Famous Rulers in History Queen Christina of Sweden Part 6

About the famous Swedish Queen Christina, history and biogaphy, little-known facts and quotes.

Famous and Infamous Rulers in History

QUEEN CHRISTINA OF SWEDEN

Little-Known Facts: Christina liked to shock people. She once had her decorous court ladies sing in French (which they didn't understand) a bawdy song for the French ambassador; she called Ebba Sparre her "bedfellow", she tried to persuade the beautiful Madame de Thianges to leave her husband and go to Italy with her; she wore outrageous clothes; she collected paintings of sensuous nudes.

When in Rome, she slept every night in a different room in the Palazzo Farmese.

In spite of her love of the theater, she often displayed bad manners during performances by reading a book or talking to people with her. When the audience booed or hissed her, she returned the favor.

When a Spanish general called her, behind her back, "the biggest putana [whore] in the world," she said she would have him flogged to death if it were not for his position.

Her collection of classical and oriental books and manuscripts was one of the best in the world.

She took the often-persecuted Jews of Rome under her protection (Jewish prisoners, for example, were made to run races naked in the streets). She condemned Louis XIV for his methods of treating French Protestants.

She wrote maxims, which were surprisingly good.

Quotes By: From her abdication speech: "While I was thus carrying out my obligations, I never did anything with which my conscience would have to find fault."

"I love the storm and fear the calm."

"All that is visible and tangible has a bitter taste which some notice earlier, others later."

"More courage is required for marriage than for war."

From a letter to Ebba Sparre, 1656: "I am forever to love and adore you without being allowed to see you.... Am I wrong to believe that I am the person you love most in the whole world? If so, do not say it, Allow me to persist in my mistake. Do not grudge me such imaginary happiness as I get from thinking that I am loved by the person most worthy of adoration in the world."

Quotes About: Pierre Hector Chanut, French ambassador: "From what one can judge, she wishes to have virtue accompanied by honor.... It is a great pleasure to see her place her crown beneath her feet and state outright that virtue is the one possession to which all men should be absolutely attached, irrespective of their condition in life. But ... she does not forget for long that she is queen. She is quickly conscious of her crown ... realizes that the first step to virtue is to acquit herself well in her profession. She has great natural talents for achieving success in this, because she has a marvelous facility for understanding and getting to the bottom of affairs, a memory which serves her faithfully, but which she sometimes abuses."

John Milton called her "fit to govern not only Europe, but the world."

Cardinal Pietro Pallavicino: "With her downright manly disposition, she lacks any sense of obligation to act with feminine reserve.... She gives full vent to her natural high spirits and that excitability which makes it impossible for her to stay still for long or maintain gravity of voice and expression.... The pope believes that, though bitter to the taste, the fruit is sound at heart, and trusts that time will bring it to ripeness and perfection."

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