To the Discussion Leader Summary Thinking About the Book Student Activities Author Interview

To the Discussion Leader
Kristina, the girl king of Sweden, was only six-years-old when her father, King Gustav II Adolf, was killed in battle. Prior to his death, the King had made arrangements for Kristina to be the next leader of Sweden when she turned eighteen. But before she could assume the throne, Kristina had to endure years of being raised by her mother, Queen Maria Eleonora. Emotionally erratic and prone to deep depression, the Queen never failed to find fault with her daughter. Still the girl who would be king was determined to take her place in a man's world and sought to be raised as a prince, not a princess just as her father had hoped. Kristina learned to ride horses, hunt, shoot, fence, and excel in her formal education. She grew to lead a nation.

Kristina: The Girl King, Sweden 1638 makes it possible for readers to peak over the castle walls to view the life of a determined young lady who rejected the female stereotypes of her times to rule her beloved Sweden. Less than four years later, that same determination to march to the beat of her own drummer allows Kristina to renounce her throne and the restrictions royal duties placed on her life to focus on her passions: learning, the arts, and religion.

Carolyn Meyer, the author of Kristina's diary writes this about her subject. "Present day admirers describe Kristina as a feminist and a rebel, a woman with radical ideas who rejected the feminine ideals of her time. In an age when men and women were willing to risk their lives for the right to wear the crown, Kristina chose to give up a kingdom for the freedom to live life as she wished."

Summary
"I do love to sit on the throne, the carpet of gold spread out before me with ninety liveried footmen lined up on either side, and that great crowd of men, some five hundred of them…kneeling before me!" These are the words of twelve-year-old Kristina, next in line to the Swedish throne. It is 1638, and Kristina has officially held the title of "king" ever since her father's death six years earlier, but she cannot rule until she turns eighteen. Even at twelve, Kristina is very focused about her future: she will be called king instead of queen; she will never marry and have children; and she will not live with her emotionally unbalanced mother who constantly criticizes her. "She hates me," writes Kristina. "It is because I am a girl and ugly."

Instead, Kristina lives at Three Crowns Castle in Stockholm with her beloved Aunt Katarina, Uncle Johann, and her four cousins. There, in accordance with her late father's wishes, tutors and advisors educate her, "to be trained as a prince, not a princess, and taught those things that a boy of noble birth must master." When she is not studying, Kristina enjoys the outdoors, riding and having shooting contests with her cousin Karl and his friend. She says, "I am much happier being with boys."

Although Kristina has no desire to marry, others in the court insist on finding her a suitable husband. Aunt Katarina hopes it will be her son Karl, an idea that is outrageous to Kristina. When her aunt lies dying, her final request to Kristina is that she will marry Karl. After Katarina dies, Kristina writes, "I am consumed by sorrow. She has been a mother to me as my own mother never was, and now she is gone." But she refuses to think of her aunt's last words.

Meanwhile, Kristina's mother is caught in an act of treason, trying to seek asylum in Denmark, Sweden's enemy. Kristina tries to stop her mother from leaving the country by inviting her to visit. The visit is a disaster; her mother leaves and secretly goes to Denmark. The strain of all these events makes Kristina ill. When she recovers a month later, Kristina learns that her mother has settled in her native Germany.

An empowered Kristina goes before the Rad, her father's private council, for her annual oral examination. She not only impresses the elders with her knowledge, she astonishes them by speaking her mind and telling them her plans for the future. The chancellor, amazed at Kristina's boldness, tells her, "I am obedient to your wishes, my king." Kristina, quite satisfied, ends her book with, "I smiled. This was the first time he addressed me as king. It will not be the last."

Thinking About the Book
1. Kristina's diary was a gift from which character? It was given on Midsummer Day. What is this holiday?

2. Kristina refers to herself as ugly. Why does she feel this way? What is the reason she has a shoulder that sags painfully?

3. The Dowager Queen Maria Eleonora, Kristina's mother, often said: "I would rather dine on water and bread anywhere else than on royal fare in Sweden." Why does she say this?

4. Put yourself in Kristina's place. How would you feel about your mother? What actions does the Queen take to make you feel this way?

5. Why was it so important to Kristina to be treated as a prince and not a princess?

6. Why does Kristina want to visit the dungeons of Three Crowns Castle? How does she feel after going there?

7. Ebba was Kristina's best friend. Why does their friendship cool?

8. Other than Kristina, who is the most important character in this book? Explain your answer.

9. Kristina finally rules her country of Sweden but gives up the throne after less than four years. Why?

Student Activities
1. In your Discussion Group share your answers to the following question. What role does each of these characters play in Kristina's life?

Aunt Katarina
Papa Matthiae
Chancellor Oxenstierna

2. The author of Kristina's diary, Carolyn Meyer, has her own web site http://www.readcarolyn.com. Visit this location and read Carolyn's own diary as she works on her books for young people. Find out about her life. Send her a question or share with her your reactions to Kristina's story.

3. If you had only one word to describe Kristina's mother, what would that word be? Share your answer and reasons for that answer with other members of your group. Was one word chosen more than any other? Now compare your words with those selected by other discussion groups.

4. Kristina writes that Alexander the Great was her "most admired hero" next to her father. Read a little about Alexander the Great. Why do you think Kristina admired him so? Who is your most admired hero and why?

5. Using your copy of Kristina's diary and reference sources in your library or classroom, find out what each of these words means.

dowager
caul
kirtle
tomte
sweetmeat

6. Kristina gives her friend Ebba Sparre a gift of a silver pomander. Find out more about pomanders at http://wnywebshopu.com/cfpomder.htm Try making one using the recipe there. Why do you think pomanders were popular in Kristina's day?

An Interview with Carolyn Meyer
Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D. & Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D.: What are the personal qualities Kristina possessed that you most admire?

Carolyn Meyer: Her honesty and her loyalty. Kristina was not a schemer. She was always absolutely clear about who she was and what she wanted and never cared what people thought. And she was unswervingly loyal to Sweden and to her family and friends.

RFA & EST: What was the most interesting thing you discovered in your research about Kristina and her times?

CM: At a time when wars were waged and battles fought by individuals who would literally kill in order to become the ruling monarch of their country, Kristina shocked everyone-not only in Sweden but also throughout Europe-by abdicating the throne. She willingly gave up her crown in exchange for her personal freedom. Her action was unique in its time.

RFA & EST: Kristina's mother seemed so unstable and appears to take pleasure in belittling her daughter. Did Kristina come to despise her mother or pity her? Was the Dowager Queen Maria Eleonora mentally ill?

CM: Kristina's mother is believed to have been mentally ill. Despite the dowager queen's poor treatment of her daughter, Kristina pitied her mother and went out of her way to care for her, even when her mother was behaving very badly indeed. This is another example of Kristina's profound loyalty. (It's interesting to note that the mother of Isabel: Jewel of Castilla was also quite mad and that many people believe Alexandra, mother of Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, was severely neurotic.)

RFA & EST: Kristina is appalled when she visits the dungeon prison. How were prisoners treated in Sweden during the 1600s? Why would a person be placed in prison?

CM: I imagine Sweden threw miscreants into prison for minor crimes-petty thievery, for example-just as did other countries before modern times. Every castle had a dungeon, and the nobleman who owned the castle was responsible for imprisoning law-breakers. I've seen some of those dungeons, and they must have been ghastly.

RFA & EST: You have written three Royal Diaries: Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Isabel: Jewel of Castilla, and Kristina: The Girl King. If you had a chance to spend a day with just one of these ladies, would you select Anastasia, Isabel, or Kristina? Why?

CM: Anastasia was such a mischievous, creative, merry young woman; a day spent with her would be great fun. Isabel was smart, strong, and brave; she'd have me riding horseback all day and playing chess half the night. With Kristina, who was intellectual and eccentric, I'd be disguised in men's clothes for one of her adventures and sitting down afterwards for an intense philosophical discussion. I'm still trying to choose--although Swedish food in Kristina's time sounds pretty awful!

RFA & EST: Why was Kristina forbidden to enter her homeland when she tried to visit in 1667 and not allowed to return until her young cousin was eighteen years of age? Was anti-Catholic sentiment that extreme in Sweden in those days?

CM: One of the reasons Kristina abdicated the throne of Sweden, where Lutheranism was the only religion permitted, was because she wished to convert to Catholicism. Six months after she left Sweden, she was received into the Catholic Church. When she later returned to Sweden for the funeral of her cousin Karl, she was greeted with deep suspicion by the regency council for Karl's young son, who may have feared that she intended to reclaim the throne and establish a Catholic monarchy. She was told not to bring any Catholic priest with her on future visits; when she defied this order, she was forbidden to return until the young boy turned eighteen.

RFA & EST: When Kristina reigned, was she known as Queen Kristina, following tradition, or King Kristina, as she wanted?

CM: Probably not. My sources all refer to her as Queen Kristina, although she thought of herself as king.

RFA & EST: How is Kristina remembered in Swedish history? How do the Swedish people feel about her?

CM: Although many historians argue that Kristina did not accomplish much of anything during her brief reign, today she is a popular figure whose image appears on postage stamps and whose name is on public buildings, parks, and streets. She is much admired by Swedish feminists who applaud her refusal to yield to the demands of a male-dominated society that she marry and have children.

RFA & EST: What is the one question you'd like to ask children after they've finished reading Kristina's diary?

CM: Do you agree that Kristina did the right thing in giving up her throne?

Discussion Guide written by Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Professor of Literature for Children and Young Adults, University of Houston and Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D., Clinical Associate Professor, University of Houston, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Houston, Texas.