Christina Abrahamsdotter

Christina Abrahamsdotter
Queen consort of Sweden
Reign	1470
Born	1432 Finland
Died	1492
Spouse	Charles VIII of Sweden
Issue	Anna Karlsdotter Karl Karlsson
Father	Abraham Pedersson

Christina's name as recorded by a member of the Stockholm guild Helga Lekamen, confirming her as queen in 1470

Christina Abrahamsdotter (Swedish: Kristina Abrahamsdotter) (Finnish: Kristiina Abrahamintytär) (1432–1492) was a Finnish noble, royal mistress and later third spouse and Queen consort of King Charles VIII of Sweden.

Biography

Christina Abrahamsdotter is believed to have been the daughter of Abraham Pedersson, governor of Raseborg, though this has not been confirmed. The ex-King Charles of Sweden got to know her during his exile in Finland 1457–1464. When Charles returned to Sweden in 1464 and reclaimed the Swedish throne, she followed him there as royal mistress. In 1465, they had a son together.

In 1470, during the last year of his life, Charles married Kristina. She thereby became queen, and her son became legitimate. The exact date of the marriage is unknown; traditionally, the wedding was to have taken place on his deathbed. The same year, she became a widow and Queen dowager.

Her son, although legitimized, was too young to play a political role and was soon maneuvered away from the throne : Though she was recognized as Queen, the Swedish government did not allow the boy, suddenly legitimized as Prince Charles (Karl Karlsson) to succeed him, but appointed one of their number, Sten Sture the Elder (who was Charles's nephew) as regent.

She lived a discrete life after the death of Charles.

Children

Kristina Abrahamsdotter had two known children with Charles.

• Anna Karlsdotter (Bonde), married to the nobleman Håkan Svensson (Bölja), governor of Västerås castle.
• Karl Bonde (Karlsson) (1465–1488)

References

• http://historiska-personer.nu/min-s/p37dc4328.html
• Herman Lindvist: Historien om alla Sveriges drottningar (History of all the queens of Sweden) (Swedish) (2006)
• Lars O. Lagerqvist: Sveriges regenter - från forntid till nutid (The regents of Sweden - from then to now)
• Dick Harrison: Karl Knutsson