Christina of Denmark

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Christina of Denmark

Christina of Denmark (1522 – 1590), was firstly Duchess-consort of Milan and then Duchess-consort of Lorraine. She was claimant to the thrones of Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

She was the younger surviving daughter of Christian II of Denmark and Isabella of Austria, sister of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
. Christina 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 16,467 . Nyborg was made one of the 14 large municipalities, that were made on 1st of January 2008....
in central Denmark in 1522.

In 1533 she married by proxy Francesco II Sforza

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....
, Duke of Milan, who died in 1535.

In 1538, German painter Hans Holbein

Hans Holbein

Hans Holbein may refer to two German painters:* Hans Holbein the Elder father of Hans the Younger* Hans Holbein the Younger , better known of the two, court artist to King Henry VIII of England...
arrived in Brussels to meet Christina.

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Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
. Christina was born in Nyborg

Nyborg

Francesco II Sforza

Hans Holbein

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....
to paint portraits of noble women who were considered suitable brides. Christina had been mentioned after the death of Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour was List of English consorts as the third Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution in 1536....
in 1537. Upon Holbein's arrival, Christina sat for a portrait, 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. The English ambassador was arranging for Henry VIII to see the Duchess's likeness in connection with plans to marry her. 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 his wives. She supposedly told the English ambassador that "If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal."

Christina was also the grand-niece of Henry's first wife Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon also known as Katherine or Katharine; was the List of English consorts as the Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England, and Princess of Wales by her first marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales....
through her mother.

After turning down Henry's proposal, in 1541 she married François

Francis I, Duke of Lorraine

Francis I was briefly Duke of Lorraine from 1544 until the following year. He was son of Antoine, Duke of Lorraine and Ren?e of Bourbon-Montpensier, daughter of Gilbert, Count of Montpensier....
, Duc de Bar. In an interesting twist of fate, this was the prince who had been betrothed to Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England and as such she was List of English consorts from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540....
, who became the 4th wife of Henry VIII, after he was turned down by Christina. Francis succeeded his father as Duc de Lorraine in 1544 and died in 1545, leaving Christina as the Regent of Lorraine. She died in 1590.

In late 1550s and in 1560s, adventurer Wilhelm von Grumbach

Wilhelm von Grumbach

Wilhelm von Grumbach was a Germany adventurer, chiefly known through his connection with the so-called Grumbach feuds , the last attempt of the German knights to destroy the power of the territorial princes....
and his allies, who occasionally included Peder Oxe

Peder Oxe

Peder Oxe was a Denmark finance minister and Steward of the Realm .At the age of twelve he was sent abroad to complete his education, and resided at the principal universities of Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Switzerland for seventeen years....
, intrigued to dethrone her second cousin king Frederick II of Denmark

Frederick II of Denmark

Frederick II , King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 until his death. He was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg....
in Christina's favor. Nothing substantial came out of these activities.

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....
, namesake of her uncle the emperor. 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 List of rulers of Bavaria from 1579 to 1597....
, and it is through her that the current Danish

Danish Royal Family

The Danish Royal Family includes The Margrethe II of Denmark and her family. All members hold the title of Prince or Princess of Denmark with the style of His or Her Royal Highness , or His or Her Highness ....
, Norwegian

Norwegian Royal Family

The Royal Family of Norway is the extended family of King Harald V of Norway. In Norway there is a distinction between the Royal House and the Royal Family....
and Swedish

Swedish Royal Family

The Swedish Royal Family consists of a number of persons in the Sweden Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. They are entitled to royal titles and style |]]s, and some perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state....
royal families are descended.