Attempted escape
Leonora Christina has been detained by the English authorities and has decided to escape. She has hidden a couple of handfuls of gemstones in her wig, she has sown gold coins into the hem of her slip, and there are more in her silk stockings. A diamond jewel is hidden in the lining of her silk jacket and sapphires are rolling around in her shoes. Unfortunately, the escape turns out to be a set-up. The Danish princess runs straight into the arms of the police who stop her rather convincingly by pointing their pistols and swords at her heart. Leonora Christina is taken on board a ship bound for Denmark. She bites a large diamond off her gold ring and keeps it in her mouth. She discretely disposes of the ring when she sets foot on Danish soil. It is 9 o'clock on the 8th of August 1663, and she is under arrest.
Letter to the children
Leonora Christina is not the main character in a crime story. She is not even a crime writer. She is what she is: the daughter of King Christian IV who had the misfortune to be married to a man who was later convicted of treason. The reason why her long letter to her children is now considered a brilliant piece of Danish literature is simply that her description of her escape, capture, abduction, interrogation and body search is very exciting reading. That is also true of the record of her imprisonment in the Blue Tower for the next 21 years, 9 months and 11 days, but for a completely different reason: In Memory of Woe Leonora Christina also describes how to behave royally among gaolers, spies, prison chaplains and fellow prisoners.
Dorthe Sondrup Andersen is a Master of Arts of Comparative Literature and an author and writer on cultural affairs. Her books include "The Golden Age without the Gilt" ("Guldalder uden forgyldning") (People's Press, 2004).