Christina of Oldenburg was born sometime in November 1521. By birth, she was a Princess of Denmark, the daughter of King Christian II. Through her mother, Isabella of Austria, she was the matrilineal niece of Emperors Charles V and Ferdinand I. By her two marriages, she became one of the most prominently connected ladies of 16th-century Europe, with family ties spanning from Scandinavia to Italy — not to mention her remarkable political influence in several matters concerning the Holy Roman Empire.
To be precise, another marriage had been seriously considered for Christina — namely, to the once-again bachelor Henry VIII of England. In popular history, she is renowned for her bold response to the King’s proposal. Aware of his questionable reputation as a husband, the sixteen-year-old princess (allegedly) remarked: “If I had two heads, I would happily put one at the disposal of the King of England.”
As a token of dynastic alliance, Christina later married Francis of Lorraine, who had previously been engaged to Anne of Cleves — Anne, in turn, would later become Henry VIII’s fourth wife.
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