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Maria Eleonore of Brandenburg (Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - Wikipedia)Like Mother, like daughter. In many ways Maria Eleanora's life is just as fascinating, if not more so, than that of her unorthodox daughter, Queen Christina of Sweden.Beautiful. Immature. Fashionable. Jealous. Tempestuous. Unstable. Stupid.Just a few of the adjectives that have been used to describe Maria Eleonore of Brandenburg (1599-1655), a German princess who became queen consort of Sweden. Hers was a life that was equal parts melodrama, tragedy, mystery, and adventure, with a bit of unintentional humor.This was a woman who adored her husband, Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden beyond death; despised her only daughter Christina, who would come to inherit the throne, to such a degree that many believe she tried to engineer her demise; and, basically, sent no less than three countries into turmoil with her mercurial personality and entitled demands. As later sources attest, her daughter Christina would continue the family drama, with scandals, adventures and poor judgement.Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg (1599-1655) was born into the Hohenzollern family on November 11, 1599. Her father was Elector Johann Sigismund of Brandenburg (1572-1619), and her mother was Anna (1576-1625), heiress of Prussia. Maria Eleonore's maternal grandfather was the last mad Duke of Prussia and her maternal grandmother was a sister of the last mad Duke of Cleves. Maria Eleonore's brother, George Wilhelm (1595-1640), suffered from melancholy and repeatedly lost his consciousness.[1]Marua Eleonore's father, Johann Sigismund of Brandenburg, was an indolent glutton and drunk.[2] Due to his corpulence he was often short of breath, and his action radius was further reduced by gout. Still, his reign was a fairly happy one. In 1614, he issued an Edict of Tolerance to uphold religious freedom.[3] He converted from Lutheranism to Calvinism, but pallowed his wife and children to remain Lutherans.[4] Near the end of his life, he suffered several strokes that left him increasingly debilitated.[5]Duchess Anna of Prussia - WikipediaMaria Eleonore's mother, Anna of Prussia, was as dominant and energetic, as her husband was indolent. Anna was married to John Sigismund on 30 October 1594. Before the marriage, his mother, Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin,[6] pointed out that Anna was not beautiful, but the marriage was arranged in order to secure the incorporation of the Duchy of Prussia into the Electorate of Brandenburg through Anna, whose father had no surviving male heirs. This was a political match of exceptional importance, since Anna was not only heir to Prussia, but also the expected heir of Cleves Jülich and Berg, as well as Mark and Ravensberg.[7]Anna was described as intellectually superior to her spouse, temperamental and strong-willed. She fought on her own to secure her succession rights to various fiefs and handled negotiations with her competitors.[8] In 1612, she placed her demands before the Emperor. When the Hohenzollern couple had a row, plates and grass were often broken.[9] The Elector Johann (1585-1656), who had married Anna's sister, once wrote to Johann Sigismund that, “if his wife would vex him as Johann Sigismund's did off and on, he would surely hit her.”[10]Due to her father’s somewhat strained finances and her mother’s very strict Lutheran approach to life, Maria Eleonore’s education was not the best, restricted to practical skills and Bible studies, instead of French, Latin or the like.[11]The drama and love affair began in 1616, when 22-year-old Gustavus II Adolphus, heir apparent to the Swedish throne, entered the marriage market, seeking a suitable Protestant bride.[12] Gustavus II Adolphus needed a dynastic marriage. Had he been allowed to choose, he would have married Ebba Brahe, a Swedish noblewoman with whom he was head over heels in love with[13]. But Gustavus II Adolphus’ mother declined the match and being a dutiful son – or a pragmatic young king – Gustavus II Adolphus bid his beloved Ebba farewell and set off to tour Europe in search of other candidates.https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22804847/johann-sigismund-von_brandenburgElector Johann Sigismund was well inclined towards the Swedish King, but he had become very infirm.[14] His determined Prussian wife showed a strong dislike for this Swedish suitor, because Prussia was a Polish fief and the Polish King still resented that he had lost Sweden to Gustavus II Adolphus father.[15]An intelligent, stunningly beautiful young woman, Maria Eleonore had other suitors - young William of Orange, Wladislaw Wasa of Poland, Adolph Friedrich of Mecklenburg and even the Prince of Wales.[16] The lack of consensus between her parents left Maria Eleonore in limbo for nearly two years.But not everyone was in favor of the union, particularly the princess’s brother, George William, Duke of Prussia, who feared it would lead to conflicts with neighboring Poland, which was at odds with Sweden at the time.[17] George William wrote to Gustavus II Adolphus refusing his consent to the marriage.Having decided upon Maria Eleanore, Gustavus II Adolphus had the rooms of his castle in Stockholm redecorated and started making preparations to leave for Berlin to press his suite in person, when a letter arrived from Maria Eleonore's mother to his mother.The Electress demanded in no uncertain terms that the Queen Dowager should prevent her son's journey, as"being prejudicial to Brandenburg's interests in view of the state of war existing between Sweden and Poland". “Her husband”, she wrote, was "so enfeebled in will by illness that he could be persuaded to agree to anything, even if it tended to the destruction of the country". It was a rebuff that verged on an insult.[18]No matter. Gustavus II Adolphus would not be deterred, and in 1620 he traveled to Berlin to plead his case with the Duchess and her daughter.[19]Maria Eleanora's father died on December 23, 1619.[20] In the spring of 1620, however, stubborn Gustavus II Adolphus arrived in Berlin. The Electress Dowager maintained an attitude of reserve and even refused to grant the Swedish King a personal meeting with Maria Eleonore.[21] All those who were present, however, noticed the Princess's unconcealed interest in the young King. Afterwards, Gustavus II Adolphus made a round of other Protestant German courts with the professed intention of inspecting a few matrimonial alternatives.[22]On his return to Berlin, however, the Electress Dowager seems to have become completely captivated by the charming Swedish King. After plighting his troth to Maria Eleonore, Gustavus II Adolphus hurried back to Sweden to make arrangements for the reception of his bride.[23]The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own DaughterGeorge William, who had just succeeded his father, was dumbfounded upon learning of his mother’s interference.[24] Despite his protests, Maria Eleonore was smuggled onto a Swedish ship, which took her to Brunswick territory[25], before heading for Stockholm out of George Wilhelm's reach.Anna of Prussia provided herself with a selection of objects of value from the exchequer, before she joined Maria Eleonore in Brunswick.[26] A detachment of the Swedish fleet took the women over to Kalmar, where Gustavus II Adolphus was impatiently awaiting them. [27] The wedding took place in Stockholm on November 25, 1620. Three days later 21-year-old Maria Eleonore was crowned Queen in the Great Church.[28]Reel Norden: King Gustav II Adolf and Maria EleonoraAt first, nothing seemed amiss. Foreign ambassadors found the new queen charming and applauded her exquisite taste. Gustavus II Adolphus shared Maria Eleonore's interest in architecture and her love of music.[29] She was pretty and her manner was lively, giving an impression of girlish gaiety.But there were signs of trouble to come. Maria Eleonore despised Stockholm, considering it an uncultured country lacking the culture, history and vibrancy of Berlin.[30] She found the Swedish people boorish and lacking refinement, as well as the frigid climate and barren landscape. Still, she tried to find ways to adapt, creating her own entertainment (she frequently brought buffoons and dwarfs to court). [31] Goldsmiths, musicians, and ballet dancers were imported from Germany and France.Maria Eleonore was moody, often peppering her speech with inappropriate language and profanities. More often than not, she directed her anger at her husband, the king. Maria Eleonore described herself as "hysteric", because she couldn't cope with her husband's long absences.[32] It soon became very apparent that Maria Eleonore’s passionate love for her husband bordered on mental instability.[33] In his presence, she glowed like the sun. In his absence, she was depressed and fearful, going into hysterics if he was delayed in returning home or was wounded.[34] Given that Gustavus II Adolphus spent most of his time away from home, and most of that time embroiled in one battle or the other, poor Maria Eleonore led a dark, difficult and mentally unstable life.Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - WikipediaWithin six months of their marriage, Gustavus II Adolphus left to command the siege of Riga, leaving Maria Eleonore in the early stages of her first pregnancy.[35] She lived exclusively in the company of her German ladies-in-waiting and had difficulty in adapting herself to the Swedish people, countryside and climate.[36]Maria Eleonore's behaviour now became increasingly eccentric. She indulged in sweet foods, and spend lavish gifts on her favorites that the treasure could not affort.[37] She spoke French, the court language of the age, but never bothered to learn to write Swedish correctly, and even became incapable of speaking her native German correctly.[38] She confused syllables and made up strange concoctions of words. This unusual difficulty with language suggests a possible neurologial problem. During one of her confinements, she may have suffered some kind of stroke.[39] Whatever the reason, her muddled speech no doubt added to Maria Eleonore's growing sense of desperation and isolation.Maria Eleonore was regarded as neither intelligent nor mentally stable. Gustav referred to Maria as his malum domesticum (domestic evil).[40] European society at the time claimed that the German princess was not on Gustav’s intellectual level, stating, “Maria Eleonora’s letters do indeed give a depressing impression. We expect to find bad handwriting and gross spelling mistakes in the manuscripts of the seventeenth century, but the Queen of Sweden wrote like an ignorant housemaid; she had no idea of the logic of syntax and her letters often reveal a condition of utter mental confusion.”[41]Maria Eleonore responded to her husband's frequent absences by sinking into a deep depression, often refusing to eat and sleep. With the king so frequently risking his life in battle, it became imperative that Maria Eleanore produce a male heir to the throne. A year after her marriage to Gustav II Adolf in 1620, Maria became seriously ill and miscarried.[42] She gave birth to a daughter, baptized in 1623 as Christina Augusta to honor Gustav and his officious mother, Dowager Queen Christina, but the baby died before her first birthday.[43]In May 1625, the king and his pregnant queen were reviewing warships at Skeppsholmen, when a sudden wind nearly caused the royal yacht to capsize. After the accident Maria noticed that her child was no longer moving and she delivered a stillborn son. [44]In 1626, during a rare break in battle, Gustavus II Adolphus returned to Stockholm to attend what everyone hoped would be a successful royal birth.[45] Everyone was sure it was a boy. The king, his Lord Chancellor, the queen herself, the court astrologers, the queen’s dwarfs, her ladies-in-waiting – all of them were quite convinced that this time the queen would be delivered of the male heir the kingdom so desparately desired.[46]On December 7th, Maria Eleonore gave birth for the fourth time. The baby was healthy, though had fleece lanugo (a condition where soft, downy, unpigmented hair covers the body of a newborn). In this instance, the infant was enveloped from its head to its knees, leaving only its face, arms and lower legs visible.[47]At first, it was assumed that the baby was a boy, but upon closer inspection, it became clear: It was a little girl. Historical records reveal that at the time of Christina’s birth there was a concurrent rare astrological conjunction. [48] This was taken to be an omen that this child would have some great effect on worldly matters. However, Gustavus II Adolphus’ half-sister Catherine, afraid of the king’s reaction, carried the baby to him “in a condition for him to see and to realize for himself what she dared not tell him.”[49]Engraving of Maria Eleonore (Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - Wikipedia)True to form, Gustavus II Adolphus shocked both the Swedish aristocracy and foreign courts. Unlike England’s Henry VIII, Gustavus Adolphus revealled in the birth of his daughter, remarking, “She is going to be clever, for she has taken us all in.” [50] He named her Christina, after his mother, and ordered that her arrival be announced with all the pageantry accorded to that of a male heir.[51] His wife, however, would have a different reaction.The court waited several days before breaking the “It’s a girl!” news to the Queen. Upon learning the truth, Maria Eleonore shouted, “Instead of a son, I am given a daughter, dark and ugly, with a great nose and black eyes. Take her from me, I will not have such a monster!”[52]Shocking, to be sure. Such sentiments were widely known but never expressed in so public a manner. And then, peculiar things began to happen. A beam from the ceiling mysteriously fell on the cradle, coming close to crushing the infant. The one time Christina was not surrounded by nannies and retainers, she mysteriously toppled down a flight of stairs. A nursemaid was blamed for dropping the baby onto a stone floor, resulting in an injury that would leave Christina with a crooked shoulder for the remainder of her life.[53]Gustavus II Adolphus described his wife as being “a very sick woman”[54], and unfortunately distanced himself from the court, leaving Christina defenseless against her mother's physical and emotional attacks. She may have suffered from a post-natal depression[55], because in her madness,the Queen tried to hurt her own child.Before he left to join the Thirty Years War, he discussed a possible regency with members of the government and admitted to them that his wife was"a miserable woman".[56] Even so, Gustavus II Adolphus could not bring himself to nominate a regency council in which her name did not appear. To Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, he confessed:"If anything happens to me, my family will merit your pity [..], the mother lacking in common sense, the daughter a minor - hopeless, if they rule, and dangerous, if others come to rule over them."[57]Gustavus II Adolphus was devoted to his daughter and reared Christina as a boy. At the age of two, she clapped her hands and laughed with joy when the great cannons of Kalmar Castle boomed out the royal salute.[58] Afterwards, Gustavus II Adolphus often took his little daughter with him to military reviews. Maria Eleonore showed little affection for her daughter and was not allowed any influence in Christina's upbringing. The Princess was placed in the care of Gustavus II Adolphus' half-sister, Katharina, and the Chancellor, Axel Oxenstierna.[59]Gustavus II Adolphus restricted Maria Eleanore's access to their daughter, preventing her from having any involvement in their daughter’s upbringing.[60] Gustavus II Adolphus himself was determined to raise Christina as he would a boy, taking her to military reviews, teaching her to ride, shoot, and hunt. Soon, she was swearing a blue streak and even appreciated a good dirty joke.[61]The Battle of Lutzen by Jan Asselijn (The Death of King Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Lutzen)Meanwhile, the king's life was constantly in peril on and off the battlefield. After years of pleading, Gustavus II Adolphus allowed Maria Eleanore to be with him in Germany, moving into Wolgast Castle.[62]In the battle of Lützen, 39-year-old Gustav II Adolph was shot in the back. He fell and was dragged for some distance by his horse. He managed to free himself from the stirrup, but while lying on the ground "The Lion of the North" was killed by another shot through his head. By nightfall, both armies were exhausted, but Bernard of Saxe-Weimar (1604-1639) and the Swedes had captured all the Imperial artillery and were in possession of the key position. The King's body was found, lying face downwards in the mud, plundered of everything but his shirt.[63]Contrary to Maria Eleonora’s apparent belief that she also inherited power, the dowager queen was kept from any real authoritative role. She insisted on organizing Gustav’s funeral arrangements, but her ideas were deemed so flippant and ostentatious by the Riksdag that legislation had to be introduced to limit her planning.[64]Maria commissioned a funeral at Uppsala Cathedral in October 1633, but then changed her mind and wanted Gustav placed in the chapel at Strömsholm Castle. In February 1634, she proposed renaming Strömsholm in memory of her husband. By 1634 the Council of State contended that Maria Eleonora had taken enough time to plan and made independent arrangements to follow Gustav II Adolf’s wishes and entomb him with his infant children at the Riddarholmskirche.[65]In 1633, Maria Eleonora returned to Sweden with her beloved’s embalmed body. She refused to bury Gustavus II Adolphus’ body for more than a year and forced Christina to live in seclusion in rooms draped in funereal black, blocking out the light of day.[66]Seeing his lifeless form, Maria Eleonore gave way to enormous grief. She clung, often literally, to her husband's remains, and her attendants began to fear for her reason. She wrote: "Since We, God pity Us, were so rarely granted the pleasure of enjoying the living presence of His Majesty, Our adored, dearest master and spouse, of blessed memory, it should at least be granted to Us to stay near his royal corpse and so draw comfort in Our miserable existence".[67]Category:Gustav II Adolf of SwedenShe tore her clothes, she wept some more. She shrieked in despair, she was inconsolable, lamenting her cruel fate, to be robbed of the light of her life when they were still both so young. At the time of his death, Maria Eleonore had been in Germany, and so she hastened to kneel by her husband’s body, insisting it was her right as his wife to see to his body. She had him embalmed (very much against his will), selected the clothes the corpse was clad in, the fabrics for his bier. [68] All the while she wept and moaned, embracing her dead husband as if he were still alive. Most uncomfortable for the Swedish nobles who witnessed all this – such excessive grief was frowned upon, very far from the Lutheran ideal of silent stoicism in the face of adversity.[69]Gustavus II Adolphus' heart had already been taken out to be seperately preserved; Maria Eleonore kept it with her constantly. At night, it hung above her bed, while she continued weeping for months.[70]It wasn't until August 1633 that the King's body finally returned to Sweden. In Nyköping, 7-year-old Queen Christina came in solemn procession to the ship to receive her mother. Later she wrote:"I embraced the Queen my mother, she drowned me with her tears and practically smothered me in her arms."[71]Maria Eleonore had her husband's coffin placed in her own bedroom. It remained unsealed, and it seems that it was regularly opened.[72] For more than a year, Maria Eleonore condemned her active, spirited little daughter to an appalling mourning seclusion, in rooms draped with black and lit by candles day and night, from which every ray of light was excluded.[73]Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden - WikipediaShe made her daughter sleep with her in a bed over which her father's heart was hung in a golden casket.[74] Sermons and pious orations continued endlessly. Things were made worse by Maria Eleonore's continual weeping. She smothered her once rejected daughter with affection, and scarcely let her out of her sight. Christina, who was herself somewhat malformed with one shoulder higher than the other, also detested her mother's dwarfs, buffoons and hunchbacks, later writing that her mother had “an uncommon amount of pleasure from these pygmies.”[75] The little Queen became seriously ill; an ulcer appeared on her left breast, causing her terrible pain and a high fever - until it burst.[76]In 1634, 19 months after his death, Gustavus II Adolphus was at last buried – despite his widow’s protests.[77] Maria Eleonora agreed to allow a state funeral and place Gustav in the Riddarholmskirche, but then proposed other memorials throughout the next decade. In January 1635 she aspired to construct a pleasure palace in Gustav’s honor as her personal residence on the Kungsholmen island of Stockholm. In 1636, she undertook the construction of a monumental home near Konigsberg Castle in Prussia because she did not succeed in getting anything built to her satisfaction in Sweden. She then commissioned Jacob Elbfas to design a renovation of Omberg Castle and rename the surrounding city Gustavburg. All of the queen’s proposals were too complicated and expensive, and were never realized.[78]Marie Eleonore developed a sudden fondness for her daughter and insisted she was to have a major say in her daughter’s upbringing and future marriage. Not at all in line with Gustavus II Adolphus’ instructions – he had little confidence in his wife’s capabilities.[79] The council and the queen mother were in constant conflict, poor little Christina being the object of this lethal tug-of-war. When Maria Eleonora had the bad taste to offer Christina as a bride to Christian IV of Denmark[80] Sweden’s archenemy, things went from bad to worse.The Council had had enough; in 1636, Christina was removed from her mother’s custody and returned to the safety of her aunt’s household.[81]Her mental instability might have been a factor, but there were other reasons for her exclusion. For one thing, Maria Eleonore invited several prominent Danish courtiers and ambassadors to court, at a time when Denmark was Sweden's greatest adversary. She even attempted to arrange a potential marriage between Christina and Danish prince Ulrik.[82]A Visit to Gripsholm Castle, Sweden's Most Prominent EstateThe Council of State convened on 26 August 1636 to finalize a resolution to separate their majesties, Queen Christina and her mother the Dowager Queen Maria Eleonora. [83]. She was taken to Gripsholm castle, a fortress perched on an island in a lake. Nearing 40, she remained pretty with a "truly royal figure".[84]In 1639, a letter written by her and intended for Sweden's archenemy, the King of Denmark, was intercepted. After a summons, Maria Eleonore appeared at her daughter's court in a flood of tears in the summer of 1640. Queen Christina, 13 years old, reasoned with her mother and dissuaded her from taking up residence at Nyköping near Denmark.[85]Afterwards, Maria Eleonore returned to Gripsholm. To undertake one of her periodic fasts, she retired to the seclusion of her own apartment, accompanied by only one of her ladies.[86] That night, dressed in disguise, the two ladies let themselves down from a window and were rowed in a boat to the other side of the nearby lake, where a carriage was waiting for their arrival.[87] They drove to Nyköping, where they boarded a Danish ship. The plan was for the crew to bring Marie Eleanore to Brandenburg, but she persuaded the captain to deliver her to Denmark instead.Maria Eleonora av Brandenburg attributed to Hendrik MunnichhovenKing Christian was less than thrilled with his surprise guest, but allowed her to remain at court as George William, her brother, refused to receive his sister.[88] Maria Eleonore was unable to enter Germany until after his death in December of that year. But there was a catch: The new Elector insisted that Sweden provide for her upkeep and expenses.[89] She received a small pension of 30,000 écus a year. Teenage Queen Christina negotiated a pension, adding to it from her own purse.Just a few years later, Maria Eleonore began to miss Sweden, and in 1648, petitioned her daughter Queen Christina, now aged 22 for permission to return to Sweden.[90] Christina, despite her traumatic childhood, made arrangements for her to return to Stockholm. Christina waited to greet the ship carrying her mother, and when its arrival was delayed, camped outside for two nights, falling ill in the process.[91]Christina, Queen of Sweden - WikipediaIn 1650, Marie Eleonorr attended her daughter’s coronation.[92] Christina bought a castle for her, close to her own royal residence in Stockholm, in order to maintain a healthy distance between herself and her mother.[93]Four years later, in early 1564, Christina abdicated her throne to her cousin Charles Gustav (1622-1660). She offered an array of explanations: a man was better suited to rule the Swedish army, she was exhausted by her many duties and needed a rest. What she failed to mention was her recent conversion to Roman Catholicism, which was banned in Lutheran Sweden.[94]Maria Eleonore couldn't understand her daughter's action and had grave doubts about its possible effect upon her own finances.[95] She was miserable about the whole situation, and when the cousins visited her in her residence at Nyköping in April, Christina and Charles Gustav promised the Queen Dowager that she would be provided for.[96]Maria Eleanor's coffin at Riddarholm Church[97]Christina’s last official act was to write her mother in a letter. This was also the last known form of correspondence between the two women.“As fate compels me to depart forever from the city in which I was born, I shall thus be deprived of the honor of conveying my submission and reverence to your Majesty… I know, Madam, that my final result will not please you, but the destiny that has elected to make me the happiest of all mankind requires that I accept my happiness at the cost of your disapproval… Pray be satisfied with the reparation for my faults and spare me the distastefulness of your censure. Whatever your Majesty may elect to do, I shall always bear in mind what I owe to you. I shall never indulge in any feeling that might cause your Majesty to regret having given birth to me. In conclusion, Madam, I venture to assure you that I shall never commit any act unworthy of the daughter of the great Gustavus.’ [98]The Queen Dowager was provided for until her death in 1655. At the time, ex-Queen Christina was touring across Europe, wearing a man's suit.[99] She was laid to rest in the Riddarholm Church, in peace at last, beside her husband and two of their children.In fairness to Maria Eleonore, she appears to us today as depicted in her husband’s letters to his Lord Chancellor and best friend, Axel von Oxenstierna, and the minutes of the Swedish Council’s meetings. The king was frustrated by his overly devoted and unstable wife, Axel didn’t like her, and the Council found her a meddling woman with a negative influence on her daughter. Is this a fair depiction of Maria Eleonorr? Probably not. Was she an entirely stable and supporting wife & mother? Not likely. In retrospect, maybe it was unfortunate that Maria Eleonore’s mother succumbed to young Gustavus II Adolfus' charms and gave him her daughter’s hand in marriage. On the other hand, no Maria Eleonore, no Christina, and I am reluctant to say farewell to Christina.Footnotes[1] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[2] "John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg" on Revolvy.com[3] Brandenburg | historical margravate, Germany[4] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22804847/johann-sigismund-von_brandenburg[5] "John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg" on Revolvy.com[6] Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin - Wikipedia[7] Duchess Anna of Prussia - Wikipedia[8] Duchess Anna of Prussia - Wikipedia[9] Anna of Prussia[10] "Duchess Anna of Prussia" on Revolvy.com[11] Reel Norden: King Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleonora[12] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[13] Ebba Brahe - Wikipedia[14] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22804847/johann-sigismund-von_brandenburg[15] Anna of Prussia[16] Biography of Maria Eleonore of Brandenburg (1599-1655), Queen of Sweden[17] About George William, Elector of Brandenburg [18] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[19] Gustavus Adolphus | Biography, Thirty Years’ War, & Death[20] John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg[21] Anna of Prussia[22] Prabook[23] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[24] About George William, Elector of Brandenburg [25] Biography of Maria Eleonore of Brandenburg (1599-1655), Queen of Sweden[26] Anna of Prussia[27] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg[28] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[29] Gustavus Adolphus | Biography, Thirty Years’ War, & Death[30] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[31] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[32] Wonderful Characters[33] Gustavus Adolphus | Biography, Thirty Years’ War, & Death[34] Reel Norden: King Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleonora[35] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[36] Biography of Maria Eleonore of Brandenburg (1599-1655), Queen of Sweden[37] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[38] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[39] Biography of Maria Eleonore of Brandenburg (1599-1655), Queen of Sweden[40] Sweden in the Seventeenth Century (European History in Perspective) - PDF Free Download[41] Queen Christina of Sweden and her Circle[42] Gustavus Adolphus | Biography, Thirty Years’ War, & Death[43] Wonderful Characters[44] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg[45] Reel Norden: King Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleonora[46] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[47] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg[48] Famous Queen Christina[49] History Lesson: The Queer Queen Christina[50] 'Christina, Queen of Sweden': A Royal Mess[51] Queen Christina's autobiography[52] Queen Christina's autobiography[53] Christina Queen of Sweden by Veronica Buckley[54] Gustavus Adolphus Quotes[55] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[56] Queen Christina of Sweden: Why She Was Called the Minerva of the North[57] The Uncrowned King: Axel Oxenstierna and Sweden's Rise to Power During the Thirty Years War[58] Christina of Sweden[59] 'Christina, Queen of Sweden': A Royal Mess[60] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[61] Christina of Sweden[62] Reel Norden: King Gustav II Adolf and Maria Eleonora[63] The Death of King Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Lutzen[64] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D6354%26context%3Detd&ved=2ahUKEwjFze_1tI7gAhWmx4MKHawwAA4QFjAKegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw35I83NfgrB2X3QsfP2Ebii&cshid=1548612039612[65] Gustavus Adolphus – Battle of Lützen[66] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[67] Holding on to his heart - of grief and crazy queens - Anna Belfrage[68] Holding on to his heart - of grief and crazy queens - Anna Belfrage[69] Patterned Lives: The Lutheran Funeral Biography in Early Modern Germany (review)[70] Holding on to his heart - of grief and crazy queens - Anna Belfrage[71] Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689)[72] Holding on to his heart - of grief and crazy queens - Anna Belfrage[73] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - A Queen on the loose - History of Royal Women[74] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[75] 'Christina, Queen of Sweden': A Royal Mess[76] The Renegade Queen of Sweden who was Banned from Raising her own Daughter[77] Gustavus Adolphus - The Lion from the North[78] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8508950/gustav_ii_adolph[79] The Blazing Career and Mysterious Death of “The Swedish Meteor”[80] The Danish Lion - of Christian IV - Anna Belfrage[81] 'Christina, Queen of Sweden': A Royal Mess[82] Ulrik of Denmark (1578–1624) - Wikipedia[83] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - Wikipedia[84] Original Memoirs of the Sovereigns of Sweden and Denmark from 1766 to 1818[85] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - Wikipedia[86] Original Memoirs of the Sovereigns of Sweden and Denmark from 1766 to 1818[87] Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - Wikipedia[88] About George William, Elector of Brandenburg [89] Christina | queen of Sweden[90] Original Memoirs of the Sovereigns of Sweden and Denmark from 1766 to 1818[91] Queen Christina, Who Ruled as a King[92] History’s grandest coronation procession[93] 'Christina, Queen of Sweden': A Royal Mess[94] Vatican Secret Archives reveal abdication letter of 'hermaphrodite' Swedish queen [95] Queen Christina, Who Ruled as a King[96] Queen Christina of Sweden, Lesbian Troublemaker - HeadStuff[97] Riddarholm Church - Wikipedia[98] Queen Christina of Sweden and her Circle[99] 11 Monarchs Who Went Insane

Effective January 26, all airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within three calendar days of travel regardless of where they are traveling from. Alternatively, travelers to the United States may provide documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from COVID-19 in the 90 days preceding travel. If you need to travel due to an extraordinary humanitarian emergency and you are unable to obtain a test, please see COVID-19 Testing Waivers, below.  In addition, the order also requires a passenger attestation stating they have received a negative Qualifying Test result (this is not in place of a test). Check the CDC website for additional information and Frequently Asked Questions.The test must be a viral test (NAAT or antigen test) to determine if you are currently infected with COVID-19. Travelers should avoid the antibody tests which look for prior infection.Test results should state any/all of the following:Negative,Sars-CoV-2-RNA Not Detected,SARS-CoV2 Antigen Not Detected, and/orCOVID-19 Not DetectedAlternatively, if the traveler has recovered from COVID-19, they may instead travel with written or electronic documentation (Documentation of Recovery) of a positive viral test result (within the last 90 days) that confirms the previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and a letter from a licensed health care provider or public health official stating that the traveler has been cleared for travel.Test results and/or Documentation of Recovery plus the Attestation are required prior to boarding and must be shown to your airline. The Attestation may be found at the CDC website “Passenger Attestation Form” (PDF). For additional questions, please see the CDC FAQ site.U.S. State Department – Level 3: Reconsider travel to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19 and exercise increased caution due to terrorismOn December 28, the CDC issued a Level 4 (Very High) Travel Health Notice for the United Kingdom due to COVID-19. For information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.If you are planning on traveling to the United States, it is important that you check quarantine regulations for the state you are visiting before you depart. You can find the most-up to date information on the CDC website and your state’s health department website. Please note you will still be required to quarantine as required by CDC and local guidelines even if you are an automatic exception to the current Presidential Proclamations or have received a national interest exception in order to travel directly to the United States. U.S. citizens residing in the United Kingdom are subject to the UK government’s regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted under the rules. This means you may not go on holiday.Country-Specific InformationFor the latest information and advice for travel to the United Kingdom with regards to COVID-19, please visit the U.K. Government’s webpage on Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice.[UPDATED] UK COVID-19 RestrictionsThe UK response to COVID is updated frequently as the government monitors the situation. For the latest information, please go to the below websites.For England, visit: National Lockdown: Stay at Home from January 5For Northern Ireland, visit: New restrictions from December 26For Scotland, visit: National Lockdown from January 5For Wales, visit: Alert Level 4U.S. citizens residing in the United Kingdom are subject to the UK government’s regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted under the rules. This means you may not go on holiday.If you are visiting the UK, you may return home to the United States. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your final destination. Please consult directly with your airline and follow all UK government guidelines when making travel arrangements.From March 8, passengers travelling abroad will need to carry a new form stating that their trip is permitted under UK national lockdown rules. The form must be downloaded, signed before travel, and carried or downloaded onto a mobile phone. Passengers who do not have a valid form may be denied boarding. It will be an offence to fail to produce a completed form and individuals could face a £200 fine.[NEW] From March 29, anyone in England attempting to travel abroad without a ‘reasonable excuse’ will be subject to a £5000 fine. Please see the UK government’s website for more information.Face CoveringsAll travelers 11 years and older must wear face covering on public transport and on aircrafts. Passengers using taxis and private hire vehicles should also use a face covering for the duration of their journey. Drivers may refuse to transport passengers who do not follow guidance for safe travel. Different regulations exist in different parts of the UK, for complete details, visit: Face coverings: when to wear one and exemptions.COVID-19 TestingAre PCR and/or antigen tests available for U.S. citizens in the United Kingdom? YesAre test results reliably available within 72 hours? Yes. (Travelers require two tests after arrival. See Quarantine Information below.)Please see the requirements for your region:EnglandNorthern IrelandScotlandWalesIf you are not a part of the NHS, you will need to seek a private clinic for testing. Testing may cost anywhere from £40 – £500 depending on where you are tested and the type of test you take. COVID-19 tests differ in the amount of time they take to get results (from 45 minutes to 48 hours).For testing at Heathrow, please visit the Heathrow Airport COVID-19 testing site. DO NOT travel to Heathrow Airport if you are showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or are feeling unwell.Some local laboratories are (this is not an exhaustive list of every facility performing COVID tests in the UK):Concepto ClinicCorona Test CenterHarley Medic InternationalThe London ClinicThe London General PracticePExpo DiagnosticsPrivate Coronavirus TestsThe Private Harley Street ClinicTDL PathologyIn Scotland, private testing is available at a number of facilities.Edinburgh AirportNewington PharmacyGlasgow Medical RoomsHawkes HealthIn Northern Ireland, please visit the Public Health website for more information on testing sites.The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation, and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability, reputation, or quality of services provided by the companies or organizations whose names appear on such lists.COVID-19 Testing Waivers for travel to U.S.Waivers to the testing requirement may be granted by the CDC on an extremely limited basis when extraordinary emergency travel (like an emergency medical evacuation) must occur to preserve someone’s health and safety, and testing cannot be completed before travel. There are no waivers available for individuals who test positive for COVID-19. Individuals – or air carriers seeking to allow boarding by potentially qualifying individuals – who believe they meet the criteria for a waiver should contact the U.S. Embassy London and provide the information below. The U.S. Embassy will then submit the request to the CDC for consideration.The following information must be provided by email for each passenger:Name (family name/surname, given name), passport number and countryCell phone number including country code of passenger or head of household if family unitEmail address of passenger or head of household if family unitU.S. destination addressIs U.S. destination home address?Departure dateFlight itineraryName of submitting entity if different from passengerName of company submitting on behalf of passenger(s) (if applicable)Name of point of contact submitting on behalf of passenger(s) (if applicable)Phone and email address for POC submitting waiver request on behalf of passenger(s) (if applicable)Purpose of travel to the U.S. (provide brief explanation of why urgent travel is needed and how travel will contribute to health and safety of passengers(s))Justification for testing waiver (e.g. no testing available, impact on health and safety)Documentation to support justification for test waiver, if available (e.g. medical records or orders for medical evacuation)COVID-19 Vaccine InformationHas the government of the United Kingdom approved a COVID-19 vaccine for use? YesAre vaccines available in the United Kingdom for U.S. citizens to receive? Yes. Anyone registered with their local NHS doctor will be eligible to receive the vaccine if they are part of an eligible group.Which vaccines are available in the United Kingdom? Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, ModernaThe United States Government does not plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to private U.S. citizens overseas. Please follow the United Kingdom’s developments and guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination.If you qualify for NHS treatment, please see here for more information including links to vaccination procedures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Please see the UK government website for frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. The COVID-19 vaccination is only available through the NHS to eligible groups and it is a free vaccination. It is not available privately in the UK.Click here for information from the CDC regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Visit the FDA’s website to learn more about FDA-approved vaccines in the United States.Entry and Exit RequirementsAre U.S. citizens permitted to enter? Yes, if not traveling from a ‘red-list’ country. Please see the UK government website for more information.Is a negative COVID-19 test (PCR and/or serology) required for entry? YesAre health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry? YesPlease see UK Visa and Immigration’s website for information on visa extensions for residents and tourists.You will not be able to travel to the United Kingdom from a country on the travel ban list. The United States is not currently on the list.Public Health Locator FormNew arrivals will be required to provide UK officials with contact and travel information prior to arrival by completing the Public Health Locator Form. This form must be completed by each member of your traveling party. You may not submit the form until 48 hours before your arrival in the UK.Movement RestrictionsIs a curfew in place? NoAre there restrictions on intercity or interstate travel? YesTravel in and out of your local area is to be avoided. For information about when travel is permissible please see the websites for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland above under UK COVID-19 restrictions for regional variations.U.S. citizens residing in the United Kingdom are subject to the UK government regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted under the rules. This means you may not go on holiday.If you are visiting the UK, you may return to your permanent residence in the United States. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your final destination. Please consult directly with your airline and follow all UK government guidelines when making travel arrangements.From March 8, passengers travelling abroad will need to carry a new form stating that their trip is permitted under UK national lockdown rules. The form must be downloaded, signed before travel, and carried or downloaded onto a mobile phone. Passengers who do not have a valid form may be denied boarding. It will be an offence to fail to produce a completed form and individuals could face a £200 fine.[NEW] From March 29, anyone in England attempting to travel abroad without a ‘reasonable excuse’ will be subject to a £5000 fine. Please see the UK government’s website for more information.Quarantine InformationAre U.S. citizens required to quarantine? YesMandatory 10-Day Self-Isolation for Arrivals to the UKIndividuals arriving in the UK may need to self-isolate. As the rules are constantly being updated, please see the UK government’s website for the latest information.For England(Note that these rules apply to England only)You will not be able to travel to England from a country on the travel ban list. The United States is not currently on the list.If you’re coming from a country not on the banned travel list, you’ll need to self-isolate at home for 10 days and book 2 COVID-19 tests.For Northern Ireland(Note that these rules apply to Northern Ireland only)You will not be able to travel to Northern Ireland from a country on the travel ban list. The United States is not currently on the list.You must self-isolate for 10 days if you return to Northern Ireland from a country outside the Common Travel Area (CTA) unless you are travelling from, or transiting through, a low to medium risk country that is exempt. You do not need to self-isolate if you’re travelling to NI from within the CTA. For the latest information visit: Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel advice (Welcome to GOV.UK).For Scotland(Note that these rules apply to Scotland only)You will not be able to travel to Scotland from a country on the travel ban list. The United States is not currently on the list.Passengers arriving to Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area (CTA) are required to book and pay for managed isolation in a quarantine hotel for 10 days. For the latest information visit: Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and quarantine (GOV.SCOT).For Wales(Note that these rules apply to Wales only)You will not be able to travel to Wales from a country on the travel ban list. The United States is not currently on the list.Persons arriving to Wales are required to enter via England and follow the guidelines for entry into England. For the latest information, visit: Travel: coronavirus (GOV.WALES).For Transiting TravelersPersons transiting (or who have a layover in) the UK and are in the UK for less than 24 hours are not required to take a COVID-19 test to meet the new U.S. testing requirement.Any travelers who pass through UK border control and leave the “airside” portion of the airport may be required to take a test even if they are only “transiting” the UK. Travelers should not pass through UK border control if they do not want to be required to take a COVID-19 test.If transiting with onward travel outside of the UK and not passing through UK border control, you are also exempt from self-isolation requirements. If transiting but passing through UK border control and entering the UK, you may travel directly between ports (such as Eurostar to Heathrow) without self-isolating.You may end self-isolation to go to your departure point (airport, train or bus station), if you are leaving within the 10-day quarantine time. You should travel straight to the departure point and avoid public transportation.All transiting persons will still be required to fill out the Public Health Passenger Locator Form.Transportation OptionsAre commercial flights operating? YesIs public transportation operating? YesFor information on how to stay safe on public transportation in the UK, please see the UK government guidance. You must wear a face covering on public transport unless exempt.Commercial Flights Available from UK to USAU.S. citizens in the UK who wish to return home to the United States should make commercial flight arrangements as they need to travel.U.S. citizens residing in the United Kingdom are subject to the ‘Stay at Home’ regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted under the rules. This means you may not go on holiday.If you are visiting the UK, you may return home to the United States. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your final destination. Please consult directly with your airline and follow all UK government guidelines when making travel arrangements.Commercial flights continue to be available from multiple UK airports connecting to London Heathrow for direct flights to the United States. Trains from Scotland to London are also available. Please check the airport and rail websites for the latest information.Please see above for new COVID-19 testing requirements.Services at Airports and HotelsOnward tickets should be purchased prior to traveling to the UK as ticketing counters may not accept cash. Please see individual airport and hotel websites for further information.At the Airport(s)DO NOT travel if you are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 (high temperature, persistent cough, loss of taste or smell).CHECK the status of your flight with your airline as some schedules are still subject to change.ONLY TRAVEL to the airport if you have a flight booked. Only those people who are flying will be allowed inside the terminal building.PACK a suitable face covering, as this will be required at all times inside the airport.ONLY limited “essential” shops and restaurants are open in most airports. See individual websites for the latest information.If symptomatic at an airportIf a traveler is denied boarding because of potential COVID-19 symptoms, they might be directed to an airport self-isolation room while the traveler arranges their own transport to quarantine accommodations.Travelers exhibiting symptoms are required to find a location for self-isolation and quarantine.On Arrival At HeathrowTerminals: All flights at Heathrow are now operating from Terminals 2 and 5 following the temporary relocation of airlines from Terminals 3 and 4. All passengers should double-check their arrival and departure terminals, as they may change. Please check http://www.heathrow.com/whichterminal for more information.Screening: Enhanced monitoring is in place for all flights. This includes the provision of advice leaflets, social distancing measures, increased hand sanitiser units, complimentary face coverings required for all passengers and colleagues, having Public Health England (PHE) colleagues and doctors on site, and trialing temperature screening in terminals.COVID-19 Testing: See: https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/fly-safe/covid-19-testSocial distancing: Do not come into the terminals at Heathrow unless you are traveling. It is important that passengers who do come into the terminals for essential travel adhere to the UK Government’s social distancing guidelines. All passengers aged 11 and older are required to wear face coverings at all time within terminal buildings. There is no guarantee a mask will be available on arrival, please come prepared with your own face covering.. See: http://www.heathrow.com/coronavirusShops and Restaurants: Open, see airport website for more information and times.Departing passengers: It is not necessary to arrive at the airport early. Please arrive at the airport 2 hours before a European flight and 3 hours before a long-haul flight. Bring your own face coverings.Airport Transit: Many local travel partners continue to operate services to and from Heathrow. See transport operator contact details here: https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/operator-contactsMore information: https://www.heathrow.com/On Arrival At GatwickTerminals: The North Terminal is open for flight arrivals and departures. Passengers should check which terminal their flight is departing from, as airlines may operate from a different terminal. All passengers should keep in contact with their airline for the latest information.Screening: Currently there are no permanent temperature checks at Gatwick.COVID-19 Testing: See: COVID-19 testing informationSocial distancing: Persons aged 11 and older are required to wear a face covering while traveling through Gatwick. Signs have been installed to remind passengers to maintain social distancing and respect others around them as they travel through the airport. In addition, only family groups or people travelling in the same party can travel in lifts together, and some may also restrict the number of people at any one time. Staircases will also be segregated and designated either for up or down travel. https://www.gatwickairport.com/at-the-airport/passenger-services/coronavirus/Shops and Restaurants: Reduced offerings. See airport website for more information and times.Airport Transit: Gatwick Express services are suspended until further notice. Southern and Thameslink rail services are still running to and from Gatwick with reduced schedules as are coaches and other public transportation: To & from | Gatwick AirportMore Information: Home | Gatwick AirportOn Arrival At LutonTerminals: Open.Screening: There are enhanced monitoring procedures for flights arriving from affected countries and displays with the latest public health information across the terminal.COVID-19 Testing: COVID-19 Testing | London Luton AirportSocial Distancing: Persons aged 11 and older are required to wear face coverings while in the airport. Face coverings should be removed if requested by police, border control or airport security. Coronavirus COVID-19 | London Luton AirportShops and Restaurants: Reduced offerings. See airport website for more information and times.Airport Transit: Reduced bus and rail services available to and from the airport. How To Get To & From London Luton AirportMore information: The Official Website for London Luton AirportOn Arrival At StanstedTerminals: Open, but flights are subject to change and cancellation. Currently, there is no overnight access to the terminal building. The building does not open until 0500.Screening: Enhanced monitoring procedures for flights are in place along with information leaflets and posters. Temperature screening trials are being undertaken to test equipment.COVID-19 Testing: Stansted Airport Coronavirus TestingSocial distancing: Persons travelling through the airport are required to cover their faces and wear gloves. Passengers are encouraged to bring their own gloves and face coverings/masks. Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for travellersAirport Transit: Available, see: Travel and Directions | London Stansted AirportMore information: London Stansted AirportOn Arrival At London CityTerminals: London City Airport has resumed domestic routes and is providing connections to cities and regions around the United Kingdom.Screening: A range of screening measures are in place including non-contact, automatic temperature checking technology for rapid preliminary screening both on passenger departure and arrival.COVID-19 Testing: Testing Centre | London City AirportSocial Distancing: Passengers are asked to observe social distancing rules wherever possible in the terminal and the airport will deploy measures which will enable the detection of areas where there is a high concentration of passengers who will then be directed to quieter areas. Safe, careful, speedy journeysAirport Transit: Given the disruption caused by coronavirus, London City Airport recommends all passengers check the status and schedule for their preferred mode of transport before they travel. More transit information: Reaching LCY by DLR Docklands Light RailwayMore information: Parking, Flights and InformationOther TransportationNational Express CoachNational Rail ServiceTransport for London (TfL)Car and Rideshare Services: The following companies are still operating and may be able to provide airport transfer service.Addison LeeGreen Tomato CarsTravelhireBlacklaneKaptenOlaFree NowTaxi CodeIf Travel Plans Have Been CancelledThe Embassy is unable to assist with obtaining refunds for travel that has been cancelled. We recommend you contact the company or website from which you purchased your tickets or with whom you have reservations. You may also wish to contact your credit card company for their assistance.The U.S. Federal Trade Commission provides information on its website that directly addresses COVID-19 related travel at COVID-19 ruined my travel plans. Now what?The U.S. Department of Transportation has mandated airlines to refund passengers in the event flights are canceled, significant schedule changes or made, or government restrictions prevent flying due to the coronavirus outbreak. More information is available at the U.S. Department of Transportation Refunds page.For more information about rules and regulations about refunds for travel, we recommend you visit the below sites:In the United Kingdom, visit Welcome to GOV.UKFor the European Union, visit Wählen Sie eine SpracheFines for Non-ComplianceFines for not following rules on meeting in larger groups range from £100 for the first offence up to £10,000.Fines for failing to comply with rules for face-coverings range from £100 for the first offence up to £6,400.For EnglandYou may be denied UK entry or fined £100 if you refuse to provide your contact details and £10,000 if you refuse to self-isolate, or you may face further action. For complete details on UK guidelines, visit: Entering the UKFor Northern IrelandIf you refuse to provide passenger information you may be fined £60. If you are required to self-isolate and leave self-isolation within the 10-day period you may be fined £1,000. For complete details, visit: Coronavirus (COVID-19): travel advice (http://NIDIRECT.GOV.UK).For ScotlandUK Border Force will carry out spot checks at the border and can impose a fine of £60 to those who refuse to provide passenger information. Those who fail to self-isolate can be fined £480. For complete details, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) (via http://GOV.SCOT.UK).For WalesYou may be denied UK entry or fined £1,920 if you refuse to provide your contact details and £10,000 if you refuse to self-isolate, or you may face further action. For complete details on guidelines for Wales, visit: Coronavirus (COVID-19)Consular OperationsThe U.S. Mission to the United Kingdom has suspended routine consular services. For emergency American Citizens Services, including emergency passports, please visit our Information for American Citizens page for important information.We will continue to provide emergency and mission-critical visa services as resources and local conditions allow. Visa appointments remain limited. Due to the impact of COVID-19, visa services and travel restrictions may change rapidly so please check this website regularly. Please see our U.S. Visa and Travel FAQs for the most up to date information.Local ResourcesFor the latest information with regards to COVID-19, please visit the UK government’s webpage on Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice.To find out more on what you can and can’t in the UK, please visit the UK government’s webpage on Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can’t do.View U.S. Embassy London’s Most Recent Alerts.Resources for Staying at Home During the COVID-19 OutbreakUK Government GatewayCoronavirus (COVID-19): UK government responseNHS Coronavirus (COVID-19) pageU.S. Centers For Disease Control ResourcesU.S. Centers for Disease Control: Coronavirus (COVID-19)Other linksCurrent Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019Department of State InfoCentral Coronavirus pageDepartment of State COVID-19 Traveler Information pageHow To Self-Isolate(via Welcome to GOV.UK)U.S. Department of State - United States Department of State – UK Country Information and Travel Advisory page for the UKU.S. Embassy London (this website)White House Corovirus WebsiteSecurity UpdatesThe Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens to enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security and health updates. Visit Travel to view individual Travel Advisories for the most urgent threats to safety and security.Embassy AssistanceU.S. Embassy London, United Kingdom33 Nine Elms Lane London, UK SW11 8DG+44 (0) 207-499-9000from U.S.: 011 44 (0)20 [email protected] or our website at U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United KingdomU.S. Consulate General Edinburgh+44 (0) 131 [email protected]. Consulate General Belfast+44 (0) 28 [email protected] Department – Consular Affairs888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444United Kingdom Country Information page.

Blocked Port By-Pass Application: Apart from HTTP/HTTPS, all other ports are blocked. Our College LAN does not allow port 22 (SSH Port). Therefore, develop a tool that bypasses blocked port 22.New Network Protocol: UDP and TCP protocols have few problems/short-comings. Identify them and design your own Network Protocol.TOR: TOR is a very famous applications used in college/university by students for tunneling websites. Most of the college internet providers have even blocked TOR. So, build similar application for tunneling and defend yourself against network surveillance and traffic analysis.Chat Application using AJAXLan Audio(Voice) Chat: Can be easily implemented in Java with Java-net and Java Sample Audio API.Group Chat in Java: Again it's easy to implement. A basic knowledge of Concurrent Server will do.Media Player in Java: Easy to implement. Thanks to Java Sample Sound/Audio API.MP3 Extractor from you-TubeText Editor: Designing UI for text editor with Java Swing is a cake walk. Use an advanced data structure like suffix tree, Patricia Tree, etc for searching.Zip Password Crackers: Any File Can be unzipped through the command line, providing password as an argument. So, write a simple brute force program to generate permutations (possible passwords) and send it to command line, creating and running shell script. Run until you receive a success return call, that's it, the simple Zip Password Cracker Project is ready.Create a Trojan Horse in C: Again that's pretty easy. Run a simple C++ program on remote computer. Intelligently create a huge .dll file in SYS 32 directory and as an impact, eat the hard-disk space of victim's computer. Any Clean up software ignore .dll file, so the only solution is: Victims have to reformat the hard drive.Simple C++ Key Logger Project : A project that records the key strokes of PC and store it in intelligent way. Again, that can be easily done with Microsoft visual C++ SetWindowsHookEx API. The premiere challenge is you have to be smart enough to outplay Anti-Virus in detecting your key-logger.3D Bounce in OpenGL: Small game project, can be easily done with OpenGL-API for rendering 2D and 3D computer graphics.Regular Expression Parser: C application that parses regular Expression.Remote Editing with CGI: Editing a document on another machine via the Web. The useful tools:The cgi module, along with the cgitb module for debugging are available with Python .Arcade games in Python: Python provides Pygame, an extension that enables you to write full-fledged, full-screen arcade games in Python.Voice based Web Browser: Develop a web browser that takes input as speech and renders output as Speech. Lot of frame work and tools are available. Good project for PHP, AJAX and J2EE Expert.Online Test Management: Similar to HackerRank for Work Can be easily done in PHP or any server side scripting Language.CMS: Develop a CMS similar to Joomla, Drupal,etc. Students of National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli developed a CMS named Pragyan. They use this project for maintaining college web-site as well as Tech-Fest Website.Discussion Forum: Develop something like http://www.quora.com/, Stack Overflow , DISQUSIntranet File Search Engine:A Social Code Sharing Site: Build a user-driven application with much more interactivity and some social-style features—specifically, a community-based repository of useful, reusable code.Something like Django snippets. This project can be easily done in Django (web framework).Highly Confidential Security System:Develop an application for storing file, images , audio , video ,etc. in a secure way. Use an advance and almost non- crack-able cipher(Blowfish, AES, etc.) to encrypt data(text data & media-file) before caching them in a password protected locker.Defect Tracking Tool : Develop and application to track defects in different product and implement various defects and their analysis.Search tool based on data-mining algorithm: When you type the first letter in facebook search box, have you ever noticed, the friend name whom you search frequently or with whom you interact mostly in fb appears on the top of the suggestion box. That's because of highly efficient data-mining algorithm implemented by facebook. Develop similar tool and add few additional as well as custom features.Classifier: Most of the existing classifiers are not quite accurate. Either read some paper or modify the existing algorithm or propose a new algorithm for classification. Develop a classifier and prove that your classifier is more efficient than existing one.RSS Feed Creator – A program which can read in text from other sources and put it in RSS or Atom news format for syndication.Post it Notes Program – A program where you can add text reminders and post them. You can have the program also add popup reminders.Quote Tracker (market symbols etc) – A program which can go out and check the current value of stocks for a list of symbols entered by the user. The user can set how often the stocks are checked and the program can show green up and red down arrows to show which direction the stock value has moved.Guestbook / Journal – A simple application that allows people to add comments or write journal entries. It can allow comments or not and timestamps for all entries. Could also be made into a shout box.News Ticker and Game Scores – A program which sits on your desktop and aggregates news and game scores from various sources on the net. It then scrolls them across the screen on regular intervals.Fortune Teller (Horoscope) – A program that checks your horoscope on various astrology sites and puts them together for you each day.Vigenere / Vernam / Caesar Ciphers – Functions for encrypting and decrypting data messages. Then send them to a friend.Random Gift Suggestions – Enter various gifts for certain people when you think of them. When its time to give them a gift (xmas, birthday, anniversary) it will randomly pick one and perhaps places you can get it.Text to HTML Generator – Converts text files into web HTML files and stylizes them. Great for making online documentation of standard text documentation.CD Key Generator – Generates a unique key for your applications to use based on some arbitrary algorithm that you can specify. Great for software developers looking to make shareware that can be activated.Regex Query Tool – A tool that allows the user to enter a text string and then in a separate control enter a regex pattern. It will run the regular expression against the source text and return any matches or flag errors in the regular expression.FTP Program – A file transfer program which can transfer files back and forth from a remote web sever.Get Atomic Time from Internet Clock – This program will get the true atomic time from an atomic time clock on the Internet. There are various clocks across the world. Do a search for a list of them.Chat Application (IRC or MSN Style) – Create a chat application that can create simple chat rooms like on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) or a more direct chatting style like MSN. For added complexity, create your own protocol to facilitate this chatting.Fetch Current Weather – Get the current weather for a given zip/postal code.P2P File Sharing App – Create a program like LimeWire, FrostWire, Bearshare, or a torrent style application.Port Scanner – Enter an IP address and a port range where the program will then attempt to find open ports on the given computer by connecting to each of them. On any successful connections mark the port as open.Mail Checker (POP3 / IMAP) – The user enters various account information include web server and IP, protocol type (POP3 or IMAP) and the application will check for email on several accounts at a given interval.Packet Sniffer – A utility program that will read packets coming in and out of the machine along with related information like destination and payload size.Country from IP Lookup – Enter an IP address and find the country that IP is registered in.Whois Search Tool – Enter an IP or host address and have it look it up through whois and return the results to you.Zip / Postal Code Lookup – Enter a zip or postal code and have it return which city/cities that are in that zip code.Remote Login – Create a remote desktop style application which can see and control the remote computer (given you have permissions). It may require the use of your own private network and a second computer to test with.Site Checker with Time Scheduling – An application that attempts to connect to a website or server every so many minutes or a given time and check if it is up. If it is down, it will notify you by email or by posting a notice on screen.Small Web Server – A simple web server that can serve HTML files that contain Javascript and other forms of non-code executing code. Added complexity would be to try and implement streaming video, create a server-side language, or serve up other stream types.Web Bot – An automated program which carries out tasks on the web including checking websites, page scraping, and summarization of data or web posting.Product Inventory Project – Create an application which manages an inventory of products. Create a product class which has a price, id, and quantity on hand. Then create an inventory class which keeps track of various products and can sum up the inventory value.Movie Store – Manage video rentals and controls when videos are checked out, due to return, overdue fees and for added complexity create a summary of those accounts which are overdue for contact.Airline / Hotel Reservation System – Create a reservation system which books airline seats or hotel rooms. It charges various rates for particular sections of the plane or hotel. Example, first class is going to cost more than coach. Hotel rooms have penthouse suites which cost more. Keep track of when rooms will be available and can be scheduled.Student Grade Book Application – Keep track of students (with a student class that has their name, average, and scores) in a class and their grades. Assign their scores on tests and assignments to the students and figure out their average and grade for the class. For added complexity put the students on a bell curve.Bank Account Manager - Create a class called “Account” which will be an abstract class for three other classes called “CheckingAccount”, “SavingsAccount” and “BusinessAccount”. Manage credits and debits from these accounts through an ATM style program.Library Catalog – Create a book class with a title, page count, ISBN and whether or not it is checked out or not. Manage a collection of various books and allow the user to check out books or return books. For added complexity generate a report of those books overdue and any fees. Also allow users to put books on reserve.Create A Progress Bar for Downloads – Create a progress bar for applications that can keep track of a download in progress. The progress bar will be on a separate thread and will communicate with the main thread using delegates.Download Manager – Allow your program to download various files and each one is downloading in the background on a separate thread. The main thread will keep track of the other thread’s progress and notify the user when downloads are completed.Chat Application (remoting style) – Create a chat application which allows you to connect directly to another computer by their IP through the use of remoting and allow your “server” application handle multiple incoming connections.Bulk Thumbnail Creator – Picture processing can take a bit of time for some transformations. Especially if the image is large. Create an image program which can take hundreds of images and converts them to a specified size in the background thread while you do other things. For added complexity, have one thread handling re-sizing, have another bulk renaming of thumbnails etc.WYSIWG (What you see is what you get) Editor – Create an editor online which allows people to move around elements, create tables, write text, set colors etc for web pages without having to know HTML. Think Dreamweaver or FrontPage but for online sites. If you need an example check out the DIC page used to create a post.Web Browser with Tabs – Create a small web browser that allows you to navigate the web and contains tabs which can be used to navigate to multiple web pages at once. For simplicity don’t worry about executing Javascript or other client side code.Page Scraper – Create an application which connects to a site and pulls out all links, or images, and saves them to a list. For added complexity, organize the indexed content and don’t allow duplicates. Have it put the results into an easily searchable index file.File Downloader – An application which can download various objects on a page including video streams or all files on a page. Great for pages with a lot of download links.Telnet Application – Create an application which can telnet into servers across the internet and run basic commands.Online White Board – Create an application which allows you and friends to collaborate on a white board online. Draw pictures, write notes and use various colors to flesh out ideas for projects. For added complexity try building in picture tubes.Bandwidth Monitor – A small utility program that tracks how much data you have uploaded and downloaded from the net during the course of your current online session. See if you can find out what periods of the day you use more and less and generate a report or graph that shows it.Bookmark Collector and Sorter – An application that you can put online for people to upload bookmarks to, have it sort them, remove duplicates and export the entire list as a Firefox/IE/Safari bookmark file. For added complexity see if you can group the bookmark items into various folders.Password Safe – A program which keeps track of passwords for sites or applications and encrypts them with a key so that no one can read them.Media Player Widget for iGoogle – Create an iGoogle gadget which can play various song lists from your computer as well as share one song daily. Perhaps let people look up which songs you have listened to lately.Text Based Game Like Utopia – Create a simple text based RPG like Utopia where you can create a civilization, gather resources, forge alliances, cast spells and more on a turn based system. See if you can dominate the kingdom.Scheduled Auto Login and Action – Make an application which logs into a given site on a schedule and invokes a certain action and then logs out. This can be useful for checking web mail, posting regular content, or getting info for other applications and saving it to your computer.E-Card Generator – Make a site that allows people to generate their own little e-cards and send them to other people. Can use flash or not. Use a picture library and perhaps insightful mottos or quotes.Content Management System – Create a content management system (CMS) like Joomla, Drupal, PHP Nuke etc. Start small and allow for the addition of modules/addons later.Template Maker – Make a site or application which allows the user to enter in various color codes, elements, dimensions and constructs a template file for a particular application like PHPBB, Invision Board, MySpace, Bebo, etc.CAPTCHA Maker – Ever see those images with letters a numbers when you signup for a service and then asks you to enter what you see? It keeps web bots from automatically signing up and spamming. Try creating one yourself for online forms. If you use PHP, take a look at the image functions of GD.Quiz Maker – Make an application which takes various questions form a file, picked randomly, and puts together a quiz for students. Each quiz can be different and then reads a key to grade the quizzes.Quick Launcher – A utility program that allows the user to assign various programs to icons on a toolbar. Then by clicking the buttons they can quickly launch the programs with parameters etc. Much like Windows quick launch.File Explorer – Create your own windows explorer program but with added features, better searching, new icons and other views.Sort File Records Utility – Reads a file of records, sorts them, and then writes them back to the file. Allow the user to choose various sort style and sorting based on a particular field.Add Transactions In File and Find Averages – Read in a file of financial transactions, group them into accounts, add up fields or find averages or apply credits and debits to each account.Create Zip File Maker – The user enters various files from different directories and maybe even another computer on the network and the program transfers them and zips them up into a zip file. For added complexity, apply actual compression to the files.PDF Generator – An application which can read in a text file, html file or some other file and generates a PDF file out of it. Great for a web based service where the user uploads the file and the program returns a PDF of the file.Bulk Renamer and Organizer – This program will take a series of files and renames them with a specific filename filter entered by the user. For instance if the user enters myimage###.jpg it will rename all files with a “minimum” of three numbers like “myimage001.jpg”, “myimage145.jpg” or even “myimage1987.jpg” since 1987 has at least three numbers.Mp3 Tagger – Modify and add ID3v1 tags to MP3 files. See if you can also add in the album art into the MP3 file’s header as well as other ID3v2 tags.Log File Maker – Make an application which logs various statistics in response to given events. This can be something that logs what an application does, what the system is doing, when something like a file changes etc.Excel Spreadsheet Exporter – Create an online application which can read in a file and create an Excel Spreadsheet to export back. This can be through CVS or other file formats. For added complexity, see if you can create formula fields as well.RPG Character Stat Creator – Make a program which will randomly create a character’s stats based on several rules set forth by the user. Have it generate a class, gender, strength/magic/dexterity points, and extra abilities or trades. Have it save it to a file which can then be printed out by a dungeon master.Image Map Generator – Image maps are those images on the web that have multiple hover points that link to different pages. Such images may include maps or splash pages. See if you can make one where the user specifies an image, clicks hotspots in the image and specify links. It will then generate the HTML code to a file that the user can then copy and paste into their website to make the image map.File Copy Utility – Create a utility that can do bulk file copying and backups of other files.Code Snippet Manager – Another utility program that allows coders to put in functions, classes or other tidbits to save for use later. Organized by the type of snippet or language the coder can quickly look up code. For extra practice try adding syntax highlighting based on the language.Versioning Manager – Create your own versioning system for code files. Users are forced to check out items and lock items during reading and writing so that a group of programmers are not accidentally overwriting code files on one another.SQL Query Analyzer – A utility application which a user can enter a query and have it run against a local database and look for ways to make it more efficient.Remote SQL Tool – A utility that can execute queries on remote servers from your local computer across the Internet. It should take in a remote host, user name and password, run the query and return the results.Baseball / Other Card Collector – Create an online application for keeping track of a collection of cards. Let the user enter all cards in a set, check off which ones they have, which ones they need and generate lists of cards they are looking for. For extra complexity, have it sum up sets and generate reports on how close they are of completing sets or the current value of a set.Report Generator – Create a utility that generates a report based on some tables in a database. Generates a sales reports based on the order/order details tables or sums up the days current database activity.Database Backup Script Maker – A program which reads a database’s objects, relationships, records and stored procedures and creates a .sql file which can then be imported into another database or kept as a backup file to rebuild the database with.Event Scheduler and Calendar – Make an application which allows the user to enter a date and time of an event, event notes and then schedule those events on a calendar. The user can then browse the calendar or search the calendar for specific events. For added complexity, allow the application to create reoccurrence events that reoccur every day, week, month, year etc.Budget Tracker – Write an application that keeps track of a household’s budget. The user can add expenses, income, and recurring costs to find out how much they are saving or losing over a period of time. For added complexity allow the user to specify a date range and see the net flow of money in and out of the house budget for that time period.Address Book – Keep track of various contacts, their numbers, emails and little notes about them like a Rolodex in the database. For extra complexity, allow the user to connect to a website publish their address book based on specific options the user has set.TV Show Tracker – Got a favorite show you don’t want to miss? Don’t have a PVR or want to be able to find the show to then PVR it later? Make an application which can search various online TV Guide sites, locate the shows/times/channels and add them to a database application. The database/website then can send you email reminders that a show is about to start and which channel it will be on.Travel Planner System – Make a system that allows users to put together their own little travel itinerary and keep track of the airline / hotel arrangements, points of interest, budget and schedule.Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) Creator – A program that allows the user to put together ERD diagram and save it or have it generate some basic SQL syntax to give them a jump start.Database Translation (MySQL <-> SQL Server) – A simple utility that reads in from one database and constructs SQL compliant with another database. Then saves that to another database. One popular transition would be to and from MySQL server for databases like SQL Server and Oracle.Web Board (Forum) – Create a forum for you and your buddies to post, administer and share thoughts and ideas.Source: imjog/1000_Projects