Francis William Bain on Kristina's abrupt attempt at dismissal of the Portuguese resident (António de Silva e Souza) and refusal to continue to recognise Duke João of Braganza as king of Portugal

Source:

Christina, Queen of Sweden, page 238, by Francis William Bain, 1890; original at the University of Connecticut Library

https://archive.org/details/christinaqueenof00bain/page/238/mode/2up

Kristina's letter of May 12/22 (Old Style), 1654 to Erik von der Linde dismissing the Portuguese resident is here:

https://kingkristina.blogspot.com/2024/02/kristinas-letter-to-erik-linde-von-der.html

The account:

A day or two before she abdicated [sic], she disconcerted the Senate and Charles Gustavus by a strange and apparently unaccountable action. She sent to the Portuguese resident to say it was useless for him to remain in Sweden, since she was determined no longer to recognise the Duke of Braganza as king, and should always look upon him as a usurper. There seems to be something underneath this which we do not know; but[,] taking the facts as we have them, we can only explain the proceeding as a sort of friendly signal to the Spanish party, in view of her forthcoming abdication; for it neither had, nor could have, any meaning in itself, nor any consequences. The Portuguese ambassador continued at Stockholm on the same footing as before.

Above: Kristina.

Above: King João IV of Portugal, Duke of Braganza.

Note: The Portuguese resident = António de Silva e Souza.