The Afterlife of Christina of Sweden: Gender and Sexuality in Heritage and Fiction

Abstract

From her reign until today, Christina of Sweden (1626-1689) has been the object of intrigue and scandal, appearing in seventeenth century political writings, commemorative prints, biographies, films, plays, and even a children’s book. The monarch has been described at best as ‘unconventional’ and at worst as an impulsive, over-emotional murderer. Christina’s sexuality and gender have been constantly reconstructed, re-examined, and re-interpreted. Christina’s actions, full of political and religious significance for seventeenth century Europe, have been immortalised in writing, images, and objects now found in museum collections. Within heritage Christina’s sexuality and gender are largely ignored and LGBTQ+ histories in general restricted to specific events, limiting the reach of these narratives. This article examines how Christina’s sexuality and gender is presented in film and literature. It compares these representations to museum interpretation text that accompanies objects related to Christina. Exploring Christina’s presence in these different environments, this article argues that her royal status gives her a ‘legitimate’ space within fictional representations and heritage that can be used to integrate LGBTQ+ narratives into the general historic and popular environments.

Keywords

• sexuality
• gender
• heritage
• popular culture
• interpretation