Kristina's letter to Juana de Aragón Tagliavia Carrillo de Mendoza y Cortés, the Duchess of Terranova, about her uncle Francesco Pignatelli, the Archbishop of Taranto, dated August 12, 1684

Source:

Mémoires concernant Christine, reine de Suède, volume 4, page 43, compiled and edited by Johan Arckenholtz, 1760

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The letter:

Le 12. Août 1684.

Madame ma Cousine, j'ai reçu avec toute la reconnoissance que vous méritez, les obligeantes expressions dont vous vous servez dans votre Lettre, au sujet de la considération que j'ai pour l'Archevêque de Tarante votre Oncle, qui par ses dignes qualités a si bien mérité ma bienveillance, que je me sens obligée de la lui conserver toujours. C'est de quoi vous devez être persuadée, aussi bien que de l'amitié & de l'estime que j'ai pour votre personne & votre mérite, desirant de tout mon cœur les occasions de vous les témoigner, & priant Dieu qu'il vous tienne en sa sainte & digne garde.

Swedish translation (my own):

Den 12 augusti 1684.

Madama mia cugina,

Jag har mottagit, med all den tacksamhet som Ni förtjänar, de vänliga uttryck som Ni använder i Ert brev i fråga om den hänsyn jag har för ärkebiskopen av Taranto, Er onkel, som genom sina värdiga egenskaper så väl förtjänat min välvilja som jag känner mig skyldig att alltid bevara åt honom. Ni måste vara övertygad om detta, liksom om den vänskap och aktning som jag har för Er person och Er förtjänst, att jag av hela mitt hjärta önskar tillfällen att vittna om dem för Er, bedjande till Gud att han har Er i sin heliga och värdiga vård.

English translation (my own):

August 12, 1684.

Madama mia cugina,

I have received with all the gratitude you deserve the obliging expressions which you use in your letter on the subject of the consideration I have for the Archbishop of Taranto, your uncle, who, by his worthy qualities, has so well deserved my benevolence, which I feel obliged to always preserve for him. You must be persuaded of this, as well as of the friendship and esteem that I have for your person and your merit, desiring with all my heart the occasions of testifying them to you, and praying to God that He have you in His holy and worthy keeping.

Above: Kristina.

Note: In accordance with the nobility's ideals in the early modern era, kings and queens considered themselves siblings; when talking to someone of a lower rank than their own, they would refer to that person as "my cousin", regardless of whether or not they were related.