Ulrika Strömfelt

Henrica Juliana von Liewen, Charlotta Sparre, Ulrika Strömfelt, Agneta Strömfelt och Catherine Charlotte De la Gardie

Ulrika Eleonora Strömfelt (1724–5 April 1780), was a politically active Swedish noble and courtier. She is known for her part in the attempted Coup d'état of queen Louisa Ulrika in 1756.

Life

Ulrika Strömfelt was the daughter of

Henrika Juliana von Liewen departure from court. She was apparently well liked by Louisa Ulrika, and was often given the task to read to her from French works.^[1]

Events of 1756

In 1756, Queen Louisa Ulrika planned a

pawned the diamonds in Berlin in Prussia to finance her coup. Ulrika Strömfelt, however, was a supporter of the Hats (party)

and not in favor of a restored absolute monarchy. According to unconfirmed tradition, Ulrika Strömfelt informed the

riksdaler in silver and the title "Ständernas dotter" (The Daughter of the Parliament) by the Riksdag.^[4]

After the failed coup, she lost the confidence of the Queen, and left court. She was, however, not dismissed, but asked herself to be relieved of her position, officially because of health reasons.[5] That a maid of honor left her position and applied for a pension from the foreign branch office of the Riksdag was unique.^[6] Her application was granted, and the pension granted her amounted to double as much as was what usually granted the widow of a riksråd.^[7]

The Queen stated that the reason Strömfelt left court was that she was a friend of Carl Gustaf Tessin and "all the notables of the Hat's Party, who, under the very eyes of the Queen, held rendez-vous at the parlor of this Chief Maid of Honor".^[8] According to Count Axel von Fersen the Elder, she "was now forced to leave court because of the plots of others",^[9] and he pointed out the Queens new favorite Ulrika Eleonora von Düben as responsible:^[10] von Düben was promoted to the post of Chief Maid of Honor after Strömfelt.

Later life

In 1756, the year she left court, Ulrika Strömfelt married the

Carl Sparre. The marriage is described as happy despite the constant infidelity of her spouse. In 1777, she returned to court and succeeded Anna Maria Hjärne as Överhovmästarinna (Chief lady in waiting or Mistress of the Robes) to the new Queen, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark with Charlotta Sparre

as her deputy, a post she retained until her death.

Ulrika Strömfelt has been said to have a "peculiar position" in the diaries and memoirs of the time, because there are no negative remarks about her personality and character, and she is unanimously described as respectable, sensible and as an ideal of contemporary femininity.

References

^ Olof Jägerskiöld (1945). Lovisa Ulrika. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN
^ Strömfelt, släkt, urn:sbl:34602, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Roger Axelsson), hämtad 2015-02-22.
^ Johan Christopher Barfod: Märkvärdigheter rörande sveriges förhållanden 1788-1794
^ Strömfelt, släkt, urn:sbl:34602, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Roger Axelsson), hämtad 2015-02-22.
^ Planck, Brita: Kärlekens språk: adel, kärlek och äktenskap 1750-1900 Göteborg Universitet (2014)
^ Planck, Brita: Kärlekens språk: adel, kärlek och äktenskap 1750-1900 Göteborg Universitet (2014)
^ Planck, Brita: Kärlekens språk: adel, kärlek och äktenskap 1750-1900 Göteborg Universitet (2014)
^ Planck, Brita: Kärlekens språk: adel, kärlek och äktenskap 1750-1900 Göteborg Universitet (2014)
^ Planck, Brita: Kärlekens språk: adel, kärlek och äktenskap 1750-1900 Göteborg Universitet (2014)
^ Planck, Brita: Kärlekens språk: adel, kärlek och äktenskap 1750-1900 Göteborg Universitet (2014)

Life

Events of 1756

Later life

References

Further reading