“Pour Dieu et pour elle”

Autumn 1621. The young Christian of Brunswick declares himself champion of the Protestant cause.

In 1616 he had been elected Lutheran administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt, a post that gave him the money to launch a military career. Catholics called him “the false bishop”. Christian loved war and hated Catholics.

After the Protestant defeat at the Battle of White Mountain on 8 November 1620, he saw his chance to lead the cause himself. He raised an army and declared himself, in chivalric fashion, passionately in love with Elizabeth Stuart, wife of Frederick V, known as the “Winter Queen” of Bohemia.

At one of their meetings the queen dropped a glove. Christian picked it up and, with a bow, told her: “Madam, I will return your glove when we are in the Palatinate.”

From then on he wore the glove sewn to his hat with the motto “Pour Dieu et pour elle” (“For God and for her”). To many it was almost blasphemous, since “her” was not the Virgin but Elizabeth.