her sexuality. Many believed Christina had an affair with her lady-in-waiting Countess Ebba Sparre aka Belle. The two women frequently wrote to one another and shared a bed together. But note the Queen also arranged Sparre's marriage to Count Jakob Kasimir De la Gardie.
Christina long wished to convert to Catholicism, which had attracted her since youth. A free-thinker, Christina doubted Lutheran teachings and was frustrated when Sweden’s conservative clergy refused to consider reform. But she was the head of the Swedish Lutheran Church, and conversion would conflict with her Queenly responsibilities. The fact that Gustavus had fought and died for his Protestantism made his daughter's wishes even more troubling.
In 1651, Christina had a nervous breakdown. She attempted to abdicate but relented when her council pleaded with her to stay, even as a single woman! Nonetheless in 1654 the Queen restated her desire to abdicate, to the distress of her advisers, especially Oxenstierna.
Queen Christina on horseback,
1653-4, Prado
Negotiations continued with the Riksdag regarding the Queen's future financial security, and she was granted a handsome pension. Meanwhile Christina secretly arranged in 1653 for some of her valuables (books, statues, paintings, manuscripts) to be sent to Antwerp.
In 1654 Christina finally announced her abdication. The ceremony was held in June 1654 at Uppsala Castle. The Queen wore all of her royal regalia which she ceremonially removed, item at a time. Then Charles ascended the throne as King Charles X Gustav.
In 1654 Christina finally announced her abdication. The ceremony was held in June 1654 at Uppsala Castle. The Queen wore all of her royal regalia which she ceremonially removed, item at a time. Then Charles ascended the throne as King Charles X Gustav.
At the Sweden-Denmark border, Christina cut her hair and wore male clothes, to disguise herself. Then in Brussels, she privately converted to Catholicism, to avoid controversy back in Sweden.
Yet the ex-Queen soon wanted a new throne!! Was she bored? Regretful? In 1656 she negotiated with French Chief Minister Cardinal Mazarin, wanting to become Queen of Naples, if France conquered the kingdom from Spain. This would have restored her rule, and it would have allowed her to become financially independent from Sweden. But while staying at Fontainebleau Palace, her hopes failed.
18 months after abdicating, Christina arrived in Rome to great fanfare. Her welcome was planned by Pope Alexander VII who saw her conversion as propaganda for the Catholic Church. Fire works, banquets, operas and jousting honoured her for a month; then Christina attended Mass with the Pope, to receive the Holy Sacrament.
In Rome Christina lived in Palazzo Farnese, developing her artistic patronage, supporting scholars and artists, and founding Rome's first public theatre. She started a literary salon for music, poetry and literature, which became the Pontifical Academy of Arcadia in 1690.
Christina’s very close relationship with Cardinal Azzolino created gossip and strained her relationship with the Vatican. Despite abdicating to convert, was she any more obedient to Catholicism than she’d been to Lutheranism?
After King Charles’ death in 1660, she returned to Sweden to resume the throne, if Charles’ 5-year-old son-successor died. However the thought of Catholic Christina governing a Protestant realm was terrible. She later thought of becoming Queen of Poland after her cousin John II Casimir Vasa abdicated, but this also failed.
Christina's monument,
St Peter's Basilica