Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
Encyclopedia
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (23 October 1636 – 24 November 1715) was the queen consort of King Charles X of Sweden and queen mother
of King Charles XI
. She was regent in Sweden three times and the de facto
First Lady of the royal court for 61 years, from 1654 until her death in 1715.
. She was married to King Charles X of Sweden for political reasons on 24 October 1654. Queen Hedwig Eleonora was a very strong willed and domineering woman, whose temper was feared in the royal castles. She entirely dominated the Swedish court until her death as one of the most notable of the queens of Sweden. She was the chief royal administrator during her husband's absences (and he was absent most of their marriage), a role she filled again during the absence of her grandson Charles XII
in the Great Northern War
. She did, however, accompany her husband to Poland
in 1656 and to Denmark
in 1658.
Hedvig Eleonora's indifference to politics came as a great relief to the lords of the guardian government. She was satisfied to have the position as the country's First Lady and royal symbol, presiding over the court and, formally, over the government. She simply signed documents that were given to her, among them the decree which acknowledged the old serfdom in Latvia
and Estonia
(then Swedish provinces) in 1671. She concurred with the anti-Danish and pro-French foreign policy during the regency years. During the regency of 1700–1713, she gave her support to the son of Princess Hedvig Sophia of Sweden
in the question of succession to the throne before Princess Ulrika Eleonora.
In 1661, she was considered a possible consort for King Charles II of England
, but nothing came of it; the official grounds for her refusal was that she claimed she wished to remain faithful to her dead husband.
Hedvig Eleonora enjoyed great respect as "Riksänkedrottningen", which means "Queen Dowager of the Realm". Throughout her entire life she managed to preserve a reputation for great virtue among the people. Within the court, however, she was known to have lovers, notably the young nobleman Count Carl Gyllenstierna (1649–1723). Her affair with Gyllenstierna started in 1668 and continued for the rest of her life. According to unconfirmed gossip, it resulted in at least one abortion. Gyllenstierna was appointed Chamberlain to the queen in 1667 and General-Governor of the Queen's Estates in 1679. He received the last position in recognition of his position as the queen's lover. During the Scanian War
of 1675–79, he was the courier of the queen and was made a count in 1687. The young count's new castle, Steninge Palace, completed in 1705, was built with a secret passage from the bedrooms used by him and the queen dowager during her visits. One of the wings of the palace is called "The Queen's Wing". Gyllenstierna married the rich widowed Countess Anna Soop in 1706, but the Queen Mother and the royal family continued as frequent visitors to their residence.
Hedvig Eleonora's son Charles XI was a "mother's boy" in his childhood and shy throughout his entire life. During his first appearances in Parliament, he talked only to the members of the government through her; he would whisper the questions he had to the Parliament to her, and she would ask them loud and clear. Regarding her treatment of her son, it was said by contemporaries that she cared much more to spoil him with tenderness and pleasure than to put any demands upon him.
When her mourning period officially ended in 1663, the court was overwhelmed with parties hosted by the dowager. As part of the festivities, she opened the first real theatres in Bollhuset
in 1666 and Lejonkulan
in 1667.
. King Charles XI referred to his mother as "the queen" and to Ulrike Eleonora simply as "my wife". Foreign ambassadors, mindful of this, always paid their respects to Hedvig Eleonora first, and then to Ulrike Eleonora.
Although described as strict and temperamental, Hedvig Eleonora displayed a more tolerant attitude than most would have, as demonstrated by her reaction to the scandal surrounding her son's first fiancée, Juliana of Hesse-Eschwege
. Juliana was a young German princess and paternal cousin of the king who had been raised at the Swedish court. It was officially understood that she should be married to him when he became an adult. But in 1672, Princess Juliana happened to be in the carriage with the Queen Dowager and fell to the floor of the carriage in labor. The child's father proved to be Gustaf Lilie, a married officer of the court. Princess Juliana was sent to the country to wait for the scandal to blow over while Lilie was sent abroad. This was an extremely tolerant response from the Queen Dowager, considering the high profile of the disgraced princess and views on sexuality of the time. The princess did not reform her behavior, however. In 1679 she gave birth to another child whose father was the young secretary of the Dutch Ambassador, the son of her Dutch servant Marchand. The engagement was broken off, and Juliana was married to the father of her child, who was given the title Baron Lilienburg and expelled from the country. The couple then moved to the Netherlands.
A scandal in her later years involved one of her favorites, Anna Catharina von Bärfelt
. Bärfelt, a lady-in-waiting
since 1693 who was described as fond of intrigues, made herself known in court for taking bribes in exchange for speaking to the Dowager Queen on behalf of wealthy petitioners . She was rumoured to deal in poison
and was suspected of stealing a large number of objects from the royal castles and from Hedwig Eleonora herself, some of which she stored away with her lover. The rumours became so prevalent that Bärfelt was attacked on the streets and mistreated by unknown men. In 1709, the queen's lover Gyllenstierna attempted to have Bärfelt exiled from court, upon which she accused him of committing the same crimes for which she stood accused. The Dowager Queen's lover stated, "Either Miss Bärfelt leaves or I will leave", upon which the Queen Dowager left the room.
The court demanded that Bärfelt be investigated. Hedvig Eleonora then exiled Bärfelt from court. She must still have had influence over the Dowager Queen, since Gyllenstierna ordered that Hedvig Eleonora's door be locked the last night Bärfelt was in the castle to prevent her from coming to the queen at night to persuade her to let her stay. Hedvig, however, forbade any investigation of Bärfelt's luggage to see if the missing objects were there. Bärfelt was not arrested until 1712, when she was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Among Hedvig Eleonora's interests were architecture and painting, as well as playing cards; her appetite for gambling was great, and she is reported to have continued playing well into the night. The beautiful Drottningholm Palace
, where the present Swedish royal family resides, is the result of Hedvig Eleonora's love of architecture.
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
of King Charles XI
Charles XI of Sweden
Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....
. She was regent in Sweden three times and the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
First Lady of the royal court for 61 years, from 1654 until her death in 1715.
Queen Consort
Hedvig Eleonora was a daughter of Duke Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp and Marie Elisabeth of SaxonyMarie Elisabeth of Saxony
Duchess Marie Elisabeth of Saxony was duchess consort of Holstein-Gottorp as the spouse of Duke Friedrich III of Holstein-Gottorp.- Biography :...
. She was married to King Charles X of Sweden for political reasons on 24 October 1654. Queen Hedwig Eleonora was a very strong willed and domineering woman, whose temper was feared in the royal castles. She entirely dominated the Swedish court until her death as one of the most notable of the queens of Sweden. She was the chief royal administrator during her husband's absences (and he was absent most of their marriage), a role she filled again during the absence of her grandson Charles XII
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
in the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
. She did, however, accompany her husband to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 1656 and to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1658.
Queen Regent
After the death of her husband in 1660, Hedvig Eleonora became a member and chair of the Regency Council of Charles XI (1660–1672). She served in the same capacity during the reign of Charles XII for a couple of months in 1697, then served as regent during the Great Northern War in 1700–1713, although she was never much interested in politics. During the Great Northern war, she received foreign ambassadors with boredom and greeted them with silence or laughed at them. In 1713, she made her granddaughter Ulrika Eleonora regent.Hedvig Eleonora's indifference to politics came as a great relief to the lords of the guardian government. She was satisfied to have the position as the country's First Lady and royal symbol, presiding over the court and, formally, over the government. She simply signed documents that were given to her, among them the decree which acknowledged the old serfdom in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
(then Swedish provinces) in 1671. She concurred with the anti-Danish and pro-French foreign policy during the regency years. During the regency of 1700–1713, she gave her support to the son of Princess Hedvig Sophia of Sweden
Hedvig Sophia of Sweden
Princess Hedvig Sophia Augusta of Sweden was a Swedish princess and a Duchess Consort of Holstein-Gottorp, the eldest child of King Charles XI of Sweden, and his spouse Queen Ulrica Eleanor. She was heir presumptive to the Swedish throne until her death and the Regent of the duchy of...
in the question of succession to the throne before Princess Ulrika Eleonora.
In 1661, she was considered a possible consort for King Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, but nothing came of it; the official grounds for her refusal was that she claimed she wished to remain faithful to her dead husband.
Hedvig Eleonora enjoyed great respect as "Riksänkedrottningen", which means "Queen Dowager of the Realm". Throughout her entire life she managed to preserve a reputation for great virtue among the people. Within the court, however, she was known to have lovers, notably the young nobleman Count Carl Gyllenstierna (1649–1723). Her affair with Gyllenstierna started in 1668 and continued for the rest of her life. According to unconfirmed gossip, it resulted in at least one abortion. Gyllenstierna was appointed Chamberlain to the queen in 1667 and General-Governor of the Queen's Estates in 1679. He received the last position in recognition of his position as the queen's lover. During the Scanian War
Scanian War
The Scanian War was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish provinces along the border with Sweden and in Northern Germany...
of 1675–79, he was the courier of the queen and was made a count in 1687. The young count's new castle, Steninge Palace, completed in 1705, was built with a secret passage from the bedrooms used by him and the queen dowager during her visits. One of the wings of the palace is called "The Queen's Wing". Gyllenstierna married the rich widowed Countess Anna Soop in 1706, but the Queen Mother and the royal family continued as frequent visitors to their residence.
Hedvig Eleonora's son Charles XI was a "mother's boy" in his childhood and shy throughout his entire life. During his first appearances in Parliament, he talked only to the members of the government through her; he would whisper the questions he had to the Parliament to her, and she would ask them loud and clear. Regarding her treatment of her son, it was said by contemporaries that she cared much more to spoil him with tenderness and pleasure than to put any demands upon him.
When her mourning period officially ended in 1663, the court was overwhelmed with parties hosted by the dowager. As part of the festivities, she opened the first real theatres in Bollhuset
Bollhuset
Bollhuset, also called ', ', and ' at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of Scandinavia. The name "" means "The Ball House", and it was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in...
in 1666 and Lejonkulan
Lejonkulan
Lejonkulan , was a historical theatre in Stockholm, Sweden, active 1667-89. It is mentioned in history as the first theatre in Sweden. In 1686, it was the place of the first Swedish Theatre.- History :...
in 1667.
Queen Dowager of the Realm
Hedvig Eleonora continued to function as the real queen of Sweden even after the marriage of her son in 1680, to the humiliation of her daughter-in-law Ulrike Eleonora of DenmarkUlrike Eleonora of Denmark
Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark was the Queen consort of Sweden as the spouse of King Charles XI of Sweden.The name Ulrike is a Danish version of the name; in Swedish she is called Ulrika Eleonora den äldre, which in English means Ulrica Eleanor the Elder), to distinguish her from her daughter, the...
. King Charles XI referred to his mother as "the queen" and to Ulrike Eleonora simply as "my wife". Foreign ambassadors, mindful of this, always paid their respects to Hedvig Eleonora first, and then to Ulrike Eleonora.
Although described as strict and temperamental, Hedvig Eleonora displayed a more tolerant attitude than most would have, as demonstrated by her reaction to the scandal surrounding her son's first fiancée, Juliana of Hesse-Eschwege
Juliana of Hesse-Eschwege
Juliana of Hesse-Eschwege was a German noble. In her teens she was brought up at the Swedish royal court as the future queen of King Charles XI of Sweden, her cousin. However, on two separate occasions before the wedding Juliana became pregnant, and the engagement was eventually broken off...
. Juliana was a young German princess and paternal cousin of the king who had been raised at the Swedish court. It was officially understood that she should be married to him when he became an adult. But in 1672, Princess Juliana happened to be in the carriage with the Queen Dowager and fell to the floor of the carriage in labor. The child's father proved to be Gustaf Lilie, a married officer of the court. Princess Juliana was sent to the country to wait for the scandal to blow over while Lilie was sent abroad. This was an extremely tolerant response from the Queen Dowager, considering the high profile of the disgraced princess and views on sexuality of the time. The princess did not reform her behavior, however. In 1679 she gave birth to another child whose father was the young secretary of the Dutch Ambassador, the son of her Dutch servant Marchand. The engagement was broken off, and Juliana was married to the father of her child, who was given the title Baron Lilienburg and expelled from the country. The couple then moved to the Netherlands.
A scandal in her later years involved one of her favorites, Anna Catharina von Bärfelt
Anna Catharina von Bärfelt
Anna Catharina Charlotta Wilhelmina von Bärfelt , was a Swedish lady-in-waiting and an influential royal favourite of Queen Hedwig Eleonora. She was immensely unpopular and rumoured to abuse her influence and position to receive bribes for influencing the queen and stealing from the royal possessions...
. Bärfelt, a lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
since 1693 who was described as fond of intrigues, made herself known in court for taking bribes in exchange for speaking to the Dowager Queen on behalf of wealthy petitioners . She was rumoured to deal in poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
and was suspected of stealing a large number of objects from the royal castles and from Hedwig Eleonora herself, some of which she stored away with her lover. The rumours became so prevalent that Bärfelt was attacked on the streets and mistreated by unknown men. In 1709, the queen's lover Gyllenstierna attempted to have Bärfelt exiled from court, upon which she accused him of committing the same crimes for which she stood accused. The Dowager Queen's lover stated, "Either Miss Bärfelt leaves or I will leave", upon which the Queen Dowager left the room.
The court demanded that Bärfelt be investigated. Hedvig Eleonora then exiled Bärfelt from court. She must still have had influence over the Dowager Queen, since Gyllenstierna ordered that Hedvig Eleonora's door be locked the last night Bärfelt was in the castle to prevent her from coming to the queen at night to persuade her to let her stay. Hedvig, however, forbade any investigation of Bärfelt's luggage to see if the missing objects were there. Bärfelt was not arrested until 1712, when she was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Among Hedvig Eleonora's interests were architecture and painting, as well as playing cards; her appetite for gambling was great, and she is reported to have continued playing well into the night. The beautiful Drottningholm Palace
Drottningholm Palace
The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. It is built on the island Lovön , and is one of Sweden's Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a residence of the Swedish royal court for most of...
, where the present Swedish royal family resides, is the result of Hedvig Eleonora's love of architecture.
Ancestors
| Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp | Father: Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp was a Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.He was the elder son of Duke Johann Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp and Augusta of Denmark. His mother was a daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark.... |
Paternal Grandfather: John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Johann Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp was a Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.He was a third son of Duke Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp and his wife Christine of Hesse-Kassel . He became the first Lutheran Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck and the Administrator of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp was the first Duke of Holstein-Gottorp from the line of Holstein-Gottorp of the House of Oldenburg.... |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Christine of Hesse Christine of Hesse Christine of Hesse-Kassel was Duchess consort of Holstein-Gottorp as the spouse of Duke Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp. She exerted some political influence as a widow in 1586.- Biography :... |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Augusta of Denmark Augusta of Denmark Princess Augusta of Denmark was the third daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophia of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp as the wife of Duke John Adolf... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Frederick II of Denmark Frederick II of Denmark Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he... |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (d. 1631) Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow was a German noble and Queen of Denmark and Norway. She was the mother of King Christian IV of Denmark... |
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| Mother: Marie Elisabeth of Saxony Marie Elisabeth of Saxony Duchess Marie Elisabeth of Saxony was duchess consort of Holstein-Gottorp as the spouse of Duke Friedrich III of Holstein-Gottorp.- Biography :... |
Maternal Grandfather: John George I, Elector of Saxony John George I, Elector of Saxony John George I was Elector of Saxony from 1611 to 1656.-Biography:Born in Dresden, he was the second son of the Elector Christian I and Sophie of Brandenburg.... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Christian I, Elector of Saxony Christian I, Elector of Saxony Christian I of Saxony was Elector of Saxony from 1586 to 1591.He was the sixth but second surviving son of Elector Augustus of Saxony and Anna of Denmark... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Sophie of Brandenburg Sophie of Brandenburg Sophie of Brandenburg was a Princess of Brandenburg and by marriage Electress of Saxony. From 1591 she was the regent of Saxony during the minority of her son Christian II.- Biography :... |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia was an Electress of Saxony as the spouse of John George I, Elector of Saxony.-Life:... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia Albert Frederick was duke of Prussia from 1568 until his death. He was a son of Albert of Prussia and Anna Marie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He was the second and last Prussian duke of the Ansbach branch of the Hohenzollern family.-Duke of Prussia:... |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Marie Eleonore of Cleves Marie Eleonore of Cleves Marie Eleonore of Cleves was a Duchess consort of Prussia as the wife of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia. She was the eldest child of Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and Maria of Austria.- Family :... |