Christina, Queen of Sweden
Born in Stockholm on December 18, 1626, Christina Alexandra succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus on the throne of Sweden upon his death at the Battle of Lützen (November 16, 1632) during Sweden's intervention in Germany in the Thirty Years' War.
Swedish Queen Christina's mother was Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Hohenzollern.
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, townspeople and peasants) in the Riksdag (parliament) of 1650 for the reduction of tax-exempt noble landholdings.
Christina came under the influence of Catholics and then abdicated her throne on June 16, 1654 in favour of her cousin Charles Gustavus in order to practice openly her previously secret Catholicism, Christina moved to Rome, where her wealth and former position made her a center of society. She left her large and important library to the Papacy on her death (April 19, 1689),
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. Also, the death of her father occurred on November 6 according to the Julian calendar.
|
Preceded by: |
Succeeded by: |