Hedvig Taube

Hedvig Taube by Lorens Pasch.

Hedvig Ulrika Taube (1714 – 11 February 1744) also Countess von Hessenstein was a Swedish noble and salonist, official royal mistress to King Frederick I of Sweden. She is generally considered to have been the only official royal mistress in Swedish history, and she did have some political significance.

Background

Hedvig Taube was a member of a noble family, suffering from gambling debts when the king noticed her in 1730. She was the beautiful sixteen-year-old daughter of the royal councilor, Count Edvard Didrik Taube and Christina Maria Falkenerg. Her sister, Catherine Charlotte, was to marry the brother of famous scientist Countess Eva Ekeblad, who was also the aunt of the renowned Axel von Fersen the Younger. At this point, King Frederick I, nearing sixty, was becoming more and more infamous for his sexual excesses. At first, the young girl refused him, but she was exposed to great persuasion; first, court officials offered her the formal position of lady-in-waiting to the queen, while it was understood that, in reality, she would be mistress of the king. The king's friends, her relatives, and her own immediate family united themselves in this persuasion. Hedvig had nine siblings, and her family was suffering from gambling debts at the time of the king's suggestion. Carl Tersmeden addressed a speech to her calling her future fate more beautiful than she could imagine. The wives of two court noblemen visited her, trying to make her give in. Her mother, her paternal and maternal aunts all did what they could. Eventually her resistance was broken. When the carriage came to take her to court, Tersmeden reported her saying; My fate is harder than I could imagine. I am being forced to expose my virtue to save a family ruined by gambling.[1]

In 1731, she was installed at court as lady-in-waiting to queen Ulrika Eleonora, and apparently became more to the king then merely a sexual plaything. On 1 March 1733, Taube gave birth to a daughter, named Frederica Wilhelmina.

Public scandal

In 1734, shortly after her one-year-old daughter died, the king had the Holy Roman Emperor grant her the title Countess von Hessenstein, acknowledged her as his official mistress and gave her a palace to live in with her own household. This caused a great scandal, as she thus became the first official royal mistress in Swedish history. Of course, many Swedish kings had mistresses, but they had never previously been officially recognized in the "French way". The Queen locked herself in her rooms, the priests refused to pay homage in the churches to a king "with two wives" and satirical pamphlets circulated in Stockholm. The opinion of the public greatly favoured the Queen, as she was respected for her pious behaviour and was the last of the old Swedish dynasty. Leaders of the government reminded the king of his promise to always "treat the queen with respect" when she abdicated in his favour. The king publicly acknowledged his offspring with Taube, and denied rumours that he had married her in secret. He answered the government that the matter of treating the Queen with respect (out of gratitude for her abdication) had nothing to do with his private life, and wrote a letter to the Queen asking her to protect Taube after his death. The king reiterated that the government had promised not to get involved in his personal affairs.

The Queen was jealous and felt her pride was hurt.[2] She had the bishops of the parliament's clerical group lecture Taube.[3] Taube followed the example of the queen and pretended to be sick, but the bishops forced their way in to see "The public sinner" and lectured her lying in bed with her face half-covered by a sheet. She said to them: "I had no idea that Her Majesty was displeased because of this." The bishops replied: "We can assure you, miss, that it is so, and how else should it be?" She replied that they should have lectured her when she was younger and defenceless. They said that there were talks regarding expelling her from the country, and she answered that they should have more important things to discuss than someone who was never involved in politics.

Royal mistress and salonist

Hedvig Taube by Martin van Meytens.

The countess herself lived an unhappy and discreet life. After her public acknowledgement and first appearance at court in 1735, the Queen protested by claiming to be indisposed and refused to leave her rooms. After this snub, Taube never appeared at court again. She had never wanted to be a mistress, and when foreign ambassadors visited to ask her to use her influence, she told them she had none and that she did not wish to have any. She did, however, became a noted patron of artists, and her salon became its own small court that rivaled that of the religious Queen. One of her favorites was the poet Olof von Dahlin, somewhat regarded as the Court Poet. Indirectly, however, she really did play a political role. She had a lot of influence when it came to the offices appointed by the king. It was said that one need only be recommended by Hedvig to become a favorite of the king to receive an office. Her court was the center of the Gylleborg party, which opposed Arvid Horn, who had opposed her position as mistress, but she herself favoured Horn, as she had been opposed to her position herself, and refused to be anything but neutral during the 1739 election.

On 10 March 1735, Taube bore a second child, a son, named Fredrik Vilhelm, later Prince of Hessenstein. Two years later, on 26 November 1737, she gave birth to his third child and second son, Karl Edvard, created Count of Hessenstein, who died unmarried in Paris in 1769.

Almost exiled

Indignation over the king having an official mistress did not cease, and was discussed in parliament several times from 1738 on. This greatly contributed to the unpopularity of the king. In 1739, the Queen wanted Taube and her two sons expelled from the country. They left for Hesse, but Taube stayed behind in Nyköping, where the king met her, claiming to go hunting, and she never actually left the country. This enraged the Queen who refused to leave her room for fourteen days, which was said to have contributed to the Queen's declining health. Taube continued as the royal mistress. King Frederick, however, also continued his use of prostitutes, which worsened his reputation over the years, especially as this behaviour increased.

Later life

Hedwig Taube von Hessenstein's grave at Strängnäs Cathedral

Taube was introduced to the new Crown Prince Adolf Fredrik in 1743. On 9 December of that year, she gave birth to Frederick's fourth child and second daughter, Hedvig Amalia, created Countess of Hessenstein, who died in 1752 at only nine years of age.

The next year (1744), Taube became pregnant again. This time, she died in childbirth and was buried in the church of Strängnäs along with her stillborn daughter. After her death, Frederick became a public laughing stock by hiring prostitutes off the streets. In 1745, Taube was replaced as an official royal mistress by the noblewoman Catharina Ebba Horn, who was also officially recognized and given the title of German-Roman countess, but their relationship ended after three years and she has been largely forgotten by history.

References

  1. ↑ Herman Lindqvist (2006). Historien om alla Sveriges drottningar (The history of all the queens of Sweden) (in Swedish). Norstedts Förlag. ISBN 91-1-301524-9.
  2. ↑ Ulrika Eleonora d. y. Karl XII:s syster, Walfrid Holst, Wahlström & Widstrand 1956 p. 298 ff
  3. ↑ Lundh-Eriksson, Nanna (1976). Den glömda drottningen: Karl XII:s syster Ulrika Eleonora d.y. och hennes tid (The Forgotten Queen: The sister of Charles XII and her era) [Stockholm]: Libris 7790483. ISBN 91-970128-1-5 (Swedish)