Queen Christina of Sweden

“Queen Christina was a complex personality” (Stolpe 150). She lived a very interesting life with many problems along the way. Although Christina would provide major contributions to Sweden as a ruler, advocate of religious freedom, and as a patroness of the arts and sciences, she would also have many problems concerning those aspects as well as marriage and her sexuality (Philemon). “Christina’s courage, her belief in rights and liberties, rare in her day, her recognition of religious and spiritual values, and her generosity went far to mitigate her glaring faults, which she paid for with a life of great unhappiness” (Masson 375).

Christina Wasa was born in Sweden on December 8, 1926 to King Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleonora. She was predicted to be a boy, and even once she was born, was thought to be a boy. As her father’s only child, she was declared to be his successor. While her father, King Gustav, was off fighting for Sweden in the Thirty Years War, Christina was tutored and Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna ruled Sweden until she would be able to take the throne (Philemon). While Christina enjoyed her

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She planned to leave Stockholm and go to Rome after her abdication. Christina would tell her feelings about religion to many of her mentors and either take their advice or disagree with it (Philemon). At a young age, she became obsessed with Charles Gustav, and she was expected to marry him. Although secretly, she knew she did not want to marry. Christina said, “I say this explicitly, that it is impossible for me to marry. As she grew older, she would question Lutheranism more and more. Because of Christina’s contributions, Sweden became known as the “Athens of the North” (Goldsmith 104). She would also have relations with Magnus de la Gardie and Ebba Sparre during her reign. In women’s words and occupations, I showed myself to be quite incapable, and I saw no possibility of improvement in this respect” (Stolpe 40). That is the way it is for me…I have frequently prayed to God, that I shall get that mind, but I have not been able to get

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it… My temper is a mortal enemy to this horrible yoke [marriage], which I would not accept, even if I thus would become the ruler of the world” (Philemon). On June 6, 1654, Queen Christina of Sweden abdicated the throne and named Charles Gustav as her successor. She traveled secretly through Europe and would soon convert to Catholicism (Philemon).

There were many good things that Christina did as the queen of Sweden. Even at her coronation, Christina knew that her abdication would come eventually, but it would take time to set it up. She wanted to go into the branch of Catholicism of the libertines, known as the “free thinkers” (Stolpe 183).

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