Christina of Sweden was the first and only female king of modern Europe. Her twenty-two year reign was marked by success in troubling times, and she's remembered for her enigmatic and intelligent nature.
Born on December 18, 1626, in Stockholm to King Gustavus Adolphus and his consort, Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, it had been widely hoped that the child would be a boy. The first two children of the king and queen, both girls, died in infancy. Upon Christina's birth, it was first believed she was a boy. This was, however, a mistake due to the fact that her gender couldn't be clearly seen because she was born with the fetal membrane wrapped around her. Out of all the nobles, her own mother was the most disappointed at Christina being born a girl. However, her father on the other hand was elated just to have a healthy child.
When Christina was a young child, her father left for the front lines of the Thirty Years War, which was ravishing Europe at the time. Before he left, he instructed his ministers that, should he die, Christina be raised as a prince in preparation for her succession to the throne. Gustavus Adolphus was killed on November 6, 1632 and a regency was set up for his young daughter.
Gustavus had made clear he wanted young Christina to be raised by his sister, Catherina of Pfalz. However, Christina's mother, upon her husband's death, suddenly became devoted to her daughter on a level that might very well be described as sick. Maria Eleonora denied her sister-in-law entrance to the royal house and kept her daughter, Christina, close to her in her mourning chambers. In fact, Gustavus wasn't even buried until eighteen months after his death, most likely per his widow's insistence. Sources allege that, in her grief, she kept his heart in a gold box in her chambers. This was not a healthy environment for her young daughter.
Gustavus's chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna, became alarmed at the sick and obsessive way the queen mother was treating her child. He exiled Maria Eleonora to Gripsholm Castle and invited Catherina of Pfalz and her family to stay, providing a stable family life for the young girl-king Christina for the first time since her father was killed.
As a child, Christina was fiercely intelligent. It's said that she spent twelve hours a day studying. A stoic child, people noted that she was very mature and wise beyond her years. She had a talented tongue; foreign dignitaries often exclaimed she spoke their language better than they themselves did.
Studying wasn't her only interest. Her equestrian talents were noteworthy and she engaged in both fencing and shooting. She was deeply interested in the arts; theatre and ballet were among her many passions. A French ballet troop was employed by her court, as well as Italian and French orchestras. She adored plays, which were a favorite pastime at her court, and she herself was an amateur actress.
Philosophy was one of her greatest loves. She struck up a correspondence with Rene Descartes. He arrived at her court in October of 1649. Descartes was the first Catholic with whom Christina had prolonged contact with and, while in Sweden, he was her personal tutor. Being from the warm climes of France, the Swedish winter was too much for Descartes. He died of pneumonia while at her court, and Christina would carry that guilt for the rest of her life.
Being raised as a boy, Christina had little time or patience for things that most girls her age did. In her autobiography, she wrote she possessed "an insurmountable distaste for all things that females talked about or did". Indeed, she wore masculine clothes, male shoes, and allowed her hair to be as unruly as it wanted to be. The biggest thing she didn't want to do that most girls did was be married.
Being married was an important aspect of being the ruler of Sweden. As king, she was expected to provide successors to the throne. Charles, her first cousin, was infatuated with her. What was romance on his part, was platonic love on Christina's. While she didn't return his feelings, she did nominate him as her successor when she made it known she never intended to marry.
Christina's official coronation took place on October 20, 1650 were she took the vows of a king. Now that her regency was over and her true reign had begun, she took a far more active role in politics. She must have held a lot of sway, for whatever laws or propositions she backed was law and whatever she didn't would never come to pass.
Shortly after her official coronation, Christina took an intense interest in Catholicism. Born a Lutheran, she was interested in the Catholic doctrine of free will. This was most likely influenced by recent conservative propositions by Lutheran proponents and her previous tutorage by Rene Descartes. She sent word to the Jesuit factions who soon sent emissaries to her court, disguised as nobles.
Eventually, she converted to Catholicism in secret, but the quiet conversion proved to be a great stress upon her. On June 5, 1654, she abdicated in favor of her cousin Charles. Other reasons for her hasty abdication included her own ego; she rather liked the idea of being a female king who abdicated at the height of her reign.
After becoming a private citizen, she traveled to foreign lands where she devoted her life solely to the arts and science. Her main foreign residence was in Rome, where she struck up a relationship and close affection for Cardinal Azzolino. Also in Rome, she became the acquaintance of many popes, most of whom sought to be in her good graces, for she was the most famous Catholic convert of her time; however, as time progressed, newer popes found her to be less favorable and allowed her less luxuries and favors than their predecessors had.
While in Rome, she also wrote her autobiography which gives us many facts and first-hand accounts about the important events in her life.
Christina died of pneumonia in February of 1689 with Azzolino at her side until the very last. To this day, the girl-king remains a legend, an enigma, and a staunch individual unafraid of being herself no matter what the cost.