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Christina (Swedish: Kristina Augusta; 18 December [O.S. 8 December] 1626 – 19 April 1689), later known as Christina Alexandra and sometimes Countess Dohna, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 1632 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and his wife Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg. As the heiress presumptive, at the age of six she succeeded her father on the throne of Sweden upon his death at the Battle of Lützen in the Thirty Years' War.
After converting to Catholicism and abdicating her throne, she spent her latter years in France and Rome, where she was buried in St. Peter's Basilica.
Christina in 1632[]
Note: The series consistently uses the Swedish spelling "Kristina".
Kristina was a child when Grantville arrived in the past. She was an intelligent, willful child needing associates that could keep up with her agile mind. Her father Gustavus let her stay with the up-timers when she was seven years old. He also permitted her to visit the Magdeburg Committees of Correspondence repeatedly. After the formation of the United States of Europe, her stay became a political symbol (a veiled exchange of hostages) of the Gustav-Grantville alliance. While her activities were not always viewed favorably by her noble companions, she became quite popular with the people of Magdeburg.
Kristina became close to the American social worker, Caroline Platzer. Platzer shared with Kristina several classic works of fantasy from the future, which completely captured her imagination. One of these, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, would eventually do more than that; her realization that the character of the Dodo was based on a real bird that had not yet become extinct led to the "Second Chance Bird" expedition.
Gustavus had also hoped for his daughter to be acquainted with Julie Sims, a willful woman who he respected after meeting the Americans for the first time, once she has finished her purpose in England and Scotland.
Following the end of the Ostend War, in the accords which annexed Denmark to the reconstituted Union of Kalmar, it was arranged for Kristina to marry Prince Ulrik, the son of Christian IV of Denmark.
While being flown to Copenhagen for the Congress of Copenhagen, Kristina fell in love with flying, and became determined to learn to fly when she became old enough and tall enough.
Regnal titles | ||
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Preceded by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden |
Monarch of Sweden 1632–1654 |
Succeeded by Charles X Gustav of Sweden |