Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522-1590

The biography traces the life of a Habsburg princess remembered through a famous court portrait, following her early displacement and widowhoods, a celebrated but unsuccessful royal courtship, and decades of political engagement across Italian and Low Countries courts. It chronicles her roles as duchess and regent, her diplomatic activity during French‑Habsburg conflicts culminating in the peace of Câteau‑Cambrésis, and later troubles with dynastic powers that curtailed her authority. The narrative balances archival research, contemporary memoirs, and correspondence to portray a woman admired for beauty, strong friendships, and administrative ability, whose fortunes fluctuated between prominence and exile.