Noel B. Gerson - Queen of Caprice - A Biography of Kristina of Sweden (Sapere, 1962) ***½

I am sure that all Swedes know the story of Kristina of Sweden, who was queen from 1632 when she was 16 years old till 1654, when she abdicated after having converted to catholicism. She was a unique personality, controversial, smart, curious, headstrong, and sometimes incredibly selfish and even childish. Hence this biography's title: "Queen of Caprice", and that seems an apt description. So many elements of her character were in conflict with each other, that it is easy to qualify her as a tragic figure, but on the other hand she has always been master of her own destiny with a privilege that few other people had. Today we would categorise her as "highly gifted", a situation which was both a blessing and a curse. And that makes her biography so interesting to read. 

Here are some nice excerpts which describe some aspects of her personality. She did everything to make Stockholm the Athens of the North, by inviting scientists from around Europe to Sweden to teach and to experiment and to share ideas. 

"Professor Stiernhielm brought the microscope and the burning glass home from his travels, and in his classroom he demonstrated their marvels. He showed his students a flea under the microscope, and in a dramatic demonstration of the power of the glass, burned the long beard of a peasant. He was arrested, thrown into prison, and tried before a provincial court. The peasant declared that he was a sorcerer, and a pastor who had been present when the flea had been exhibited under the microscope, testified that the professor was an atheist. Stiernhielm was sentenced to burn at the stake. The case was called to Kristina's attention, and she hastily reversed the order, restored the professor to his former position and rebuked the court. But a few months later, Stiernhielm's life again was threatened. He made the statement in a lecture that Hebrew was an older language than Swedish, and this startling pronouncement so infuriated his students that they rioted. A detachment of royal cavalry saved the professor's life and escorted him to Stockholm, where Kristina expressed her opinion in terms that no one could misunderstand: she made Stiernhielm a noble and expelled the rioters from the university." (p. 82)

Despite her being very catholic, and asking any support possible from the Vatican to help her with her situation, she was still - as usual - very critical of the Church at the same time/ 

 In one of her letters: "In all candor, however, I am compelled to observe that the Church must certainly be governed by the Holy Spirit, for since I have been in Rome I have seen four popes, and I swear that not one of them had common sense" (p. 263)

 She was also a social non-conformist, and even when young she enjoyed horse-riding and sword-fighting for which male clothing was more comfortable. She did not care about what other people thought or said about this. If she wanted to wear trousers, she would wear trousers. At the same time she was very conscious of her femininity. She also liked to be confrontational and expose hypocrisy. 

"A new law caused her to revolt. The Pope issued a stern decree in which he said that the dress of ladies was shocking and extravagant; even those who could afford to buy costly gowns should find other, worthier ways to spend their money, and he deplored current styles, which featured low-cut dresses and bare arms. Kristina made no protest, but invited the Pope to call on her at his convenience. When he arrived at her palace, she received him in a shapeless, ragged, long-sleeved dress that she had bought from a peasant woman. She had expanded her court in recent years to include several ladies, and all of them made their obeisances similarly attired." (p. 276)

She was an unusual character with an unusual personality. This makes her biography interesting and fun reading. The book is well written and nicely documented with diary notes and correspondence by the queen herself or by her long-time servant Mathilde. It offers plenty of anecdotes about her interaction with the highest nobility and royalty of Europe, while at the same time about her almost boyish sense of rebellion. You marvel at her single-mindedness, her broad-mindedness, her cultural and scientific curiosity and the constant counterforces in her that undermine most of her grand scale endeavours.