Source:
Above: King Kristina of Sweden, painted by Sébastien Bourdon.
Above: Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, painted by David Beck.
(image courtesy of Riksarkivet)
Kristina (born December 8/18, 1626, died April 19, 1689), the last member of the House of Vasa, ruled as Queen of Sweden from 1632 until her/their abdication in 1654, although her/their official title was King. She/they succeeded her/their father King Gustav II Adolf at age five upon his death at the Battle of Lützen in 1632, but began ruling the Swedish Empire when she/they turned eighteen in 1644.
Kristina argued for peace in the Thirty Years' War, which was achieved in 1648 with the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia. She/they was greatly fond of books, manuscripts, paintings and sculptures. With her/their interest in religion, philosophy, mathematics and alchemy, she/they attracted many scholars to Stockholm, wanting the city to become the "Athens of the North". Kristina had a strong memory and intellect — and a strong will —, was often fickle and moody and intense in every emotion, and had a tendency to neglect her/their appearance and hygiene to an extreme, but she/they could be charming when she/they wanted to be. This and more has given rise to the possibility that Kristina was autistic, perhaps with co-morbid dysgraphia and dyscalculia. She/they caused a scandal when she/they decided not to marry, and again in 1654 when she/they abdicated the throne in favour of her/their cousin King Karl X Gustav and converted to Roman Catholicism.
During her/their reign Kristina's financial extravagance brought the state to the verge of bankruptcy, and the financial difficulties caused public unrest in the years before the abdication. After abdicating and converting, she/they moved to Rome, where she/they played an active part in the theatrical and musical community and protected many Baroque artists, composers and musicians. She/they was born Kristina Augusta Vasa, but took the name Kristina (Maria) Alexandra upon her/their conversion to Catholicism. Her/their masculine dressing and unconventional behaviour have been featured in many books, plays, operas and films. In all the biographies about Kristina, her/their gender and cultural identity play an important role.
Although she/they was definitely on the LGBTQ+ spectrum for both sexual orientation and gender identity, it is almost impossible to fit Kristina into just one label, so no one can agree on whether she/they was lesbian, bisexual, asexual, demisexual, biromantic, an early butch lesbian, a trans man, non-binary or biologically intersex, as, despite her/their masculine clothing and behaviour and wish to become a real man, she/they always used female pronouns and titles, and people in the 17th century did not have the vocabulary to describe gender non-conforming people other than the word "hermaphrodite".
In this letter to Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, dated February 22, 1645, Kristina writes that she/they has received his letter regarding separate peace negotiations with the Elector of Brandenburg and with the Hanseatic cities' request with the commissaries. She/they postpones her/their response to the next post.
The letter:
Högt ärade Her Cantzler,
Jag haver igar bekommit eder skrivelse och der uthur nogsamt forstot eder mening i den saken som angår den particular tractaten medh Churfursten aff Brandenburg sa vel som och om hansestedernas anhollande hos commissarierne. Och medan sakernes vichtighet är stor och jagh icke en rett är resolverat i desse saker, vil jagh dem låta bero til nesta post, då jagh eder mine tankar offver ett och annat vil lata fornimma. Beder at I icke vill lata falla eder for svårt (der en vidare eder nogot kunna infalla) migh sådandt at lata fornimma, hvilket lender migh til stor underettelse och obligerar migh så muket hogre att continuera i den fattade opinion om Rixcantz. trogna affection mot mig såsom den der är och förbliver
Rixcan. altid vel beneghen
Christina
Datum Stockholm den 22
februari Anno 1645
With modernised spelling:
Högtärade Herr Kansler,
Jag haver igår bekommit Eder skrivelse och därutur nogsamt forstått Eder mening i den saken som angår den partikular traktaten med Kurfursten av Brandenburg så väl som och om hansestädernas anhållande hos kommissarierna. Och medan sakernas viktighet är stor och jag icke en rätt är resolverat i dessa saker, vill jag dem låta bero till nästa post, då jag Eder mina tankar över ett och annat vill låta förnimma. Beder att I icke vill låta falla Eder for svårt (där en vidare Eder något kunna infalla) mig sådant at låta förnimma, vilket länder migh till stor underrättelse och obligerar mig så mycket högre att kontinuera i den fattade opinion om Rikskanslerns trogna affektion mot mig såsom den där är och förbliver
Rikskanslerns alltid välbenägen
Kristina
Datum Stockholm den 22
Februari Anno 1645
English translation (my own):
Much honoured Lord Chancellor,
I received your letter yesterday, from which I have quite understood your opinion in the affair concerning the particular treaty with the Elector of Brandenburg, as well as about the Hanseatic cities' request to the commissaries. And although the importance of these matters be great and I am not a bit decided in them, I will delay them until the next post, as I want to inform you of my thoughts on one and the other. I beg you not to let it be difficult for you (where something further could occur) to let me know as such, which gives me a great report and obliges me so much more to continue in my opinion of the Chancellor of the Realm's affection towards me as the one who is and remains
The Chancellor of the Realm's always well-affectionate
Kristina.
Stockholm, February 22, 1645.
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