“She posses an extraordinary mind, she has seen every thing, read everything and knows everything”
Rene Descartes, Mathematician, Philosopher
Portrait of Kristina Vasa, Queen of Sweden
– Born 1626 as child of Gustavus Adolphus II, Lutheran King of Sweden
– 1632, upon her father’s death in battle she s declared heir presumptive, she was six years old
– at 18 she is crowned queen, from 1644-1654 she reigns as a liberal ruler of the Enlightenment
– she argues the peace treaty after the Thirty Years War, with Swedens interests in mind
– she is one of the most learned women of her time and modernises Sweden significantly
– 1654, she abdicates to live her dream life, moves to Rome and converts to Catholicism
– 1689 she dies in Rome, as a guest of the pope – since her abdication, she had spent her life being lavishly
-her life, after her abdication was paid for by catholic rulers and the Vatican
If you like to know more:
- Book: “Christina, Queen of Sweden: The Restless Live of a European”, by Veronica Buckley, 2004
- Book: “Maxims of a Queen”, by Christina of Sweden, (classic reprint, Amazon
- Book: “Queen C”, by Laura Ruohonen, 2002
- Book: “Kristina”, by August Strindberg, 1901
- Film: “Queen Christina”, with Greta Garbo, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, 1933
- Film: ” “The Abdication”, with Liv Ulmann, directed by Anthony Harvey, 1974
- Film: “The Girl King”, with Malin Busuka, directed by Mika Kaurismäki, 2015