In the post about Anna of Austria, Kristina’s predecessor, we saw how Sigismund, king of Sweden and Poland, was challenged by his uncle, duke Karl, over the rule of Sweden.
The conflict between uncle and nephew continued to escalate, and in September 1598 their armies clashed at Stångebro outside Linköping, and the battle ended in victory for Karl. The following year, Karl was made regent, and in 1600 the privy council named him king of Sweden. However, it took until 1604 before he himself assumed the title of king.
The new queen, Karl’s second wife, was named Kristina of Holstein-Gottorp. She was born on April 12, 1573, as the fourth of seven children to duke Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp and Kristina of Hessen. Adolf was half-brother to the Danish king, and this kinship would not always be to Kristina’s advantage.
Karl had previously been married to Maria of Pfalz, who died in 1589. Of their 6 children, only the daughter Katarina survived. When Karl wanted to remarry, his sister Elisabeth helped him find a suitable wife. She suggested Kristina, who was a good candidate because of her noble birth and her protestant faith.
Kristina had previously been engaged to Sigismund, but as we know, he ended up marrying Anna of Austria instead.
Kristina and Karl married in Nyköping on August 27, 1592, when Kristina was 19 and Karl, who at this time was “only” a duke, was 23 years older.
Kristina has often been blamed for Karl’s rebellion against Sigismund. It was supposedly she who incited him because of her bitterness towards her ex-fiancé. She was described by her opponents as “the Eve who made her husband bite the apple of kingship”.
If Kristina really encouraged Karl to take the throne is hard to know. But it is not uncommon for powerful women in history to be vilified. And Kristina was a force to be reckoned with!
She has been described as being as harsh and stern as her husband, and good with finances. It is told that she in times of crisis forced the court to eat everything that was being served, even the bones of the fish – and that she herself measured the fabric when something needed to be sewn, so that nothing would go to waste.
Karl IX admitted that they could have loud arguments, and when war broke out with Denmark he suspected her of being too pro-Danish, because of her kinship to the Danish royal family. But overall, they seemed to get along well.
They had four children together, of which three survived to adulthood – the future Gustav II Adolf (above), Maria Elisabeth and Karl Filip.
Karl is also said to appreciate his wife’s abilities, and she took over as regent on several occasions in his absence. He also made sure that she would lead the government in the event that he died before Gustav Adolf came of age.
And that was what happened in October 1611. More on that in the next post.
Sources:
Lindqvist, Herman. Historien om alla Sveriges drottningar. (2006)
Tegenborg, Falkdalen, Karin. Svenska drottningar – i blickfånget från Vasatiden till idag. (2020)