Christina of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Christina of Denmark was a Danish princess who became Duchess-consort
of Milan
, then Duchess-consort of Lorraine. She was also the Regent of Lorraine in the years 1545-1552 during the minority of her son and a claimant to the thrones of Denmark
, Norway
and Sweden
.
. She was born in Nyborg
in central Denmark in 1521. She left Denmark at her father's deposition in 1523 and was raised in the Netherlands.
On 4 May 1534 Christina was married by proxy to Francesco II Sforza, Duke of Milan
, who died in 1535 leaving her widowed when she was fourteen. She and Francesco had no children.
After the death of her first husband Francesco Sforza, Christina went to live at the court of her aunt, the Governor of the Netherlands, Dowager Queen Mary of Hungary. Christina was a favorite of Mary.
, the third wife of Henry VIII
, died in 1537, Christina was considered as a possible bride for the English king. The German painter Hans Holbein
was commissioned to paint portraits of noblewomen eligible to become the English queen. On 10 March 1538, Holbein arrived in Brussels with the diplomat Philip Hoby
to meet Christina. Hoby arranged with Benedict, the Master of Christina's household, for a sitting the next day. Christina sat for the portrait for three hours wearing mourning
clothes. Her rooms in Brussels
were hung with black velvet, black damask and a black cloth-of-estate. Christina, then only sixteen years old, made no secret of her opposition to marrying the English king, who by this time had a reputation around Europe for his mistreatment of wives. She supposedly told an English ambassador that "If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal." It was also obvious that Mary of Hungary was less than enthused with the match, being no admirer of Henry VIII. Henry pursued the match until January 1539, when the attitude of Mary made it obvious that the match would never take place. Thomas Wriothesley
, the English diplomat in Brussels, advised Thomas Cromwell that Henry should; "fyxe his most noble stomacke in some such other place."
. Francis had been betrothed to Anne of Cleves
, who became the fourth wife of Henry VIII. Francis succeeded his father as Duke of Lorraine in 1544. He valued her political advice greatly, which was noted at the Council of Speyer (1544). Francis died in 1545, leaving Christina as Regent of Lorraine and the guardian of her minor son. In 1552, France invaded Lorraine and she was forced to resign as regent and give up her son to be raised at the French court as a hostage.
Christina fled to the Netherlands. When her aunt died in 1558, she worked to be appointed the new Governor and Regent of the Netherlands. This did not succeed, and when Margaret of Parma
was appointed regent, she returned to Lorraine.
and his allies, who occasionally included Peder Oxe
, attempted to dethrone her second cousin king Frederick II of Denmark
in Christina's favor. Christina also conspired to marry her daughter Renata to Frederick II of Denmark
in about 1560, and then to Eric XIV of Sweden
in an alliance against Denmark during the war between Denmark and Sweden in 1563-1570. All of these efforts came to nothing.
In 1578, she left for Tortona
in Italy, a fief given to her by her first husband, were she lived to her death styled as "Madame of Tortona".
Her son was Charles III, Duke of Lorraine
, namesake of her uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Her daughter, Renata of Lorraine
, married William V, Duke of Bavaria
, and it is through her that the current Danish
, Norwegian
and Swedish
royal families are descended.
Princess consort
Princess consort is a title or an informal designation normally given to the wife of a sovereign prince. Since a male sovereign ruler is generally titled as a king and not a prince, the title of princess consort is not widely used. More rarely, it may be given to the spouse of a king, if the more...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, then Duchess-consort of Lorraine. She was also the Regent of Lorraine in the years 1545-1552 during the minority of her son and a claimant to the thrones of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Background
Christina was the younger surviving daughter of King Christian II of Denmark and Norway and Isabella of Austria, sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. She was born in Nyborg
Nyborg
Nyborg is a city in central Denmark, located in Nyborg Municipality on the island of Funen and with a population of 16,492 . Nyborg is one of the 14 large municipalities created on 1 January 2007...
in central Denmark in 1521. She left Denmark at her father's deposition in 1523 and was raised in the Netherlands.
On 4 May 1534 Christina was married by proxy to Francesco II Sforza, Duke of Milan
Francesco II Sforza
Francesco II Sforza , also known as Francesco Maria Sforza, was the last Duke of Milan from 1521 until his death.He was the son of Ludovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este...
, who died in 1535 leaving her widowed when she was fourteen. She and Francesco had no children.
After the death of her first husband Francesco Sforza, Christina went to live at the court of her aunt, the Governor of the Netherlands, Dowager Queen Mary of Hungary. Christina was a favorite of Mary.
Marriage proposal
After Jane SeymourJane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
, the third wife of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, died in 1537, Christina was considered as a possible bride for the English king. The German painter Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
was commissioned to paint portraits of noblewomen eligible to become the English queen. On 10 March 1538, Holbein arrived in Brussels with the diplomat Philip Hoby
Philip Hoby
Sir Philip Hoby was a 16th century English Ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire and Flanders....
to meet Christina. Hoby arranged with Benedict, the Master of Christina's household, for a sitting the next day. Christina sat for the portrait for three hours wearing mourning
Mourning
Mourning is, in the simplest sense, synonymous with grief over the death of someone. The word is also used to describe a cultural complex of behaviours in which the bereaved participate or are expected to participate...
clothes. Her rooms in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
were hung with black velvet, black damask and a black cloth-of-estate. Christina, then only sixteen years old, made no secret of her opposition to marrying the English king, who by this time had a reputation around Europe for his mistreatment of wives. She supposedly told an English ambassador that "If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal." It was also obvious that Mary of Hungary was less than enthused with the match, being no admirer of Henry VIII. Henry pursued the match until January 1539, when the attitude of Mary made it obvious that the match would never take place. Thomas Wriothesley
Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton
Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton, KG , known as The Lord Wriothesley between 1544 and 1547, was a politician of the Tudor period born in London to William Wrythe and Agnes Drayton....
, the English diplomat in Brussels, advised Thomas Cromwell that Henry should; "fyxe his most noble stomacke in some such other place."
Duchess and Regent of Lorraine
On 10 July 1541, Christina married Francis, Duke of BarFrancis I, Duke of Lorraine
Francis I was a member of the French nobility. He was briefly Duke of Lorraine from 1544–1545.-History:...
. Francis had been betrothed to Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
, who became the fourth wife of Henry VIII. Francis succeeded his father as Duke of Lorraine in 1544. He valued her political advice greatly, which was noted at the Council of Speyer (1544). Francis died in 1545, leaving Christina as Regent of Lorraine and the guardian of her minor son. In 1552, France invaded Lorraine and she was forced to resign as regent and give up her son to be raised at the French court as a hostage.
Christina fled to the Netherlands. When her aunt died in 1558, she worked to be appointed the new Governor and Regent of the Netherlands. This did not succeed, and when Margaret of Parma
Margaret of Parma
Margaret, Duchess of Parma , Governor of the Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582, was the illegitimate daughter of Charles V and Johanna Maria van der Gheynst...
was appointed regent, she returned to Lorraine.
Titular queen and claimant
In Lorraine, Christina served as advisor to her son and acted as his regent whenever he was absent. At the same time, she styled herself the rightful "Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden". In late 1550s and 1560s, the adventurer Wilhelm von GrumbachWilhelm von Grumbach
Wilhelm von Grumbach was a German adventurer, chiefly known through his connection with the so-called Grumbach feuds , the last attempt of the Imperial Knights to prevail against the power of the territorial Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.-Florian Geyer:A member of the old Franconian noble...
and his allies, who occasionally included Peder Oxe
Peder Oxe
Peder Oxe was a Danish finance minister and Steward of the Realm.-Background:...
, attempted to dethrone her second cousin king Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
in Christina's favor. Christina also conspired to marry her daughter Renata to Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
in about 1560, and then to Eric XIV of Sweden
Eric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
in an alliance against Denmark during the war between Denmark and Sweden in 1563-1570. All of these efforts came to nothing.
In 1578, she left for Tortona
Tortona
Tortona is a comune of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.-History:...
in Italy, a fief given to her by her first husband, were she lived to her death styled as "Madame of Tortona".
Her son was Charles III, Duke of Lorraine
Charles III, Duke of Lorraine
Charles III , known as the Great, was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death.-History:He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark...
, namesake of her uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Her daughter, Renata of Lorraine
Renata of Lorraine
Renata of Lorraine was the daughter of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine and Christina of Denmark. Her maternal grandparents were Christian II of Denmark and Isabella of Burgundy...
, married William V, Duke of Bavaria
William V, Duke of Bavaria
William V, Duke of Bavaria , called the Pious, was Duke of Bavaria from 1579 to 1597.- Education and early life :...
, and it is through her that the current Danish
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
, Norwegian
Norwegian Royal Family
The Royal Family of Norway is the family of King Harald V of Norway. In Norway there is a distinction between the Royal House and the Royal Family. The Royal House includes only the King and his spouse, the Queen, the King's eldest son with spouse, being the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the...
and Swedish
Swedish Royal Family
The Swedish Royal Family since 1818 consists of a number of persons in the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style , and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state...
royal families are descended.
Children
By Francis I of Lorraine| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Charles III, Duke of Lorraine Charles III , known as the Great, was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death.-History:He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark... |
15 February 1543 | 14 May 1608 | married 19 January 1559 Claude of Valois Claude of Valois Claude of Valois was born at Fontainebleau on 12 November 1547 and died in Nancy on 21 February 1575. She was the second daughter of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici.-Biography:... and had issue. |
| Renata Renata of Lorraine Renata of Lorraine was the daughter of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine and Christina of Denmark. Her maternal grandparents were Christian II of Denmark and Isabella of Burgundy... |
20 April 1544 | 22 May 1602 | married 22 February 1568 William V, Duke of Bavaria William V, Duke of Bavaria William V, Duke of Bavaria , called the Pious, was Duke of Bavaria from 1579 to 1597.- Education and early life :... and had issue. |
| Dorothea | 20 August 1545 | 2 June 1621 | married 1575 Eric II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Calenberg and had no issue. |
Literature
- Helle Stangerup, In the Courts of Power, 1987.
- Marianne Malone, The Sixty-Eight Rooms, 2010.