Christina Magdalena of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken

Countess Palatine Christina Magdalena of Kleeburg[1] (27 May 1616– 14 August 1662) of the House of Wittelsbach, Margravine of Baden-Durlach, was a Swedish princess, daughter of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Kleeburg and Princess Catherine of Sweden[1] (a granddaughter of Gustav I of Sweden, making Christina a link between the house of Vasa and the later houses of Holstein-Gottorp and Bernadotte). Christina Magdalena belonged to Swedish royalty as a sister of King Charles X of Sweden, and grew up in Sweden.

Christina Magdalena of Kleeburg
Princess Christina Magdalene by an unknown contemporary artist
Born(1616-05-27)27 May 1616
Nyköping, Sweden
Died14 August 1662(1662-08-14) (aged 46)
Carlsburg Castle
BuriedCastle Church, Pforzheim
Noble familyWittelsbach
Spouse(s)Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
IssueChristine
Frederick VII, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Charles Gustav
FatherJohn Casimir, Count Palatine of Kleeburg
MotherPrincess Catherine of Sweden

Biography

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Christina Magdalena was born in Nyköping, Sweden, as her parents did not move to Germany until 1618, three years after their wedding.[1] In 1622, the family moved back to Sweden to avoid the Thirty Years War. Christina Magdalena was described as a "somewhat pretty and pleasing woman" and was reportedly a friend of the queen, Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg.[2] She accompanied Maria Eleonora to the King in Germany in 1631, and returned to Sweden with her in 1633.[3] The last mentioned year, there was unsuccessful negotiations about a marriage to Bernard of Saxe-Weimar.[4]

After the death of her mother in 1638, Christina Magdalena was asked by the Swedish parliament to contribute to the education of Maria Eleonora's daughter, the later Queen Christina. She did this until her marriage in 1642.

Negotiations for her marriage began in 1637, and included "a young and rich Marquess of Huntly" in 1641. The same year, Frederick VI, Margrave of Baden-Durlach visited Sweden. After having befriended her brother, he was accepted as her suitor.[5]

The wedding, held in Stockholm, was postponed until 30 November 1642 after a fire broke out at the ball before their designated wedding date on 26 November.[1] Her spouse applied for a position in the Swedish army, but the Swedish military did not wish to employ foreign princes, and therefore, the couple moved to Germany.[6]

In 1654, her brother succeeded as king of Sweden, and in 1656, he granted her to estate Kutzenhausen, which provided her with an income.[7] Christina Magdalena became Margravine consort of Baden-Durlach when her spouse became Margrave in 1659. She was widowed in 1662.

In Germany, Christina Magdalena was given a good judgement by her contemporaries and described as an "excellent" character.[8]

Issue

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All Swedish kings from Adolf Frederick to Charles XIII descend from Christina Magdalena. The eight children of Frederick and Christina, including two ancestors of Swedish royal lines, were:

  • Friedrich Kasimir (1643–1644)
  • Christine (1645–1705)
∞ 1. 1665 Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1620–1667)
∞ 2. 1681 Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1646–1691)
∞ 1670 Princess Auguste Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (1649–1728) (→ Ancestors of Swedish kings of the House of Holstein-Gottorp, via their daughter Albertina Frederika of Baden-Durlach, who was the mother of King Adolf Fredrick of Sweden; ancestors of the House of Bernadotte, via Gustaf VI Adolf's mother, Victoria of Baden, who was a granddaughter of Adolf Frederick's great-granddaughter Sophia of Sweden
∞ 1677 Princess Anna Sophie of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1659–1742)
  • Friederike Eleonore (*/† 1658)

Ancestry

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References and notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Huberty, Michel; Giraud, Alain; Magdelaine, F.; B. (1985). L'Allemagne Dynastique, Tome IV -- Wittelsbach. France: Laballery. pp. 73, 84, 108–109, 144. ISBN 2-901138-04-7.
  2. ^ Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor /
  3. ^ Moa Matthis: Maria Eleonora - drottningen som sa nej, Bonniers 2010, ISBN 91-0-011354-9
  4. ^ Erik Gustaf Geijer, Fredrik Ferdinand Carlson, Ludvig Vilhelm Albert Stavenow: Geschichte Schwedens, Band 3, F. Perthes, 1836, S. 248
  5. ^ Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor / (in Swedish)
  6. ^ Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor
  7. ^ Daniel Ludwig Wundt, Johann Ludwig Christian Rheinwald: Magazin für die pfälzische Geschichte, Band 1, 1793, S. 27
  8. ^ Eduard Vehse: Geschichte der deutschen Höfe seit der Reformation, Band 28-29, S. 16
  9. ^ a b Kromnow, Åke (1975). "Johan Kasimir". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 20. p. 204.
  10. ^ a b Kromnow, Åke (1977). "Katarina". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 21. p. 1.
  11. ^ a b Press, Volker (1974), "Johann I.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 10, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 513–514; (full text online)
  12. ^ a b Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maria (Herzogin zu Berg, Jülich und Cleve)" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 19 – via Wikisource.
  13. ^ a b Palme, Sven Ulric (1975). "Karl IX". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 20. p. 630.
  14. ^ a b Skoglund, Lars-Olof (1987). "Maria". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 25. p. 150.
Royal titles
Preceded by
Countess Elisabeth Eusebia of Fürstenberg
Margavine consort of Baden-Durlach
1659–1662
Succeeded by