1933 Queen Christina Lobby Card with Greta Garbo and Rouben Mamoulian
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Christina_(film)
Queen Christina of Sweden (Greta Garbo) is very devoted to her country and the welfare of her people. As queen, she favors peace for Sweden and argues
convincingly for an end to the Thirty Years' War, saying:
Spoils, glory, flags and trumpets! What is behind these high-sounding words? Death and destruction, triumphals of crippled men, Sweden victorious in a
ravaged Europe, an island in a dead sea. I tell you, I want no more of it. I want for my people security and happiness. I want to cultivate the arts of peace,
the arts of life. I want peace and peace I will have!
Christina, who first took the throne at age six upon the death of her father in battle, is depicted as being so devoted to both governing well and educating
herself that she has spurned any kind of serious romance or marriage, despite pressure from her councilors and court to marry her heroic cousin Karl
Gustav (Reginald Owen) and produce an heir. One day, in an effort to escape the restrictions of her royal life, she sneaks out of town and ends up at the
same inn as Antonio (John Gilbert), a Spanish envoy on his way to the capital. The two talk and become friends, though Antonio thinks Christine is a man
because of the way she is dressed. When the innkeeper, who is also unaware of Christine's identity, asks if she will let Antonio share her bed because there
is not a room available for him, Christine is unable to come up with a suitable reason to deny the request. In her room, she reveals to Antonio that she is a
woman, but not that she is a queen, and they spend the night together. Their tryst is extended by a few days when they become snowbound at the inn.
When the time comes for Christina and Antonio to part, Christina assures Antonio that they will reunite in Stockholm. To his surprise, this occurs when the
Spaniard is presented to the Queen, who he recognizes as his lover. Antonio is initially somewhat hurt and annoyed because he thinks Christina has played
a trick on him and compromised his loyalty to the King of Spain, who sent Antonio on this mission to Sweden to present Chrstina with an offer of marriage
on his behalf. She makes it clear that her feelings for Antonio are genuine and that she regularly receives such offers from foreign royalty and has no
intention of accepting the King's proposal, and she and Antonio patch things up.
When the scheming Count Magnus (Ian Keith), who had previously had some romantic liaisons with the Queen, rouses the people against the Spaniard,
Christina is able to ease tensions for a time, but ultimately she decides to name Karl Gustav as her successor and, in a move that shocks the entire court,
abdicate the throne to be with Antonio. When she gets to the boat that is to take Antonio and her to Spain, she finds him gravely wounded from a sword
duel with Magnus, which he lost. Antonio dies in her arms, but Christina resolves to proceed with the voyage. She envisions residing in the home Antonio
described to her as sitting on white cliffs overlooking the sea.