CHRISTINA OF MILAN: the girl who escaped Henry VIII. European royal history documentary. Royal women

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.

OTHER VIDEOS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII PLAYLIST
ROYAL WOMEN PLAYLIST
TUDOR MONARCHS PLAYLIST
COULD ANNE OF CLEVES HAVE REMARRIED?

GEAR USED

BUY OR RENT:

DVDS:

BOOKS

Thumbnail: Image of Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, National Gallery, London (detail)

NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.

[erinrutherford]

Props to her aunt for protecting her as long as she could. ❤

[HollyJ]

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!

[sweetlorikeet]

Absolutely love that her Aunt Mary of Hungary went to bat to protect her childhood as much as was within her power.

[TraciPeteyforlife]

Mad props to her Aunt for trying to protect her as much as she could have.

[lisathomas]

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.

[claire]

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

[tessat]

Considering what happened to many of her peers, Christina seems to have had a very active and energetic guardian angel.

[naomiskilling]

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.

[marleyvaotangi]

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!

[lwalk]

I was soo impressed that Christina never gave up. One crisis after the next, she just kept going with great determination and conviction.

[bettinapartridge]

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.

[annmoore]

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.

[csh]

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!

[feliciagaffney]

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!

[relaxdream]

I had never heard of this woman. What an amazing life she lived.

[brendonmcmorrow]

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.

[angelwhispers]

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.

[marionchase-kleeves]

The fact that Christina and her son survived this Era gives credit to her tenacity. Who are in her lineage these days?

[ellenl]

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.

[calico]

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!