Christina of Saxony
Encyclopedia
Christina of Saxony was a Saxon princess who became Queen consort
of Denmark
, Norway
, and Sweden
. She was born a granddaughter of Frederick the Gentle
of Saxony, and daughter of Ernest, Elector of Saxony
and Elisabeth of Bavaria
.
, Norway
and Sweden
on 6 September 1478. She became queen of Denmark in 1481, but was not crowned until 1483, when she had become queen of Norway also. She was Queen consort of Denmark and Norway from 1483 to 1513 and of Sweden from 1497 to 1501.
She was the mother of Christian II, Franciscus, Knud and Elizabeth, who later married Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg, and (probably) also of Jacob the Dacian.
In 1497, her husband was made king of Sweden. In 1499, Christina was crowned queen of Sweden in Uppsala. In 1500, Queen Christina was made regent in Sweden during her husband's absence from this country. This year meant a break in her marriage, when her husband became involved in a relationship with her lady-in-waiting
, Edel Jernskjæg. When a rebellion broke out in Sweden against Denmark and the Kalmar union in 1501, Christina was besieged in the castle of Tre Kronor
in Stockholm
. She surrendered on 9 May 1502, after the Danish soldiers had been reduced from 1,000 men to 70 by sickness and starvation. When she surrendered her position, she turned herself over to lady Ingeborg Tott
, who met her at the castle and followed her to a convent. She was taken prisoner by Sten Sture the Elder
and held at Vadstena Abbey
until the peace negotiations with her husband was completed in 1503, after which she was released and returned to Denmark. From 1503, Anne Meinstrup
was head lady-in-waiting
of her court.
In 1504, she made a pilgrimage to Germany, and also visited her daughter there. After her return to Denmark, she lived the rest of her life separated from her spouse and had her own separate court at Næsbyhoved. She was interested in art and music, and was a critical Catholic who wished for a reformation of the church and benefitted the order of Franciscus and Saint Clare
. She became a widow in 1513.
Christina of Saxony died in 8 December 1521, aged 59.
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Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
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....
. She was born a granddaughter of Frederick the Gentle
Frederick II, Elector of Saxony
Frederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:...
of Saxony, and daughter of Ernest, Elector of Saxony
Ernest, Elector of Saxony
Ernst, Elector of Saxony was Elector of Saxony from 1464 to 1486.-Biography:Ernst was founder of the Ernestine line of Saxon princes, ancestor of George I of Great Britain, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as well as his wife and cousin Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and their...
and Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony
Elisabeth of Bavaria-Munich was a princess of Bavaria-Munich by birth and by marriage Electress of Saxony.- Life :...
.
Biography
She was married to John, King of DenmarkDenmark
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....
on 6 September 1478. She became queen of Denmark in 1481, but was not crowned until 1483, when she had become queen of Norway also. She was Queen consort of Denmark and Norway from 1483 to 1513 and of Sweden from 1497 to 1501.
She was the mother of Christian II, Franciscus, Knud and Elizabeth, who later married Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg, and (probably) also of Jacob the Dacian.
In 1497, her husband was made king of Sweden. In 1499, Christina was crowned queen of Sweden in Uppsala. In 1500, Queen Christina was made regent in Sweden during her husband's absence from this country. This year meant a break in her marriage, when her husband became involved in a relationship with her lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
, Edel Jernskjæg. When a rebellion broke out in Sweden against Denmark and the Kalmar union in 1501, Christina was besieged in the castle of Tre Kronor
Tre kronor (castle)
Tre Kronor or Three Crowns was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. She surrendered on 9 May 1502, after the Danish soldiers had been reduced from 1,000 men to 70 by sickness and starvation. When she surrendered her position, she turned herself over to lady Ingeborg Tott
Ingeborg Tott
Lady Ingeborg Åkesdotter Tott , in her lifetime called Ingeborg Åkesdotter , was a Swedish noble, the consort of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the elder . She was also the fiefholder and regent of Häme in Finland...
, who met her at the castle and followed her to a convent. She was taken prisoner by Sten Sture the Elder
Sten Sture the Elder
Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from .-Background:...
and held at Vadstena Abbey
Vadstena Abbey
Vadstena Abbey was the motherhouse of the Bridgettine Order, situated on Lake Vättern, in the Diocese of Linköping, Sweden. The abbey started as one of the farms donated by the king, but the town of Vadstena grew up around it...
until the peace negotiations with her husband was completed in 1503, after which she was released and returned to Denmark. From 1503, Anne Meinstrup
Anne Meinstrup
Anne Meinstrup was a politically active Danish noble, lady-in-waiting and county administrator.Daughter of noble riksråd Henrik Meinstrup and Margrethe Christiansdatter Daa , she was married to nobleriksråd Holger Eriksen Rosenkrantz til Boller in 1491 and the noble Jørgen Ahlefeldt til Søgaard...
was head lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
of her court.
In 1504, she made a pilgrimage to Germany, and also visited her daughter there. After her return to Denmark, she lived the rest of her life separated from her spouse and had her own separate court at Næsbyhoved. She was interested in art and music, and was a critical Catholic who wished for a reformation of the church and benefitted the order of Franciscus and Saint Clare
Saint Clare
Saint Clare may refer to:*Saint Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clares and companion of Saint Francis of Assisi*Saint Clare of the Cross or Clare of Montefalco, 13th-century Italian abbess...
. She became a widow in 1513.
Christina of Saxony died in 8 December 1521, aged 59.
Ancestry
Succession
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