A True Queen
Christina of Denmark was considered a dynamo even in her own day—and she needed to be. Strikingly beautiful, she nonetheless navigated a life full of ugliness and danger, from her father’s exile and imprisonment to the kidnapping of her own son. But above all, her greatest legacy may have been the gruesome fate she narrowly avoided: Being a Tudor queen.
1. Her Father Lost His Crown
Turmoil invaded Christina’s life from the very beginning. In 1521, she came into the world as a princess of Denmark. Within months, catastrophe hit. Her father King Christian II had never been popular, even with the aid of Christina’s smart, even-keeled mother Isabella of Austria, and before Christina was two years old, his nobles had ousted him from the throne in favor of his uncle.
The royal family now had to fight to survive.
2. She Became A Foundling
The toddling Christina now became an exile from her kingdom as her parents fled Denmark and brought her to the Netherlands. While there, Christina lived as the ward of her uncle Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and was cared for primarily by his sister, Christina’s aunt, Mary of Hungary.
Nonetheless, Christina’s parents never lost hope that they would someday get the crown back. Instead, all they got was tragedy.
After Titian, Wikimedia Commons
3. She Lost Her Mother Young
Just three years after their forced exile, Christina experienced her first true loss. Her mother, who was only 24 years old at the time, fell deathly ill and perished in January of 1526. Christina was now more vulnerable than ever, and had so far only experienced the cruelties of life.
The next few years would do little to change her mind.
Jan Gossaert, Wikimedia Commons
4. Her Father Was Imprisoned
Even after the passing of his wife, Christina’s father Christian was still obsessed with getting his crown back—and it would be his undoing. In 1532, when Christina was only 11 years old, one of his attempts to reclaim the throne led his uncle, still the sitting King of Denmark, to finally imprison his wayward nephew once and for all.
As if that weren’t enough, Christina’s brother died the very same year, leaving her and her older sister Dorothea as the sole heirs to the “stolen” throne. It also made her an enormous target.
5. She Was A Pawn
Christina’s uncle Charles V may have sheltered the exiled princesses, but it wasn’t exactly out of the goodness of his heart. Charles understood that he could use Christina and her sister as pawns in the European marriage game, and he kept his eye out for any eligible suitors even before the girls hit adolescence.
One day, a scandalous proposal came along.
Jan Gossaert, Wikimedia Commons
6. Henry VIII Wanted Her
Shortly after arriving in the Dutch court in exile, Christina’s family received an envoy from England who suggested that one of the sisters marry Henry Fitzroy, the son of King Henry VIII. There was just one problem. Fitzroy was the illegitimate son of Henry, born to his mistress Bessie Blount and not to his wife Catherine of Aragon.
Christina’s family may have been in reduced circumstances, but Charles V wanted more for his nieces than a boy born on the wrong side of the sheets, and he rejected the offer. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last Christina saw of Henry VIII—or insulting proposals.
Lucas Horenbout, Wikimedia Commons
7. Her Uncle Traded Her In
The year Christina’s father was imprisoned, Charles V seemed to change his tune about just how strong his nieces’ prospects were. That year, Francesco II Sforza, the Duke of Milan, came to the Holy Roman Emperor in search of a bride, and asked to marry Christina’s elder sister Dorothea.
Charles wrinkled his nose at the thought of that, but he offered up the less valuable, younger Christina instead—and his terms were ghastly.
Unknown 16th century artist, Wikimedia Commons
8. She Had A May-December “Romance”
The Duke of Milan was almost 30 years older than the 11-year-old Christina and suffering from ill health, but this didn’t stop Charles V from sweetening the deal by telling the Duke he could have a proxy wedding—a quick, long distance union—and then look forward to an instant consummation of the marriage the minute Christina could get to Milan.
But Christina had at least one guardian looking out for her.
9. Her Aunt Protected Her
Even people in the 16th century understood that 11-year-olds were far too young to consummate a union, let alone with a nearly 40-year-old man. Christina’s aunt Mary of Hungary was appalled by her brother’s utterly insensitive idea, and she came up with a brilliant plan. Before they could cart her niece away, Mary told the Milanese envoys that Christina was “sick,” and then quickly spirited her away to a more remote part of the Netherlands, citing, “serious affairs”.
Unfortunately, this “I have to wash my hair” excuse could only work for so long.
After Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen, Wikimedia Commons
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10. She Became The Duchess Of Milan
Christina finally had to pay the piper, and had her real, in-person marriage to the Duke of Milan in May of 1534 at the ripe old age of almost 13. Nonetheless, the marriage was something of a surprise: Christina found she got along quite well with the Duke, who had redecorated his palace just for his new bride, and eventually gave her her own court.
This was about when Christina realized the power she had over people.
Michiel Coxie, Wikimedia Commons
11. She Was A Great Beauty
Around this time, Christina began getting a reputation for her incredible beauty. Not only that, her intelligence and lively personality enhanced these physical attributes, and a great many people inside and outside the Milanese court admired her as a figure of elegance, learning, and hope for the future.
They couldn’t have known that “hope” and “future” never went well together for Christina.
12. She Was Widowed At A Tender Age
The Duke of Milan had survived a poisoning attempt in his youth—he suffered from paralysis in his hands and needed a cane to get around—and he seemed to only get more withered as the months with his teenage bride went by. By the end of 1535, his own end was near. In October, just weeks shy of Christina’s 14th birthday, he passed and she became a teenaged, childless widow.
In some ways, it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
AnonymousUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
13. Men Tried To Control Her
Although childless and thus without the bargaining power an heir would bring, as the Duke’s widow Christina now had certain land rights and still maintained her popularity in Milan. But there was a flipside. It now seemed that every powerful man in Europe—including her uncle Charles V, the current Pope, and the son of the King of France—either wanted to marry her or had a suggestion for whom she should marry.
For Christina, there was only one thing to do.
Antonio Arias Fernández, Wikimedia Commons
14. She Ran To Safety
Tired of the incessant politicking of the men around her, Christina eventually departed from Mlian in 1537 to take up residence once more with her favorite aunt, Mary of Hungary, in Brussels, Belgium. Mary, perhaps from her stress over the girl, had fallen ill right after Christina had left her, and the pair’s reunion was no doubt emotional.
But trouble always came knocking.
![Gettyimages - 541906505, Christina Of Denmark, Duchess Of Milan', 1538. 'Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan', 1538. Picture housed in The National Gallery, London. From The Connoisseur Vol. XXIV. [Otto Limited, London, 1909].Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger.](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2025/7/1/2.jpg)
15. Henry VIII Came Back Into Her Life
Around 1537, having got wind she was now a free agent, none other than King Henry VIII began sniffing around Christina as a potential bride. Henry sent his court painter, Hans Holbein, across Europe to produce the portraits of eligible ladies so that he could assess them, and Christina was one of his top prospects.
However, that didn’t mean Henry was on Christina’s good list.
After Hans Holbein the Younger / Formerly attributed to Lucas Horenbout, Wikimedia Commons
16. She Was Appalled
Although Christina was now looking at marrying a King of England rather than his illegitimate son, Henry VIII’s reputation was currently in tatters across Europe. Henry had gone through three wives since he’d last considered Christina, having annulled his union with Catherine of Aragon, beheaded his next wife Anne Boleyn, and lost his third queen, Jane Seymour, to childbirth. Not to mention, he was even older than Christina’s first husband.
Christina wasn’t overjoyed at the prospects of an English crown—and she let her displeasure be known.
17. She Made A Dark Statement
In March of 1538, Hans Holbein came to Brussels and organized a portrait sitting the very next day. Christina unleashed a surprise on the painter. The 16-year-old dutifully sat for three hours, but she did so in full mourning dress (she was, after all, a widow) and hung her rooms in a goth’s dream of black velvet, black damask, and black cloth-of-estate.
Evidently, Christina did not want to put herself in the best light, and she wanted to make sure Henry knew it. Besides, she had more personal reasons to reject him.
Hans Holbein the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
18. She Had A Personal Vendetta
Royalty across Europe was always a family affair, and Henry’s first wife Catherine of Aragon was actually Christina’s great-aunt, and Mary of Hungary’s actual aunt. For that reason, Mary of Hungary was also opposed to Henry as a potential husband, even if he hadn’t just ordered the execution of one of his wives.
This time, the two women got their wish—though not without a fight.
Lucas Horenbout, Wikimedia Commons
19. He Finally Gave Her Up
Henry, divine King of England as he was, kept pursuing the notoriously beautiful Christina of Denmark as his first choice for wife #4 for months. He only gave up in January of 1539, and even then only when Mary of Hungary made it beyond obvious to his envoys that it wasn’t going to happen. As the English diplomat in Brussels told Henry’s right-hand man Thomas Cromwell, Henry should “fyxe his most noble stomacke in some such other place”.
Christina had dodged Henry, but more bullets were coming.
After Hans Holbein the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
20. She Fell In Love
In 1539, something new happened to Christina. She fell in love with a man, and of her own volition. Her suitor was Rene of Chalon, Prince of Orange, and the pair were so smitten with each other that everyone in her aunt’s court was aware of it, and Christina’s sister Dorothea publicly supported it. Not that this saved them in the end.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
21. Her Uncle Couldn’t Let Her Go
While Christina’s sister Dorothea was all for the love match, her cannier aunt Mary suspected the truth: Charles V, still ever-present in his niece’s life, would never give up one of his strongest marriage pawns just because she’d decided to fall in love. Still, no one could have predicted just how cold-hearted Charles would get.
Attributed to Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen, Wikimedia Commons
22. She Begged For Mercy
Around this time, following developments back in Denmark that put their still-imprisoned father even more on the backfoot, Christina and her sister Dorothea had written to their uncle, begging him to “have compassion on us” and “Open the prison doors, which you alone are able to do, [and] release my father”.
The Emperor refused…but this was tame compared to his next move.
23. He Gave A Vicious Order
In October of 1540, Charles V pulled the rug entirely out from Christina and her lover Rene of Orange. Working on a new alliance with the independent duchy of Lorraine, Charles ordered Rene of Orange to marry Anne of Lorraine, and then publicly engaged Christina to Anne’s brother, Francis of Lorraine.
It was a cruel and unusual punishment, and, as we’ll see, it didn’t exactly work out.
Artiste inconnu, Wikimedia Commons
24. She Had A Sliding Doors Moment
Christina, unable to protest this time, married Francis in 1541. But there was a strange irony to their union. Francis had actually previously been engaged to Anne of Cleves, who had since become Henry’s consolation-prize fourth wife after Christina had refused the King of England. Other than that, however, Christina’s second marriage was unlike anything she experienced before.
25. She Became A Mother
Now an actual adult in her early 20s, Christina gave birth to a son, Charles, in 1543 and a daughter, Renata, in 1544, sealing off the chaos of her early, pre-pubescent matrimony with an heir and a spare. Unfortunately, even as Christina did her duty as the Duchess of Lorraine, her realm was falling apart around her.
Workshop of Francois Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
26. She Was Walking On Eggshells
In becoming the Duchess of Lorraine, Christina had inherited a political mess. The duchy necessarily had to maintain good relations with its close neighbor France, but by 1542 France was in a war with the Holy Roman Empire—another of Lorraine’s neighbors—and thus with Christina’s uncle Charles V. The next years were a tense tightrope walk for Christina until the conflict ended in 1546…and by then, tragedy had overshadowed everything else.
Attributed to Gillis Claeissens / Attributed to Monogrammist G. E. C., Wikimedia Commons
27. She Lost Her Husband At A Crucial Moment
In the summer of 1545, Christina gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Dorothea. Then, in the midst of this new life, death hit: Just weeks later, Christina’s husband the Duke of Lorraine died, leaving her a widow for the second time.
Except now that she had a young son and heir, the usual grasping hands around her turned into a den of vipers.
The Tudors | Natural Ally | SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME
28. She Hit A Breaking Point
Infighting immediately broke out about who would become regent of Christina’s son, especially since certain factions in Lorraine hated her family ties to the Holy Roman Emperor. Christina’s reaction was perfect, and selfish. After years of being the perfect diplomat, she’d had enough: she postponed the Duke’s funeral and retreated to a remote estate with her newborn to get away from it all.
Eventually, the drama ebbed and it was decided she would share regent duties with her late husband’s brother. But when it came to Christina, there was always more drama to be had.
Dominicus Custos, Wikimedia Commons
29. They Wouldn’t Stop Pestering Her
The old Duke of Lorraine was barely cold in his (belatedly dug) grave before the men around Christina were once more nudging her to marry for a third time. Some presented cut-and-dry political options to her, but others, like the noble Albert Alcibiades, pursued her out of complete infatuation—she was, after all, only in her mid 20s at the time and still radiant.
One admirer in particular was very conspicuous.
30. Her Cousin Had A Crush
In March of 1549, Christina traveled back to Brussels in order to welcome her cousin Prince Philip of Spain, the son of her uncle Charles V. Unfortunately, Philip, who wasn’t yet 19 years old, took an intense liking to Christina—so much so that she up and left the city before his admiration could cause some kind of international incident.
Or, maybe she just had other ideas for herself.
Sofonisba Anguissola, Wikimedia Commons
31. She Made A Declaration
Despite everyone whispering in her ear, out of cunning or out of lust, Christina had already made up her mind: She was not going to marry again. She’d had her two marriages, she’d had her children, and now it was goodbye to all that. Besides, she had enough to worry about when it came to managing Lorraine for her son Charles—and it was about to get very dangerous in that department.
32. She Was In A Danger Zone
Since her husband’s passing, tensions between France and the Holy Roman Empire had only grown deeper, and Christina’s lands in Lorraine—thanks to her ties with Charles V—were French target number one for potential invasion. Christina did everything she could to protect herself and her son’s inheritance from the coming storm: She befriended the powerful French Guise family, fortified her strongholds, and asked her uncle the Emperor for aid.
It amounted to nothing in the end.
Manner of Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen, Wikimedia Commons
33. She Made A Desperate Plea
In April 1552, King Henry II of France was within spitting distance of Lorraine, and Christina launched a Hail Mary. With no help appearing from her uncle, she traveled over to where the French king was and begged him not to attack her lands, assuring him that, despite her affiliation with the Holy Roman Empire, they were neutral and had no army.
King Henry looked her in the eye and told her she was safe. He lied.
After Francois Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
34. The King Of France Betrayed Her
Just days after Christina’s frenzied plea, France invaded Lorraine after all, and King Henry II strode into its capital of Nancy. Christina must have been crushed, if unsurprised, and likely tried to figure out a way to make this new reality work for her. Then she heard King Henry II’s bold proposal—and her heart must have dropped.
Workshop of François Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
35. He Exiled Her Allies
Immediately after invading Lorraine, King Henry II made a brutal demand. He informed Christina and those of her men loyal to the Holy Roman Empire that they could no longer rule over Lorraine. More than that, he ousted all of them, save Christina, from the duchy itself, then stripped Christina of her regency, giving all the power to her brother-in-law.
It was a complete check mate, but it wasn’t the most painful part.
Manner of Francois Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
36. He Kidnapped Her Son
In addition to these harsh, if strategic, demands, France also gave Christina heartbreaking news. They were also taking away custody of her son Charles, who would go back with King Henry II and be raised in the French court for the rest of his young life.
It was too much for Christina to take, and she made one final, frantic move.
Bibliotheque nationale de France, Wikimedia Commons
37. She Put On A Show
During these so-called negotiations, Christina reportedly entered one of her most luxurious halls and confronted King Henry II where he was sitting with the rest of his court. She’d dressed herself up again in widow’s weeds, this time to drive home her pitiful state, and begged Henry to take anything he wanted from her palace, but please leave her son.
Henry’s reply was ice cold.
After Titian, Wikimedia Commons
38. He Refused Her
The monarch who had so far given Christina no quarter gave her no quarter once more. Although even his own courtiers were moved by Christina’s speech, Henry merely answered that Lorraine was too close to the Empire, both physically and familially, for him to give back her son. Then he had Christina escorted out.
It was a mother’s worst nightmare, and more barbs were to come.
François Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
39. She Fled Into Exile
Although King Henry II of France had told Christina she could stay in Lorraine, he quickly reneged on this promise too, and after a dangerous and circuitous journey she set herself up in exile back in the court of her aunt Mary of Hungary in Brussels. It was her safe place, and from there she kept staunchly refusing endless offers of marriage in order to focus on how to recover her beloved son.
But old ghosts kept getting in her way.
Attributed to Hans Maler zu Schwaz, Wikimedia Commons
40. An Old Flame Kept Her Down
During her stay in Brussels, Christina once again came in too-close-for-comfort contact with her cousin Philip, who was now married to none other than Mary I of England, the daughter of Christina’s would-be husband King Henry VIII. The Tudors just could not seem to leave Christina alone…and neither could Philip.
He was over the moon to have Christina in the accessible court of Brussels, and he was a little too attached to her. When Christina tried to reunite with her son after France’s war with the Empire ended, it was partly Philip who crushed her dreams, refusing to give her permission to leave his side. Philip’s infatuation wasn’t just annoying, either. It was also dangerous.
Jooris van der Straeten, Wikimedia Commons
41. She Met The Tudors
In the spring of 1555, Christina visited England—her never-was kingdom—for the first time, and then made a second trip in the spring of 1557, staying with Queen Mary at her court. This second time, Christina was reportedly on a diplomatic mission to procure Mary’s sister Elizabeth for an advantageous marriage to an ally, which should have been a breeze for the nimble-minded noble.
Instead, she found herself giving deep personal offense.
Antonis Mor, Wikimedia Commons
42. He Ruined It For Her
Unfortunately for Christina, Queen Mary was head over heels for her husband Philip, while, as we know, Philip had a massive crush on Christina. Even more unfortunately, Philip didn’t hide his partiality for the Danish girl even in front of his wife, who chafed at his every look and little attention toward Christina.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Christina’s diplomatic mission was a failure, and Mary never even let her see Elizabeth. Christina returned home empty-handed—but she did get one victory.
Hans Eworth, Wikimedia Commons
43. She Had A Heartfelt Reunion
In May of 1558, just a year after coming back from England, Christina finally got her deepest wish. After years of begging, she managed to negotiate with her old brother-in-law and former co-regent to see her son Charles for the first time in six years. Christina met the now-teenager in a border village, soaking up everything she could of him.
Yet one more heartbreak would separate them again.
44. She Got Bitter News
Just a few months later, Christina got news that sent her flat on her back: Her uncle Charles V died that September, and the shock of his death on her favorite aunt, Mary of Hungary, produced two heart attacks that eventually killed Mary, too. Thrown into grief, Christina skipped her son Charles’s wedding in 1559.
Then again, the wedding was to Claude of Valois, the daughter of Charles’s kidnapper King Henry II of France, so old wounds could have had something to do with it. In any case, Christina was now finished with playing other people’s power games.
Bibliotheque nationale de France, Wikimedia Commons
45. She Sparred With An Infamous Queen
Over the next years, Christina set herself back up in Lorraine and acted as a trusted and capable advisor to her son and his wife—she did, after all, have experience handling just about every ego in Europe. In so doing, she even managed to bat away the influence of the formidable Catherine de’ Medici, her son’s new mother-in-law, who tried to turn the tides of Lorraine's court via her daughter Claude.
In fact, Christina actually began making power grabs of her own.
Workshop of Francois Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
46. She Became Queen Of Denmark
In 1559, when Christina was nearly 40 years old, she finally took something for herself again. After the death of her father—who had still been imprisoned—Christina convinced her childless older sister Dorothea to give her their father’s contested titles, and thereafter styled herself as the rightful Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Christina was always at her best when she hit on these flashes of ego. But then she went a whole lot further.
47. She Tried To Win Back Her Country
In 1561, Christina began negotiating for her daughter Renata to marry her second cousin King Frederick II of Denmark, which would unite her line with the “usurping” royal family of Denmark and get her throne back. When that didn’t work out, Christina didn’t bat an eye: instead, she soon planned to marry Renata to King Eric XIV of Sweden in order to take Denmark by force.
Christina had apparently had enough of diplomacy, and wasn’t afraid to use the same tactics of advantageous marriage she had suffered through on her own daughter. But it didn’t unfold how she wanted.
Attributed to Domenicus Verwilt, Wikimedia Commons
48. She Gave Up
Eventually, even Eric XIV of Sweden fell through as a groom—not a wholly bad thing, considering Eric would soon suffer from insanity and die in prison—and Christina had to admit defeat one last time. She dropped the matter of her lineage almost entirely after 1570, though she likely still considered herself Queen of Denmark until the very end.
That end, at least, was everything she deserved.
Steven van der Meulen, Wikimedia Commons
49. She Proved Her Worth
In 1578, Christina went into virtual retirement when she settled down in Tortona, Italy, a fief she’d earned through her marriage to her first husband all those years ago. According to all reports, she ruled the land fairly and justly—as she had done for all the lands she had ever overseen—for 12 years until her passing in 1590, just after her 69th birthday.
Denmark simply never knew what they were missing, even if King Henry VIII did.
François Clouet, Wikimedia Commons
50. She Brutally Rejected King Henry VIII
Intelligent and forthright, Christina didn’t limit herself to passive-aggressive mourning decor when it came to stating her aversion to Henry VIII. In fact, she dealt the King of England a notoriously vicious insult. When Henry was seeking her hand in marriage, Christina reportedly quipped, "If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal”.
Seeing as she didn’t have a spare head, there was no way she was about to marry him.
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