The ‘Obstacle of Sex’. Christina of Sweden and Her Aspirations to the Polish–Lithuanian Throne (original) (raw)

An important field of research related to early modern sovereignty is the topic of female political authority. This article aims to utilise the category of gender to analyse potential obstacles that Queen Christina of Sweden had to overcome in order to obtain royal dignity in an elective monarchy, the early modern Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Could the election of a female monarch constitute an acceptable and functional alternative for the Catholic and conservative noble society of this vast composite state? Former examples of Jadwiga of Anjou (1384) and Anna Jagiellon (1576) elected and crowned Kings of Poland seemed to suggest as much. The case of Christina's aspirations is all the more interesting, as her prominent supporter during the royal election of 1669 was the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Clement IX. It is, in fact, the diplomatic correspondence created by the papal Secretariat of State that constitutes the historical basis for the research presented here. One cannot overlook the importance of female rule in early modern Europe. Despite the restrictions of Salic law regarding female succession, in sixteenth-century France, Catherine de' Medici exercised authority as regent for two of her sons for several years. This practice was repeated during the seventeenth century by Maria de' Medici and Anne of Austria. In England, Mary and Elizabeth Tudor reigned in their own right, while in Scotland, Mary Stuart, daughter of James V, assumed power following her return from France. Her mother, Mary of Guise, had governed as regent up to that point. In the Netherlands, regency was exercised by Margaret of Austria and Margaret of Parma. Finally, the office of the viceroy of Portugal was given to Margaret of Savoy. Female governance frequently caused controversies and even factional disputes. Nevertheless, European societies became quickly accustomed to these unusual rulers, often appreciating their virtues. 1 In this article, I use the category of gender to analyse potential obstacles that Queen Christina of Sweden had to overcome in order to obtain a new royal dignity in an elective monarchy, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, after she had abdicated the Swedish throne in 1654. Could the election of a woman constitute an alternative for the noble society? The earlier examples of Jadwiga of Anjou (1384) and Anna Jagiellon (1576), elected and crowned 'Kings' of Poland, seemed to suggest as much. The case