CHRISTINA OF MILAN: the girl who escaped Henry VIII. European royal history documentary. Royal women
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ม.ค. 2023
- CHRISTINA OF MILAN (also known as Christina of Denmark) has gone down in history as the woman who escaped Henry VIII. Having been widowed as a teenager when her first husband, the Duke of Milan died, she found herself young and single at around the same time that Henry was back on the marriage market too after the death of his third wife, Jane Seymour. Christina was one of the women mooted as a potential fourth wife and new Queen of England and the famous court painter, Hans Holbein the younger, was even dispatched to paint a picture of the 16-year-old, famously beautiful Dowager Duchess of Milan. The King was most taken with her, but the negotiations ultimately failed and according to legend, Christina was not keen on the match, saying later that she would have been happy to marry Henry if only she had two heads for then one of them could be at the King’s disposal (a sly reference to the fate of Queens Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard). Did the Duchess really make this provocative comment however and what else do we know about this famous royal woman? In this European royal history documentary from History Calling, I’ll answer these questions and more as we look her life and especially at what happened to Christina of Denmark after her near miss with Henry. I think you’ll find it particularly ironic who her second husband actually was, but you’ll have to watch the video to find out why. This video will cover all the ups and downs in the life of a woman who endured exile and tragedy and whose son was practically kidnapped from her arms by the French, but who also managed to triumph over many of those who had wronged her and earned the love and respect of most of whose who had dealings with her.
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What impressed you most about Christina? Let me know below. You can also find me on Patreon at www.patreon.com/historycalling and on my Amazon storefront at www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling
that quip about 'if she had two necks...' is so iconic, glad someone escape him
She may not have actually said it, but it's one of my favourite (supposedly) Tudor era quotes too and even if she didn't say it, I bet she was thinking something along those lines and who could blame her?
@@HistoryCalling I know she might not have said it- but given all the various indignities he visited on his various wives it's nice to think of someone throwing a bit of snark his way :D
The fact she lived as long as she did
Rather baulked at your remarking that sadly, she didn't have children when her husband was dead when she was 13. I am very happy for her, despite it making her future a little rocky. If she had had a daughter she still would have had a rocky time of it.
I could not regret she did not have children, if she would have had them at 14, at the oldest, and conceived at 13.
Props to her aunt for protecting her as long as she could. ❤
💗👍
I was thinking the same, she was a loving aunt
Mary of Hungary was amazing. I think she deserves a video of her own. Her life was tragic but she was a loving aunt and good ruler.
I can’t help but think of once reading, that the prophet Mohammed married his last wife when she was 9.
Right? She did as much as she could.
Absolutely love that her Aunt Mary of Hungary went to bat to protect her childhood as much as was within her power.
Maria de Austria, reina viuda de Hungría, era muy inteligente y fue la hermana fa orita del emperador Carlos V. Ella fue con su hermana Leonor y conCarlos, a morir en España. Eran hijos con 3 más, de Juana I de España y de Felipe de Austria Borgoña. No se volvió a casar y siempre trató de unir a la familia. No tuvo hijos.
Tha Hungarian queens seen to have inherited the independence of mind that led the Khans ( notably Ghengis!) to leave the administration of their Empires to their wives while the men went off expanding Empire!
It's amazing that she had strong, female relatives willing to protect her interests. These examples obviously gave her the wherewithal to manage in dealings with powerful kings. I love that she resisted a third political marriage and used her widowhood to exert independence. It's unfortunate that she never ruled her own nations, as she was entitled.
Mad props to her Aunt for trying to protect her as much as she could have.
Back in university I had a professor who once said that he didn't need to read fiction, because he read biographies--because you just wouldn't believe all the amazing, unusual lives people all over the world have lived throughout history. Your channel really drives that home for me, and I look forward to every Friday. Love these biography videos, thank you!
Your Professor was spot on. That's one of the reasons I love history too. There's nothing a fiction writer can dream up (if we exclude magical stories) that a real person hasn't already done somewhere, sometime. Glad you enjoy the channel and I'm very happy to have you here. :-)
Sadly there are no dragons in history, ;)
@@eliscanfield3913 Yes that is a bit of a bummer.
@@eliscanfield3913 - are you sure?
@@eliscanfield3913 never know.. If we’re “infinite”, its then possible that anything that can be, IS! Meaning any type of bring their could be.
I know, it’s ALOT! But, that’s the conclusion I came to with all the unexplainable stuff.
Xoxo
✌️ & 💜
It sounds like she had a much better life than many of the other women of this era- she was definitely pulled and pushed between the various courts- but she and her children came out alive and I'm glad that she got some peace
Also nice that her first husband sounds to have treated her as a child to be spoilt with games etc rather than consumating the marriage- child brides really are an intensly disturbing subject
Oh yes, everything in perspective. Compared to a poor woman, she had it easy in many respects and the Duke of Milan could certainly have been much worse.
It’s good to be reminded that even among royals who contracted children in marriage, there was an understanding that pregnancy and childbirth is dangerous for young girls.
Henry's last wife had been married before as a child bride. Widow. While she lived in her husband's home, nothing happened until about 5 years after the marriage. Instead she was taught by the women of the home how to run a large estate which she would eventually take over.
She in fact was behind her own arranged marriage to Henry to push her own political and religious beliefs.
@Dawn Elder really? I heard that Catherine Parr didn't really want to marry King Henry because she was in love with Thomas Seymour but did so because she really couldn't say no to Henry.
@@manderly33that didn’t start Edmund Tudor with Margaret.
Considering what happened to many of her peers, Christina seems to have had a very active and energetic guardian angel.
Yeah, they certainly earned their pay cheque dealing with her :-)
@@HistoryCalling 😮
I find it kinda sad now that Christina is now only remembered for her near miss at becoming Henry's 4th queen and not any of the other remarkable things she did during her lifetime. Like, she was a capable ruler and a negotiator but everyone only really cares that she said no to going to England. Such a shame, she was a remarkable lady in her own right.
Same here. I had no idea how fascinating her life was until I researched this video and there's hardly anything written about her which is wild. I had to rely on a single biography written a century ago (and the primary sources I was able to access of course).
I love learning all that, but knowing that she evaded the clutches of Henry the 8th gives me MAD respect for her. That alone makes her a badass.
it's better than if she was remembered as His 4th queen though! I think she did fine however she was remembered.
@@HistoryCallingso glad you did continue to research Christina! A film on her life would be very interesting I believe! Not many stories around about women in the 1500’s being interested and participating in politics and involved in peace negotiations. I enjoyed the story tremendously!
To have a husband (#2) only 4 years older than her must have been very nice.
Back then it was very rare for a woman to get that.
What an amazing life and woman. Clearly, her grace and diplomacy skills stood her in good stead. It's a shame she was unable to be recognised as heir to her family's position of Regent to the Scandinavian countries. Dodging a marriage to Henry VIII must have led to a huge sigh of relief. I admire this woman.
Yes, I'm sure when she saw what happened to Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard she was very relived indeed not to have been snagged by Henry.
I was soo impressed that Christina never gave up. One crisis after the next, she just kept going with great determination and conviction.
The fact that Christina and her son survived this Era gives credit to her tenacity. Who are in her lineage these days?
Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, among many others...
@@JeanRohart PRESENTLY?
I did a little digging. Ironically one of her descendents through her daughter Renata ended up as Queen Josephine of Sweden who is the great-great-great-grandmother of Queen Margrethe II of Denamrk who recently (January 14th) abdicated the throne after 50+ years. Queen Josephine is also the great-great-great-great grandmother of Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria. Many of the living royals of Scandinavia and beyond are descendants of Queen Josephine, Renata, and Christina:)
As a person that is so keenly interested in European monarchies, specifically the Habsburgs, it was such a delight to see you do a video on Christina of Denmark. It definitely helped me to gain a broader understanding of the woman she was, beyond her famously refusing Henry VIII’s proposal of marriage. Thanks!
I enjoyed getting something of a break from the Tudors too and looking further afield. Obviously some Tudors were still mentioned, but they were essentially background figures in Christina's life.
Sounds like she is a forgotten historic gem, and one that would make an awesome movie about! What a strong and wonderful woman she appears to have been!
As soon as you asked I thought of Millie Bobby Brown. The resemblance is uncanny!
And what a fantastic life story! Someone should make it into a biopic. It's all right there. Drama, intrigue and main cast!
Children and young women were mistreated back then too. Many still carry this mentality today.
I'm amazed at how many times the Duchess Christina recovered from illness. She loved exceptionally longer than average people of that era.
I had never heard of this woman. What an amazing life she lived.
Yes, it was incredible. Needs to be made into a film.
@@HistoryCalling I agree! Millie Bobby Brown could portray her.
One of several Habsburg ladies who managed to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in a fiercely patriarchal society as well as surviving the rigours of marriages and childbirth. You have to think that Christina would have been influenced by the role models set by her Aunts (Mary of Hungary and Eleanor of Austria) and Great Aunt (Margaret of Austria). So she was really one in a line of strong and capable women. The Holbein portrait is so vividly expressive that you almost feel that Christina is in the room with you. It also speaks to her abundant personality and character.
And Holbein's talent, of course! I love a good portrait.
Not to mention her grandmother Joanna of Castile (unjustly known as the Mad) and her great grandmother Isabella of Castile, the great Queen...
I think she was very influenced by the example of Catherine of Aragon as well... And was hardly likely to accept Henry VIII.
Another strong, lively woman of her age! Despite her many sorrows and challenges, she's seems to have held herself up with grace, positivity and strength. And I have to admit - I found myself chuckling a bit at the fact she "escaped" Henry VIII. My honest-to-goodness first thought was "you go, girl!" Lol!! Thank you for another wonderful video - I was not aware of this amazing woman in history, so this was very interesting to me!
Yes, I became very fond of her too, having known nothing about her previously except her Holbein painting and the fact that she ended up married to Anne of Cleves 'ex'. She needs a movie or a TV show. I've had enough of Anne Boleyn's life being rehashed with nothing new to say. Let's watch Christina!
@@HistoryCalling Yes!!
I agree! Anne was interesting. However, there are so many more unrepresented historical women than those produced in England. I'm excited to know johnny Depp will be portraying Louis the 16th and that the female director of the film will play his mistress. Disappointed it wont be available to american audiences for quite awhile, though. The film is french and Depp speaks french, throughout.
Another delightful presentation, beautifully researched and narrated. I hope it gets tons of likes, even though it isn't one of the gruesome ones that seem so popular. What strikes me about Christina is that she managed to live a long, and apparently comfortable life. She had many sorrows, to be sure, and experienced some disappointment when her highest ambitions were thwarted, but she was very wise not to be too insistent, in view of the horrible fates of many of her royal relatives and contemporaries. She was also very wise to declare herself done with marriage after her second husband died, ensuring that she outlived her child-bearing years and survived to see grandchildren. I think she must have had personality traits in common with Elizabeth I, who knew how to stay out of trouble and defer potentially dangerous decisions.
That's so funny that you say that. I was just saying to another commenter that she reminds me of Elizabeth too and that she was wise not to risk another marriage once she had her children and finances sorted. Great minds think alike :-)
I absolutely agree with you. She was very smart . Bye!!
I suppose her Aunt Margaret of Hungary passed on some wisdom.
Thanks for the interesting content on the life of Christina of Milan, it was truly worth tuning in to. I would like to know why women were called Claude isn't that a man's name?
@@noreenclark2568 Claude is French for Claudia.
Fascinating history about a woman who I only knew of as someone who managed to escape Henry VIII. The trust and respect for Christina's diplomatic skills are so impressive, as are her ability to survive so many tragedies and setbacks. Thank you for this well researched documentary.
She said no to Henry the 8th and lived a long life. She had plenty of obstacles but she persisted. I’m glad to hear more about her biography. She does look like Molly Bobby Brown. Somebody should sign her up to play Christina of Denmark. She’s a terrific actress.
Thanks for another lesson. Have a lovely weekend. 🌞
Yes, once I saw the resemblance I just couldn't unsee it. I vote for Millie to play her too.
Well, Christina had the luxury of being able to refuse Henry because she wasn't one of his subjects.
I saw Isabella Rossellini in the thumbnail portrait :)
Absolutely loved this! I'd only ever heard of Christina in relation to her not marrying Henry - I was fascinated to hear what an incredible life she had, and what a strong, intelligent woman she was. Thank you xx
Christina seems to have been very fortunate for the time in which she lived. I admire her strength and intelligence.
I was just at the National Gallery last weekend admiring Holbein's painting of her. She definetely looks like Millie.
I’m sure she learned how to be a strong woman from her aunt Mary, who had tried so hard to protect her as a child. Just found your channel and subscribed. Wonderful presentation
I have no idea who she might look like today, but she certainly has classic features. That nose is long and straight and her skin looks in good condition. Not surprised she had so many suitors. There are elements of her life that remind me of Margaret of Anjou's struggles, but once again we are looking at a woman who is thrown into the deep end and who has to remain strong to survive. This is such a recurring theme for royal women in the medieval period. Great vlog HC.
Yes, she certainly had a strength of character similar to Margaret's. Fortunately things worked out much better for Christina though.
Fascinating life she lived. I do think she looks like Meryl Streep. The lines of her face, her composure, is what I see in Christina. Excellent presentation!
I think it’s such a waste when Hollywood changes the real history. The things that really happened are more interesting anyway.
I have only heard of Christina in the context of her refusing Henry VIII proposal to marry her, but didn't know too much about her. What a remarkable life! What a remarkable lady! And despite her troubles, she lived a long life too! She survived it all, all that was thrown at her! It's always shocking to hear about royalty marrying so young in the past. The thought of bedding a girl of 11 is so disgusting and disturbing. And dangerous, because of...well, their bodies not being properly developed yet. I'm curious if there were any birth control solution back then, even rudimentary ones, like herbs and such, but judging by the number of children people had, I don't think so!
There may have been douching, though it never always worked?
@@susanjackett9268 many recipes in cookbooks of the time are actually either abortifaciets or contraceptive. Herbal contraceptives are about 43% effective. Shakespeare even makes a comment about it in one of his plays (specifically pennyroyal tea)
The blog Dirty Sexy History has a lot of good, referenced entries on the subject.
Back then, you can have a lot of children, but only one or two might survive until adulthood.
@@astrothsknot goodness me, one learns every day, thanks!🤣
@astrothsknot contraceptives were not all that effective, so abortion was used as birth control.
She was, through her mother, a member of the most powerful family in Europe, the Habsburgs. As the niece of the Holy Roman Emperor, who was the most powerful ruler on the continent at the time, she had the power and the clout to refuse a marriage she deemed bad for her. Especially as they knew how Henry treated her great aunt Catherine of Aragon.
The rest of Henrys wives were mostly his subjects, daughter of English nobility, who had neither the means nor the power to escape his advances. No one refuses a Kings romantic attention if they value their life. 😵
Not true because Christina of Milan refused him he then looked to another country and found ANNE OF CLEVES although this was the marriage he ended in divorce because he claimed he did not like her. And named her as his sister instead. Then of course came Catherine Howard who was beheaded and then the final wife who lived past him Katherine Parr.
Four of Henry’s six wives were his subjects.
@@dominaevillae28 If you want to be technical, yes. In a literal sense, four of the six wives of Henry VIII were English noblewomen who were his subjects and had to answer to the King. But both Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves, even if foreign princesses, spent all their lives in England, effectively cut of from their original countries, families and dynasties. Catherine was sent from Spain to England as a young girl, and married Henry as the widowed Princess of Wales, so she was his subject in a way at the time of their marriage, and remained in England under his authority even after he divorced her. Anne of Cleves had a better fate, after a short marriage, she was given her own estates and servants, and was treated as the "kings sister" for the rest of her life, but also spent it under his authority.
The letter from Mary of Hungary regarding Christina is priceless.
"The Good and Gentle Prince, His Majesty King Henry the VIII"
Christine of MIlan: "LMFAOROTMFF!!!!!"
Yeah, I don't know how anyone could have said that with a straight face either.
What does that long string of initials stand for? Please translate.
Yes she was the one who KNEW of the history of Anne Boleyn and that all Henry's wives were dying so she said " Had I two heads I would gladly put one at the disposal of the king of England."
that was fascinating
great to hear an in depth account of the life of someone who is not one of the "usual suspects"
her wisest decision was refusing to marry again
Oh definitely. She had her children and all the money and power she needed. No need to go risking death in childbirth again, or give up any of her influence.
A life full of triumph and tragedy. Thank you for bringing us the fascinating history of this woman.
I love when you talk about other royals than the tudors😭love all your videos but this one for instance is so fresh and new to me!
She must have had a delightful personality as no one felt threatened by her but must have liked her for her own sake. Thank goodness she avoided Henry VIII!
I think she looks a lot like Scarlett Johansson when she was younger.
I thought of Scarlett as soon as I saw her!
What an inspirational strong woman. I only knew that she had refused Henry VIII. Her full story is inspiring.
I was impressed that she (or her family) had enough sense not to marry Henry the 8th.
And happy that her aunt protected her.
@HC I'm so loving this episode, especially the info from Alsace Lorraine. My 3 times Great grandparents Jacob Rehm & M. S. Rapp had a large farm in the area. They left there and arrived in 1851 to America to make a better life. My grandma always said depending on the year, decade or century you were in dependied on if it was France or Germany. Years later a Great-Great Aunt went back to see the land of her grandparents. She discovered that a city had taken all of the land that had once belonged to Jacob and developed it and never reimburse the family for using the land. Our family could have gone after them for money to be reimbursed for just arbitrarily utilizing the land. Especially seeing they knew who the land belong to. This Auntie chose not to put the city into a financial burden of owing over $1000000 to the Rehm family therefore they got the land free & clear. Today that wouldn't have happened. Thank you for this!!!
Wow, that's such a good family story but gosh, your aunt was kind not to go after the money. You should go visit the same place someday, if you haven't yet.
Allowing them to steal from your family isn't the flex you think it is?
What a remarkable story about a remarkable woman! What impressed me most about Christina was her tenacity, her strength and commitment to move forward. She was unstoppable, and I believe she served as a role model for her peers and a source of inspiration to many. Thanks for this great video!
When I was a teenager, I read a historical novel about her written by Danish author Helle Stangerup. Facinating woman :)
I think Christina escaped a nightmare marriage to Henry Vlll! Well done girl!
Henry VIII was the definition of a serial killer.
Christian the 2nd was not only unpleasant. He was also a great reformist. Believing that people should be rewarded and given place in governments etc, if they had the qualifications only. Thus excluding many noblemen.
He was pressured into marrying Isabella, as he was already very much in love with his Dutch Mistress, Dyveke, whom he had been faithful to until he married Isabella.
His character and life is as complex and filled with intrigue and tragedy as a soap opera.
I actually don’t know, if anything have been translated about him, but he is one of the most interesting kings, Denmark had.
There is a lot more to King Christian the first than being a ‘unpleasant’ individual.
He had one of the greatest love stories with his lover Dyveke.
It would be so cool if you could make a video about him!
It's both disturbing and fascinating to see how girls (and sometimes boys) were married at really young ages. Though to be fair, the life expectancy in those days wasn't all that high...
I was kinda surprised that her uncle wanted her to consumare her marriage at 11; usually when I read about these marriages, they waited until the kids were about 17-18.
Yes, it was dangerous and unusual to expect her to cohabit that young and as her aunt said, actually illegal in the eyes of the church. Even Lady Margaret Beaufort, another famously young bride, was 12. The age limit for boys was 14, so they were a bit better off.
Most girls had babies by 14
Just sounds like pedophilia.. These children are prepubescent, only one kind of person is sexually aroused by that as far as I am concerned. Titles in front of your name doesn’t change it in my eyes
Probably because the average life span back then was 30s
I wish this misconception about lifespan would go away.
If a child survived to adulthood, s/he could be expected to live until their 60s. The *average* age is brought down by infant mortality, NOT significantly shorter lifespans overall.
She seems to have been respected and maybe even loved by most people. She sounds like a smart but very kind person. I love to hear about people that used their power with kindness.
Every time i see that portrait, i think she looks like Millie Bobbie Brown. This is such an amazing history, thank you for bringing it to me.
Yet another amazing woman from this period that I'd never heard of before. Thanks so much for sharing her story with us!
You're welcome. I found her story fascinating as well, having previously only known her from her Holbein painting. Her life is a real page turner.
@@HistoryCalling You're up late! Getting an early start on replying to comments? 😃
Pp
@@caitlintalan2243I don't understand that expression. Please explain.
Brilliant, so interesting! It's awesome to hear about lesser-known people, & I like it when I've heard of them but essentially know nothing about them. I had no clue who she was related to, for starters, but of _course_ she's descended from Philip & Juana, lol. Thanks for the wonderful family trees again!
Christina sounds awesome, & it sounds like she achieved a LOT, even when she was up against hugely powerful & ruthless people like Charles V & Philip II. Being related to them only meant they had power over her, ofc, not that they had any empathy for her whatsoever- who the HECK sends their 11yrold niece off to a marriage that'll be consummated immediately?!?! Even in that era, people generally didn't stoop _that_ low, & my opinion of Charles V is now equally low. I'm not impressed with Henri II taking her son away either, but I expected him to keep him away forever, & I was very happy that he was back with Christina when he was 15.
It's kind of a shame that her comment about marrying Henry VIII only appears much later, so she most likely didn't say it, but it's not surprising- a lot of "quotes" I've heard have turned out to be like that.
Yes, she did have an incredible family tree but as you say that was a curse as well as a blessing. I'm glad too to have been able to make a video about a woman of this era which didn't end with her losing her head, getting dumped, or dying in childbirth.
She was brave to turn him down but valued her life
Truly outstanding content! This is the first deep dive I have come across into Christina's life. Great choice of subject matter, well presented. Thank you!
I love, the good, the bad and the ugly of history ... when presented in a factual, professional manner. I will continue to watch. Thank you so much for posting.
Thanks Carey :-)
Yes as soon as I saw the painting I thought of Millie. Love your channel and appreciate all the effort 💚
…I REALLY like Queen Mary of Hungary! An extremely unusual woman of the time-forming an obviously loving bond with a child not her own and worrying enough about her to buck her brother’s orders… It would have probably been best for Christina had she been able to live a bit longer with her Aunt….
I love Christina's dress in that Holbien portrait. The big puffy sleeves just screams 16th century fashion 😂❤👍
The detail is incredible isn't it? I guess that's why he's still so famous now. Hardly any artist had talent like that. On a fashion note, I agree. She looks fab. Even in mourning, the girl knew how to dress :-)
@@HistoryCalling I have a huge fascination for medieval, tudor period clothing so if society ever decided to go back to dressing in these clothes, I'd be all for it 🤣👍 Dont care for modern day fashion too much 👎
As for Holbien, yes he was amazing! Very talented artist. My favorite artist is Hans Memling when it comes to medieval / renaissance paintings🌹
If you're not already familiar with her, you should check out Bernadette Banner's channel. She doesn't dress like a Tudor, but she is very interested in historical fashion and she's also just a hoot to watch.
@@HistoryCalling I will definitely check out her channel 👍 Thank you ☺️
I think it’s amazing hat she lived so long and successfully, when one considers other women of her age! Great video! Thank you. 🇨🇦👏👏🇨🇦🌹
Very enjoyable. She survived and excelled in an age where women are sometimes viewed as pawns. Great narration and production as usual. Thanks !
Thank you for this video! 👌
I swear, I LOVE history! And can’t get enough 🥰
Xoxo
✌️ & ♥️
My 1st History Calling experience. What an incredible life! Amazing woman. I love the animated portraits and the slow scrolling ups, in close-up. I like and I subscribe. Thankyou. I feel like I've struck history gold. 🙏
She seemed to always keep her head (in every sense). She must have been a calm energy, most people seemed to like her. Apart from Horrid Henri.
I watched this last week when you uploaded and didn't leave a "thank you." 👑❤👑 Excellent video. And yes, lots of times you feel for the child brides. Thank you for the video~
There is a comedy song called, "I'm my own grandpa", I think of it every time I see a documentary on European royals and Egyptian royals. Lol
Lonzo and Oscar made that song a hit. I have the Steve Goodman version he did with Jethro Burns, I believe.
She was one very lucky girl not to end up with Henry VIII as her husband. Goodness knows what would have happened to her if she was accused of been unfaithful. She was much too young and thank goodness she had an aunt who was a fantastic protector.
I have been bingeing your videos for months, and Friday has become my favorite day of the week. Thank you for all the work you put into these videos, and scouring through all the primary sources.
Thank you so much. I actually decided to make Friday my video launch day when I was setting up the channel partly because I liked the idea of giving people something (hopefully) nice for them to look forward to at the end of the week. Of course I didn't completely think about the fact that it means I need to work on Friday evenings and answer comments on Saturdays, but never mind. I'm used to it now. :-)
Thank you very much for this very interesting biography. Your voice is so pleasant, the time and nuances add to the story. I've never been too interested in history but the way you present this has really captivated me. I'm becoming a subscriber.
I really enjoyed this video. I have to admit I knew very little about Christina, so I learned a lot about her in this video, so thank you for it. Keep up the great work with your videos.
Thanks Brittany. I knew hardly anything about her either, so this was a real learning curve for me too.
Very interesting. Well documented and presented. Most enjoyable !
This was an excellent video thank you so much for uploading it
You're very welcome :-)
You didn't need to tell us you have a PHd, I could tell by just listening & watching these videos. Very well done. :) I listen to these just before I go to bed every Friday night, like a bedtime story. I always loved stories from far off lands as a kid. :)
Thanks Sean and pleasant dreams :-)
I like knowing presenters' educational backgrounds
i know so very little about Christina and this has certainly peaked my interest. i love when you tell us how they are related to big names we know, it blows my mind every-time!! 🤯
Yes, she had quite the pedigree. As everyone was related to everyone in the European houses at this time, it can often hard to keep up.
@@HistoryCalling absolutely! you do an amazing job of differentiating who is who. 🙌🏻
Women back in those days were pawns in politics ,,,,, some of the women sat back listened and learned that was their education ,,,, this lady was one highly intelligent female who started with nothing and gained along the way and died a rich woman in many ways
Day 3 of binge watching your videos. The time and effort put into researching and editing absolutely shines through, u tel it like you were there 🙂 I also get a sense of respect you have woman to woman, even if they are long gone.
Hans Holbein almost NEVER painted people fully front-facing. He greatly preferred the 3/4 view. The only ones I'm aware of are Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves, and Christina. Any 3/4 portrait of Henry, including some of Holbein's, show us his very long nose. This feature is much less noticable in the front facing portrait. Same thing with Anne of Cleves: her other portrait shows a very long, prominent nose. Although I've seen this portrait of Christina many times, this video was the first time I thought, "Why did Holbein paint her fully front?" I found another portrait of her, at 34, by Clouet, who was just as much a master of realism as Holbein. It's 3/4, and whatdya know: although still a very beautiful woman, she has a long, Roman nose. I can imagine Holbein telling her to look off in the distance, seeing her nose and saying, "Nevermind, Your Grace. Look right at me instead."
Thanks again for another wonderful video. I admire the fact that despite the betrayal of both her father and uncle, she was able to remain clear headed, optimistic, independent and had a good life. Does make one think attitude has powerful role in life.
Yes, she and Elizabeth I would have made quite the team.
Quite fascinating - thank you so much! 👍🏻
Beautiful video. Thank you
Hi HC, thanks for all your hard work in bringing us another brilliant video.
I’d never heard of this woman who’d had such a busy life.
I think the portrait of Christina looks similar to Scarlett Johansson.
Thanks again. 👍🏻
Thanks James and you're very welcome. Yes, she does have a bit of a Scarlett vibe too, doesn't she?
I was also going to say that I saw a resemblance to Scarlett Johansson! That clean, sculpted look that hides a keen intelligence and a penchant for mischief! I don't know much of Millie Bobby Brown's work.
That’s exactly the same as what I thought.
Now that you've mentioned it, I do think she looks like Scarlett! I can't really see the resemblance to Millie, but I've only seen that picture of her, whereas I've seen Scarlett in several movies.
Hey, HC! Got here a bit late to drop a Like and rewatch this superb chapter. I love the fact that I can always find new details with repeated viewing!👏
HI STEPHEN AND THANK YOU FOR THE DONATION. You're not late at all and certainly don't feel any pressure to watch when you've already seen it on Patreon (in fact don't feel pressure to watch at all of course, if you don't feel like it).
@@HistoryCalling 😆I appreciate that, HC, but my week would be incomplete without its regular dose of history.
An excellent episode!
Wowwww, this story would make a great movie or better yet a series. You do phenomenal work.
Wonderful history of a Woman I knew nothing about but was so interesting. Would it be possible to do one on Mary of Hapsburg and Margaret of Austria, both of whom had such influence on her and the history of the Low Countries?
Maybe Margaret of Austria at some point. I like her too :-) It can be tricky to access primary sources on continental women though I must admit, as most sources aren't in English :-(
Wow - what a fascinating woman. Before watching this video, all I knew about Christina was the Henry VIII anecdote and I have seen the Holbein portrait at the National Gallery (it's so striking). It's clear that she was a very strong, resilient woman. I could see MBB playing her when she was younger, although I also see Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johannson when I look at her portrait. Is there a biography of her which you would recommend?
Thank you for this interesting story from the past. I really enjoyed it!
Utterly spellbinding life--thank you for sharing this with us! :)
I adore your voice, cadence and topics you choose.
Why thank you very much :-)
I knew nothing about this young royal - thank you for yet another great video. I agree, Bobbi Brown would be an ideal (& talented) choice to portray the Duchess on screen and I'd suggest Scarlett Johansson for the "older" Duchess.
I agree with Holly. I look forward to every video. Thank you so much! This is good stuff. Really good. Thank you for all your work and being so generous with you sharing every knowledge
Thank you so much :-)
This was lovely! Nice job!
Excellent ⭐ I'd not heard of this remarkable woman before. Very very interesting!
Very Interesting, Thank You! ✨
Absolutely fascinating!!!!! I really enjoyed this!!!!
Wow a Royal woman who had a brain and wasn't afraid of using it. Or speaking her mind. Wow this woman is amazing 😆 see Henry VIII not all women were stupid enough to want to marry you. Good for her. Christina of Milan 👑👏👍
In Holbein's beautiful portrait, Christina reminds me of Meryl Streep
That was my opinion right away.
When I saw the thumbnail, I said right away to my friend "this lady has a modern day doppegänger", though I could not point my finger on who she resembles in that Holbein portrait. Thanks for clearing it up, I can not unsee it now. Thanks for telling Christina's story, I greatly enjoyed it.
I am the great grand daughter of king Frederick the sixth of Denmark...my grandmother was his grand daughter that immigrated to the USA and her name was Dorthea...there is a connexion here just not sure yet what it is....thank you for this it brings a lot of what is going on even now to light beca8se the dominos fall down to present day of course!