Norwegian and Spanish Royalty. Born Kristina Håkonsdatter, the daughter of Margrethe Skulesdatter and Håkon IV in Bergen, Norway. She was betrothed to the Spanish infante, Felipe, the brother of Alfonso X of Castile. She left Norway in the Summer of 1257 – her entourage consisting of more than 100 people. On 31 March 1258 she married Don Felipe, in Santa Maria la Mayor in Valladolid. The marriage was childless, and four years later, she died at the age of 28. Her casket was carried to the abbey church in Covarrubias, Spain, and placed in a limestone sarcophagus. During restoration in the church in 1952, a sarcophagus was opened to reveal the remains of a young woman, a “...partially mummified skeleton with a length of 1.72 m – skull is small and all the teeth are well preserved...Everything points to a skeleton of a woman of high stature,” a 1757 church manuscript that indicated the resting place of Infanta Christine, and the report of the forensic anthropologists was enough of a confirmation for most. In 1978, a statue of the princess made by artist Brit Sørensen was unveiled in Covarrubias and a copy was later erected in Tønsberg, the two cities becoming sister cities on Christine's behalf. The Princess Christina foundation has been established to further the work of preserving and advancing cultural and historical ties.
Norwegian and Spanish Royalty. Born Kristina Håkonsdatter, the daughter of Margrethe Skulesdatter and Håkon IV in Bergen, Norway. She was betrothed to the Spanish infante, Felipe, the brother of Alfonso X of Castile. She left Norway in the Summer of 1257 – her entourage consisting of more than 100 people. On 31 March 1258 she married Don Felipe, in Santa Maria la Mayor in Valladolid. The marriage was childless, and four years later, she died at the age of 28. Her casket was carried to the abbey church in Covarrubias, Spain, and placed in a limestone sarcophagus. During restoration in the church in 1952, a sarcophagus was opened to reveal the remains of a young woman, a “...partially mummified skeleton with a length of 1.72 m – skull is small and all the teeth are well preserved...Everything points to a skeleton of a woman of high stature,” a 1757 church manuscript that indicated the resting place of Infanta Christine, and the report of the forensic anthropologists was enough of a confirmation for most. In 1978, a statue of the princess made by artist Brit Sørensen was unveiled in Covarrubias and a copy was later erected in Tønsberg, the two cities becoming sister cities on Christine's behalf. The Princess Christina foundation has been established to further the work of preserving and advancing cultural and historical ties.
Bio by: Iola
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