Swedish Queens from the Past


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Lovisa Ulrika 300 years

Follow us to Lovisa Ulrika's Drottningholm and enter the State Bedchamber. Museum teacher Katarina Burman talks about political interior art and the queen's family ties.

Lovisa Ulrika 300 years

The library that Queen Lovisa Ulrika had built at Drottningholm Palace contains books on mathematics, history, science and architecture, but also plays, cartoons and travelogues. The library became a gathering place for the intellectuals of that time.
 
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At the Facebook of The Royal Armoury

The Royal Armoury and 11 other organizers present:

Queen's anniversary - Lovisa Ulrika 300 years
Ambitious, politically active and not afraid to say her opinion, Queen Lovisa Ulrika was the great personality of the Swedish 18th century. She came as a fresh air from Berlin in 1744 to become Swedish crown princess and later queen. Lovisa Ulrika's contributions to Swedish culture and science are today an important part of our common cultural heritage.
- Digital festival -
On July 24, it is 300 years since she was born and we want to celebrate with you. For a whole week, between 19 and 26 July, we are therefore arranging a completely digital queen festival in Lovisa Ulrika's memory. To give as broad and fair a picture of Lovisa Ulrika as possible, we have invited a number of cultural actors and together we will here in the event daily offer stories about Lovisa Ulrika and her life. All this you can take part in wherever you are and when it suits you.
Drottningjubileum – Lovisa Ulrika 300 år

Lovisa Ulrika – an enlightened queen - Kungliga slotten

An interesting article from the Royal Palaces, but why does it state that "Lovisa Ulrika failed in her ambitions for political power"? Other articles, and indeed the Facebook post, characterize her as one of if not the most politically active queens consort in Swedish history.
 
Lovisa Ulrika failed in her attempts to reduce the power of Parliament and reintroduce absolutism and the failed coup of 1756 almost lead to her husband loosing his crown. Her biggest achievement was probably when securing peace with her native Prussia during the Seven Year War and even then she was mostly involved because it gave her an opportunity to get an upper-hand against her opponents in Parliament. As the article says she's generally viewed in Sweden to have failed in most, if not all, of her political ambitions.
An interesting article from the Royal Palaces, but why does it state that "Lovisa Ulrika failed in her ambitions for political power"? Other articles, and indeed the Facebook post, characterize her as one of if not the most politically active queens consort in Swedish history.
 
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The fact that Sweden then entered the Seven Years war in 1757 against Prussia must have been hard to stomach!
 
The fact that Sweden then entered the Seven Years war in 1757 against Prussia must have been hard to stomach!
The Queen took the war as a personal insult but quickly realised that a Swedish loss could benefit her and her husband if it gave them an opportunity to go ahead with their (mostly hers) plans to increase the power of the monarch who had been reduced to a mere figurehead without any influence on the running of the country. That was probably the reason behind her getting so involved in the peace negotiations with her brother, Frederick the Great. Unfortunately it all backfired in the end when Sweden got out of the war largely unscathed. Ironically Lovisa Ulrika was never as popular as she was after negotiating the peace treaty.
 
Lovisa Ulrika failed in her attempts to reduce the power of Parliament and reintroduce absolutism and the failed coup of 1756 almost lead to her husband loosing his crown. Her biggest achievement was probably when securing peace with her native Prussia during the Seven Year War and even then she was mostly involved because it gave her an opportunity to get an upper-hand against her opponents in Parliament. As the article says she's generally viewed in Sweden to have failed in most, if not all, of her political ambitions.

The fact that Sweden then entered the Seven Years war in 1757 against Prussia must have been hard to stomach!


Thanks! I clearly need to go and do more reading regarding Queen Lovisa Ulrika's ambitions and how she fell short of them.
 
Thanks! I clearly need to go and do more reading regarding Queen Lovisa Ulrika's ambitions and how she fell short of them.
Queen Lovisa Ulrika is a fascinating character and one of our most influential royals ever when it comes to culture. Much of what either she or her son (who was very influenced by her in that area) started today forms the backbone of Sweden's most important cultural institutions.
 
The Queen took the war as a personal insult but quickly realised that a Swedish loss could benefit her and her husband if it gave them an opportunity to go ahead with their (mostly hers) plans to increase the power of the monarch who had been reduced to a mere figurehead without any influence on the running of the country. That was probably the reason behind her getting so involved in the peace negotiations with her brother, Frederick the Great. Unfortunately it all backfired in the end when Sweden got out of the war largely unscathed. Ironically Lovisa Ulrika was never as popular as she was after negotiating the peace treaty.

Interesting and seems she as domineering as queen mother to her son Gustav III which caused a lot of friction.
 
Lovisa Ulrika 300 years

One a July evening in 1753, Queen Lovisa Ulrika received a fantastic birthday present. In the far part of Drottningholm's Palace park, King Adolf Fredrik had a summer palace built in the Chinese style.
Kina Slott - The Chinese Pavilion
 
Interesting and seems she as domineering as queen mother to her son Gustav III which caused a lot of friction.
She resented being sidelined by her son as a political force even while he was still a crown prince and even more when he became king even though he, through the Revolution of 1772, managed to achieve everything she'd spent a lifetime trying to do. Her resentment was so strong that she bullied her daughter-in-law Sofia Magdalena during her first years in Stockholm and proved very helpful in spreading the rumour that her son wasn't the father to his wife's first born son, the future Gustav IV Adolf. This rumour was later used against him after being deposed in 1809.
 
On 13th September at Confidencen Ulriksdal Palace Theatre
A Jubilee Concert
Lovisa Ulrika 300 years: Opera and sisterhood
Anniversary concert in collaboration with Den Andra Operan about Lovisa Ulrika and her female relatives' cultural work. Subsequent conversation about the cultural climate she created.
Lovisa Ulrika 300 år_ Opera och systerskap - Confidencen

Kungliga Vitterhetsakademien (The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities) was founded in 1753 by Queen Louisa Ulrika and has as its main purpose to promote and fund research in the humanities and social sciences as well as cultural environmental care. Vitterhetsakademien also manages its own cultural properties Skånelaholm castle, Stjernsund castle, cultural reserve Stensjö by, Borgs by and Rettigska huset in Stockholm. The Academy publishers publish a number of scientific papers each year and collaborate with other publishers.
 
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She resented being sidelined by her son as a political force even while he was still a crown prince and even more when he became king even though he, through the Revolution of 1772, managed to achieve everything she'd spent a lifetime trying to do. Her resentment was so strong that she bullied her daughter-in-law Sofia Magdalena during her first years in Stockholm and proved very helpful in spreading the rumour that her son wasn't the father to his wife's first born son, the future Gustav IV Adolf. This rumour was later used against him after being deposed in 1809.

I had wondered what sort of relationship the queen mother had with her daughter in law Sophia Magdalena and its as I suspected.
 
I had wondered what sort of relationship the queen mother had with her daughter in law Sophia Magdalena and its as I suspected.
In stark contrast to her poisonous relationship with Sofia Magdalena, Lovisa Ulrika had an affectionate relationship with her son Fredrik Adolf's line-in girlfriend Sophie Hagman and spoke of her in public as "my little daughter-in-law".
 
Drottningarna (The Queens)
Sweden's queens have been hidden behind their kings for centuries. Now TV4 and C More are bringing them to light. Sofia Helin hosts for the first time a magnificent series about the lives and destinies of eight Swedish queens. Through magnificent reconstructions, the episodes are filled with power intrigues and forbidden love, passion and pledged crown jewels as well as betrayal, jealousy and coups. The Queens premieres on TV4 and C More in the autumn of 2020.

On September 17, the premiere of the historical documentary series The Queens on TV4, TV4 Play and C More. In The Queens, we get to follow our most fascinating queens through their eventful lives. The program is led by the acclaimed actress Sofia Helin.
- History is fascinating. Through it we better understand ourselves and the time we live in. It is always the authorities who set the tone and this is where the most decisive and dramatic events take place. The queens have been in the middle of the action and yet so much of their dramatic life is unknown. Now it's time for us to get to know them better !, says Sofia Helin.
This unique documentary series sheds light on eight of Sweden's queens. Each episode is dedicated to one of our queens and her fascinating life story, from childhood to the last breath - always one step behind her king, but with great power to influence both politically and culturally. The series is based on real events from Swedish history from the 16th century until the 1930s that have never been told in a format like this before.
The reconstructions take place at castles and manors around Sweden, including The Royal Palace, Rosersberg Palace and Gripsholm Castle. Many times in the same place as the real event took place. In addition, environments have been created that will take place in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, and the Netherlands.
- Drottningarna is one of our biggest program investments during the autumn and it feels right and nice to be able to highlight a part of Swedish history that previously often ended up in the shadow of our kings. Now it is the queens' lives and significance for our common history that is in focus. We will invite viewers on a historical journey with exciting facts and fantastic stories about these women, about love, power and intrigue, says Åsa Sjöberg, content manager at TV4 and C More.
The queens are depicted by actors who, with magnificent dresses and historical props, from jewels to utensils, create magic together with hundreds of lookalikes by historical figures. Host Sofia Helin leads us through history together with a dozen experienced experts and historians. By looking at history from the Queens' perspective, the program's experts have sometimes reasoned their way to new theories and interpretations of historical events.
The Queens:
Karin Månsdotter (1550-1612)
Kristina (1626-1689)
Hedvig Eleonora av Holstein-Gottorp (1636-1715)
Lovisa Ulrika of Prussia (1720-1782)
Fredrika Dorotea Wilhelmina (1781-1826)
Desideria (1777 - 1860)
Lovisa of the Netherlands (1828-1871)
Victoria av Baden (1862-1930)
Drottningarna - tv4.se

Drottningarna - a new historical documentary series where you get to follow Sweden's most fascinating queens. Among period costumes and fantastic environments, the actress Sofia Helin leads us through history and meets powerful women who have been involved in shaping our time.
TV4 - Drottningarna - en ny historisk dokumentärserie där... _ Facebook
 
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In stark contrast to her poisonous relationship with Sofia Magdalena, Lovisa Ulrika had an affectionate relationship with her son Fredrik Adolf's line-in girlfriend Sophie Hagman and spoke of her in public as "my little daughter-in-law".

I'd not heard of her before but looked her up out of curiosity and she was the official royal mistress to Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden ;)
 
Drottningarna (The Queens)
Sweden's queens have been hidden behind their kings for centuries. Now TV4 and C More are bringing them to light. Sofia Helin hosts for the first time a magnificent series about the lives and destinies of eight Swedish queens. Through magnificent reconstructions, the episodes are filled with power intrigues and forbidden love, passion and pledged crown jewels as well as betrayal, jealousy and coups. The Queens premieres on TV4 and C More in the autumn of 2020.

On September 17, the premiere of the historical documentary series The Queens on TV4, TV4 Play and C More. In The Queens, we get to follow our most fascinating queens through their eventful lives. The program is led by the acclaimed actress Sofia Helin.
- History is fascinating. Through it we better understand ourselves and the time we live in. It is always the authorities who set the tone and this is where the most decisive and dramatic events take place. The queens have been in the middle of the action and yet so much of their dramatic life is unknown. Now it's time for us to get to know them better !, says Sofia Helin.
This unique documentary series sheds light on eight of Sweden's queens. Each episode is dedicated to one of our queens and her fascinating life story, from childhood to the last breath - always one step behind her king, but with great power to influence both politically and culturally. The series is based on real events from Swedish history from the 16th century until the 1930s that have never been told in a format like this before.
The reconstructions take place at castles and manors around Sweden, including The Royal Palace, Rosersberg Palace and Gripsholm Castle. Many times in the same place as the real event took place. In addition, environments have been created that will take place in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, and the Netherlands.
- Drottningarna is one of our biggest program investments during the autumn and it feels right and nice to be able to highlight a part of Swedish history that previously often ended up in the shadow of our kings. Now it is the queens' lives and significance for our common history that is in focus. We will invite viewers on a historical journey with exciting facts and fantastic stories about these women, about love, power and intrigue, says Åsa Sjöberg, content manager at TV4 and C More.
The queens are depicted by actors who, with magnificent dresses and historical props, from jewels to utensils, create magic together with hundreds of lookalikes by historical figures. Host Sofia Helin leads us through history together with a dozen experienced experts and historians. By looking at history from the Queens' perspective, the program's experts have sometimes reasoned their way to new theories and interpretations of historical events.
The Queens:
Karin Månsdotter (1550-1612)
Kristina (1626-1689)
Hedvig Eleonora av Holstein-Gottorp (1636-1715)
Lovisa Ulrika of Prussia (1720-1782)
Fredrika Dorotea Wilhelmina (1781-1826)
Desideria (1777 - 1860)
Lovisa of the Netherlands (1828-1871)
Victoria av Baden (1862-1930)
Drottningarna - tv4.se

Drottningarna - a new historical documentary series where you get to follow Sweden's most fascinating queens. Among period costumes and fantastic environments, the actress Sofia Helin leads us through history and meets powerful women who have been involved in shaping our time.
TV4 - Drottningarna - en ny historisk dokumentärserie där... _ Facebook
Nice! I have to point out though that SVT did a good series about the six former Bernadotte queens in 1997.

https://www.svtplay.se/drottning-av-sverige
 
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I'd not heard of her before but looked her up out of curiosity and she was the official royal mistress to Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden ;)
I had never heard before that Fredrik Adolf had an official mistress. I just knew that unlike his two brothers, he never got married.
 
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Margareta Leijonhufvud – mistress of Gripsholm
During the Vasa period, Gripsholm Castle was a workplace for hundreds of people and was almost entirely self-sufficient. Queen Margareta Leijonhufvud was mistress of all this.
Margareta Leijonhufvud – mistress of Gripsholm - Kungliga slotten

A courageous queen: Katarina Jagellonica
The Polish-born Vasa queen left a strong impression on Sweden, from imprisonment to a cultural golden age.
A courageous queen_ Katarina Jagellonica - Kungliga slotten
En drottning med mod – Katarina Jagellonica - Kungliga slotten

Hedvig Eleonora – mother of the nation
Had Hedvig Eleonora been less strong in character, it is very likely that the history of Sweden would have been entirely different. Drottningholm Palace reflects a highly strong-willed, capable woman.
Hedvig Eleonora – mother of the nation - Kungliga slotten
 
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At Youtube of Livrustkammaren/The Royal Armoury

In 1766, the Danish princess Sofia Magdalena arrives in Sweden. There will be the long-planned wedding with Gustav III. Join our curator Sofia Nestor who tells about the queen's journey and the fantastic carriages that are today preserved in the Armory.
 
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