Christina of Denmark (November 1521 – 10 December 1590) was the daughter of Isabella of Habsburg and Christian II of Denmark and Norway.
Less than two years after her birth, her family went in exile to the Netherlands. This because her father was driven out by a revolt. Her mother died in 1526 and her father landed in prison when he tried to retake his throne.Christina was raised by her great-aunt Margaret of Austria and after Margaret's death, by her aunt Mary of Hungary. She got an extensive education, further raising her profile as a useful asset in the royal marriage market of the time.
Christina became Duchess of Milan through her marriage to Francesco II Sforza. The marriage was reportedly a good one, but Franceso died young, leaving her a widow. The city of Tortona was part of her dower. Though popular in Milan, she left to rejoin her aunt Mary in the Netherlands.
In the English-speaking world, Christina is probably best well-known because Henry VIII was interested in marrying her after the death of his third wife. She sat for a painting by Holbein, but was also said to have quipped: "If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal." Henry was 30 years older, and both her aunt and her uncle Charles V were sympathetic to her reluctance to marry him. Ironically, she would marry Francis, Duke of Bar, who had been betrothed to the woman who would become Henry's fourth wife.
After the death of his father in 1544, Francis inherited the Duchy of Lorraine as well. Like her first marriage, it was a happy but short one. She tried to mediate between the Empire and France, where her aunt Eleonor was queen, though to no success. Francis died in 1545 and Christina became regent for her young son. After the French invaded, she had to depart and give up the regency.
She remained politically active and visited the England of Mary Tudor with her cousin Margaret of Parma.In 1559, she presided over successful negotiations for a peace treaty. A year later, Christina was appointed regent of Lorraine again, as her son and daughter-in-law travelled. When her father died, she laid claim to the throne of Denmark. For this, she did not get the support from her most powerful relatives and after a while, she let the matter lie.
Christina returned to Tortona, where her rule gained a good reputation, as she solved many long-standing issues.
Portrayals of Christina of Denmark in fiction:
- Sonya Cassidy in The Tudors (2007)
- Appears in Helle Stangerup's In the Courts of Power (1988)
- Appears in Marianne Malone's The Sixty-Eight Rooms (2010)
Tropes associated with Christina of Denmark in fiction:
- One-Scene Wonder: In The Tudors, she makes it very clear what she thinks of potentially marrying Henry VIII.
