Helga de la Brache
Encyclopedia
Helga de la Brache, née
Aurora Florentina Magnusson, (1817-09-06, Stockholm
– 1885-01-11, Stockholm), was a Swedish con artist. She attained a royal pension by convincing the authorities that she was the secret daughter of King Gustav IV of Sweden and Queen Frederica of Baden
.
in 1820. She was later sent to be raised by her alleged father's aunt, Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden. When the Princess died in 1829, she was taken to the Vadstena asylum, so that the secret of her birth would be concealed as she would be thought to be insane. She was saved in 1834 and taken to her family in Baden
, where she was placed under house arrest
. In 1837, upon seeing the news of her father's death in the paper, she forgot to hide her grief. She returned to Sweden, where she was again put in an asylum to prevent the secret of her birth to be revealed. She managed to escape from the asylum, and was taken under the care of charitable people, who supported her despite persecution, and soon, she was given a pension of 6,000 § from her mother's family in Germany. In 1850, the pension had ceased coming, and she was unable to continue the standard of life to which she of birth had been accustomed - and she was also forced to support her many faithful friends, who stood by her during her years of persecution: No smaller pension than 5,000 or 6,000 would be sufficient.
Her story was believed by many private people in Sweden and Finland. She received great financial support from private benefactors. Followed by her faithful companion, who was an educated and cultivated woman who supported her story, de la Brache performed with a simplicity and naivete which made people unable to suspect she was cunning enough to have made it all up, and sensible enough for people to think that she did not believe it because she was mad. Eventually, even the skeptics had to admit that the story was at least theoretically possible. One of the reasons to why such a story could be believed, was that all contact with the deposed former dynasty was forbidden in 19th-century Sweden, which made it hard to verify and examine what would be likely regarding their family relations.
She convinced the salon hostess Frances Lewin-von Koch (1804–1888), the British born spouse of the minister of justice
, Nils von Koch, who housed her and provided her with a lawyer, and through her also her husband; the parliamentary Anders Uhr and the royal court
chaplain Carl Norrby, but was seen as a fraud by Prime minister
Louis De Geer
and foreign minister
Ludvig Manderström. The queen mother Josefina
took an interest in her, and provided her with an allowance. The king
did not take much interest but wanted to get the whole affair over and done with. She was granted a meeting with Charles XV who, afterward, remarked to the parliamentarians: "Why, she is just as sane as you or me".
In March 1861, the king allowed her an annual pension from the foreign department of 2,400 Swedish riksdaler
a year, (the amount, from the beginning 1.200, was made larger in December 1869). He also promised to get her the furniture of a princess. She managed to continue this for years.
In 1870, however, an article in a newspaper by C. Norrby, one of her benefactors, appeared, resulting in an investigation.
In 1835, she was a maid to a book-keeper
named Hedman, where the family said that she always had the mind to "rise above her status". In 1838, she was employed by the wealthy merchant Henrik Aspegren on Västerlånggatan 78, whose daughter, Henrika, became deeply devoted to her, dressed her in elegant clothes and left her family for her. She was originally hired as a sewing help for the daughter's of the Aspegren family to prepare for a ball. When the Aspegren's was about to leave for the ball, Magnusson burst in to tears and told them that she was homeless and had nowhere to sleep for the night, and she was thereby invited to stay. It was Henrika Aspegren who later became her companion and accomplice in the fraud.
When the two women moved to Finland in 1844, Aurora Florentina had the name de la Brache on her passport, and when she returned to Sweden in 1845, she changed her name to Anna Florentina de la Brache. She was named : "De la Brache, Anna Florentina, Miss, formerly known by the name Aurora Magnusson". She managed to have her name changed from her birth certificate
to Helga. Aurora Magnusson was reported drowned. The two women can be traced to have moved around from one city to another in both Sweden and Finland - Helga was often supported by her friend, who worked as a teacher. In 1846 they were in Turku
, where they managed a girl's school advertised by the noble name of de la Brache, and where Helga, as it was said, mastered the art of fainting upon uncomfortable questions from parents. In 1848, they lived in Örebro
, in 1857–59 in Sala
, where they tried to start a fashion shop, before they arrived in Stockholm in the 1860s to commence their fraud.
"Princess Helga de la Brache" spent her last years in an apartment in Klara norra with her companion, seemingly paid for by a supporter. The two women lived a quiet life, walked in the park and ordered home food and rarely talked to other people, although Helga was described as a nice old woman. In 1884, however, the two women were observed in the gardens of Drottningholm Palace
by King Oscar II
, who ordered them to be escorted from the park. Soon after, they moved from their apartment to another one in Djurgården, because they were afraid that they were going to be arrested.
During her last years, she was described as dignified and sad. According to the artist Georg von Rosen
, who was present at her death bed, she was genuinely convinced about her royal birth.
She died in Djurgården 1885.
In 1909, the politician Per August Johansson tried to clear her name, but the process led to nothing. The later process of the 1910s was centered around the fact, that Frederica of Baden
had named the Russian czar as the guardian of her children after her divorce, and because of this, Helga de la Brache was to have been entitled to economic compensation from the Russian czar. This process ended with the Russian revolution of 1917.
Several books have been written about her.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Aurora Florentina Magnusson, (1817-09-06, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
– 1885-01-11, Stockholm), was a Swedish con artist. She attained a royal pension by convincing the authorities that she was the secret daughter of King Gustav IV of Sweden and Queen Frederica of Baden
Frederica of Baden
Friederike Dorothea Wilhelmina of Baden was Queen consort of Sweden from 1797 to 1809. Daughter of Karl Ludwig of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt, she was the younger sister of Empress Elisabeth Alexeievna , wife of Tsar Alexander I of Russia.-Biography:She was born in Karlsruhe...
.
The fraud
The exiled Gustav IV and Frederica of Baden had divorced in 1812, but Helga de la Brache claimed that they had married again, secretly, "in a convent in Germany", which resulted in her birth in LausanneLausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
in 1820. She was later sent to be raised by her alleged father's aunt, Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden. When the Princess died in 1829, she was taken to the Vadstena asylum, so that the secret of her birth would be concealed as she would be thought to be insane. She was saved in 1834 and taken to her family in Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
, where she was placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
. In 1837, upon seeing the news of her father's death in the paper, she forgot to hide her grief. She returned to Sweden, where she was again put in an asylum to prevent the secret of her birth to be revealed. She managed to escape from the asylum, and was taken under the care of charitable people, who supported her despite persecution, and soon, she was given a pension of 6,000 § from her mother's family in Germany. In 1850, the pension had ceased coming, and she was unable to continue the standard of life to which she of birth had been accustomed - and she was also forced to support her many faithful friends, who stood by her during her years of persecution: No smaller pension than 5,000 or 6,000 would be sufficient.
Her story was believed by many private people in Sweden and Finland. She received great financial support from private benefactors. Followed by her faithful companion, who was an educated and cultivated woman who supported her story, de la Brache performed with a simplicity and naivete which made people unable to suspect she was cunning enough to have made it all up, and sensible enough for people to think that she did not believe it because she was mad. Eventually, even the skeptics had to admit that the story was at least theoretically possible. One of the reasons to why such a story could be believed, was that all contact with the deposed former dynasty was forbidden in 19th-century Sweden, which made it hard to verify and examine what would be likely regarding their family relations.
She convinced the salon hostess Frances Lewin-von Koch (1804–1888), the British born spouse of the minister of justice
Justice Minister
A justice ministry is a ministry or other government agency charged with justice. The ministry is often headed by a minister for justice or secretary of justice or secretary for justice; sometimes the head of a department of justice is entitled attorney general.Specific duties may relate to...
, Nils von Koch, who housed her and provided her with a lawyer, and through her also her husband; the parliamentary Anders Uhr and the royal court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
chaplain Carl Norrby, but was seen as a fraud by Prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Louis De Geer
Louis De Geer
Louis De Geer may refer to:People:*Louis De Geer , industrial entrepreneur of Walloon origin*Louis De Geer , industrial entrepreneur*Louis Gerhard De Geer , baron, Prime Minister of Sweden 1876–80...
and foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
Ludvig Manderström. The queen mother Josefina
Josephine of Leuchtenberg
Joséphine of Leuchtenberg was Queen consort of Sweden and Norway as the wife of King Oscar I...
took an interest in her, and provided her with an allowance. The king
Charles XV of Sweden
Charles XV & IV also Carl ; Swedish and Norwegian: Karl was King of Sweden and Norway from 1859 until his death....
did not take much interest but wanted to get the whole affair over and done with. She was granted a meeting with Charles XV who, afterward, remarked to the parliamentarians: "Why, she is just as sane as you or me".
In March 1861, the king allowed her an annual pension from the foreign department of 2,400 Swedish riksdaler
Swedish riksdaler
The riksdaler was the name of a Swedish coin first minted in 1604. Between 1777 and 1873, it was the currency of Sweden. The daler, like the dollar, was named after the German Thaler. The similarly named Reichsthaler, rijksdaalder, and rigsdaler were used in Germany and Austria-Hungary, the...
a year, (the amount, from the beginning 1.200, was made larger in December 1869). He also promised to get her the furniture of a princess. She managed to continue this for years.
In 1870, however, an article in a newspaper by C. Norrby, one of her benefactors, appeared, resulting in an investigation.
The real story
In 1876–77, it was proved that she was born in Stockholm as Aurora Florentina Magnusson to the custom caretaker Anders Magnusson (died 1826). Her mother was left a poor widow with five children, and Magnusson only received one year of school education. At the confirmation of Aurora Magnusson, her mother was overheard saying, that Aurora was not her biological daughter, but a foster child. She named her biological parents and both belonging to the upper classes: her father as Count De Geer, and her mother as a "Förnäm fröken" (Unmarried noblewoman). This may have been either true or false, as no information has been confirmed one way or the other. True or false, it is nevertheless believed to have affected Aurora Magnusson greatly.In 1835, she was a maid to a book-keeper
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...
named Hedman, where the family said that she always had the mind to "rise above her status". In 1838, she was employed by the wealthy merchant Henrik Aspegren on Västerlånggatan 78, whose daughter, Henrika, became deeply devoted to her, dressed her in elegant clothes and left her family for her. She was originally hired as a sewing help for the daughter's of the Aspegren family to prepare for a ball. When the Aspegren's was about to leave for the ball, Magnusson burst in to tears and told them that she was homeless and had nowhere to sleep for the night, and she was thereby invited to stay. It was Henrika Aspegren who later became her companion and accomplice in the fraud.
When the two women moved to Finland in 1844, Aurora Florentina had the name de la Brache on her passport, and when she returned to Sweden in 1845, she changed her name to Anna Florentina de la Brache. She was named : "De la Brache, Anna Florentina, Miss, formerly known by the name Aurora Magnusson". She managed to have her name changed from her birth certificate
Birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
to Helga. Aurora Magnusson was reported drowned. The two women can be traced to have moved around from one city to another in both Sweden and Finland - Helga was often supported by her friend, who worked as a teacher. In 1846 they were in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, where they managed a girl's school advertised by the noble name of de la Brache, and where Helga, as it was said, mastered the art of fainting upon uncomfortable questions from parents. In 1848, they lived in Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
, in 1857–59 in Sala
Sala
- Geography :* Sala Municipality, Sweden - a municipality in Sweden* Sala, Sweden - a city in Sweden, seat of Sala Municipality* Sala municipality, Latvia - a municipality in Latvia* Sala, Latvia - a village in Latvia, an administrative centre of Sala municipality...
, where they tried to start a fashion shop, before they arrived in Stockholm in the 1860s to commence their fraud.
After math
The trial in 1876–77 draw much attention both from the public and the royal family and was much reported in the papers. It led to the loss of the pension of Helga/Florentina. The 2 March 1877, Helga de la Brache was judged guilty of having registered herself under a false name, year of birth and for not tax-registered herself for the year of 1877, and sentenced to fines"Princess Helga de la Brache" spent her last years in an apartment in Klara norra with her companion, seemingly paid for by a supporter. The two women lived a quiet life, walked in the park and ordered home food and rarely talked to other people, although Helga was described as a nice old woman. In 1884, however, the two women were observed in the gardens of 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...
by King Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
, who ordered them to be escorted from the park. Soon after, they moved from their apartment to another one in Djurgården, because they were afraid that they were going to be arrested.
During her last years, she was described as dignified and sad. According to the artist Georg von Rosen
Georg von Rosen
Georg von Rosen , was a Swedish painter, known for his treatment of subjects from Swedish history and Norse mythology...
, who was present at her death bed, she was genuinely convinced about her royal birth.
She died in Djurgården 1885.
In 1909, the politician Per August Johansson tried to clear her name, but the process led to nothing. The later process of the 1910s was centered around the fact, that Frederica of Baden
Frederica of Baden
Friederike Dorothea Wilhelmina of Baden was Queen consort of Sweden from 1797 to 1809. Daughter of Karl Ludwig of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt, she was the younger sister of Empress Elisabeth Alexeievna , wife of Tsar Alexander I of Russia.-Biography:She was born in Karlsruhe...
had named the Russian czar as the guardian of her children after her divorce, and because of this, Helga de la Brache was to have been entitled to economic compensation from the Russian czar. This process ended with the Russian revolution of 1917.
Several books have been written about her.
See also
- Anna GyllanderAnna GyllanderAnna Gyllander, , was a Swedish imposter, who during the reign of King Charles X of Sweden, presented herself to be the abdicated queen Christina of Sweden....
- Olivia SerresOlivia SerresOlivia Serres , known as Olive, was a British painter and writer. She is also known as an English impostor, who claimed the title of Princess Olive of Cumberland, born at Warwick.-Origins and Early Career:...
- Anna EkelöfAnna EkelöfAnna Eleonora Ekelöf was a Swedish serial impostor. She committed fraud with a series of false identities, posing as mamsell, noblewoman, officer, Count and the Crown Prince of Sweden prior to her arrest in 1765....
- Anna Sophie Magdalene Frederikke UlrikkeAnna Sophie Magdalene Frederikke UlrikkeAnna Sophie Magdalene Frederikke Ulrikke was a Danish con-artist who in 1766 demanded a pension from the Danish royal house with the claim that she was the illegitimate daughter of king Christian VI of Denmark and the king's sister-in-law, the Dowager princess of Ostefriesland, Sophie Caroline of...