An extraordinary biography of seventeenth-century Europe's most enigmatic woman - Queen Kristina of Sweden. Will appeal to readers of Veronica Buckley, Antonia Fraser, Linda Porter and Tracy Borman. Queen Kristina of Sweden was one of the greatest intellectuals of her time. Daughter of the adulated King Gustavus Adolphus, she was a patron of scholars and authors, scientists and artists, spoke numerous languages fluently, delighted in debating theological questions, and was responsible for the cultural and educational advancement of her nation. Yet the capricious Queen also had a talent for causing scandal and trouble, and took particular delight in shocking her subjects. However, it was her decision to renounce her throne, her country, and her faith that stunned a populace still recovering from the Thirty Years' War. Drawing on contemporary accounts, including Kristina's own Memoirs and the diary of her principal lady in waiting, Noel B. Gerson presents an intriguing biography of one of the most flamboyant and controversial figures of seventeenth-century Europe. "A highly entertaining biography of the Swedish Queen whose abdication, conversion to Catholicism, and Crivolous schemes made her the subject of incessant gossip for generations" - Kirkus Reviews