Ulrika Eleonora or Ulrica Eleanor (23 January 1688 – 24 November 1741), known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger , reigned as Queen of Sweden from 5 December 1718 until her abdication on 29 February 1720 in favour of her husband Frederick . Following her husband's accession as King Frederick I, Ulrika Eleonora served as his queen consort until her death in 1741.
100-438: Ulrika Eleonora was the youngest child of King Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark and named after her mother. In 1715, she married Frederick of Hesse-Kassel. After the death of her brother Charles XII in 1718, Ulrika Eleonora claimed the throne. Her deceased older sister, Hedvig Sophia , had left a son, Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp , who had the better claim by primogeniture . Ulrika Eleonora asserted that she
200-731: A minor. Instead Ulrika Eleonora predeceased him by almost four years. At the time of her death she was personally supporting 17,000 people. It is said that on his death bed, Charles XI admitted to his mother that he hadn't been happy since Ulrika Eleonora's death. The marriage produced seven children, of whom only three outlived Charles: Ulrika Eleonora (the elder) was sickly, and the many child births eventually broke her. When she became seriously ill, in 1693, Charles finally dedicated his time and care to her. Her death in July that year shook him deeply and he never fully recovered. Her infant son Ulric (1684–1685) had been given Ulriksdal Palace , which
300-496: A period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721). He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp . His father died when he was four years old, so Charles was educated by his governors until his coronation at the age of seventeen. Soon afterward, he was forced out on military expeditions to secure the recently acquired dominions from Danish troops in
400-509: A private conversation with the queen about the matter, during which the queen had lamented herself over the king's adultery and her disappointment of the Taube family. The clergy estate pointed to the oath made by the king in 1720, when he succeeded the queen on the Swedish throne after she abdicated in his favor, in which he had made the promise to: "love, honor and respect my most worthy consort,
500-402: A six-member Regency Council with two votes and a final say over the rest of the council. Per Brahe was one member of the council. In addition, Charles X Gustav left command of the army and a seat on the council to his younger brother, Adolph John I, Count Palatine of Kleeburg . These provisions among others led to the remainder of the council immediately challenging the will. On 14 February,
600-638: A war through Russia's promise to reconquer Slesvig to Holstein from Denmark. During the Riksdag of 1726-1727, Horn managed to have the Riksdag vote for Sweden to join the Treaty of Hanover (1725) against Russia, and the Holstein followers was removed from the royal council and replaced with the followers of Horn. The defeat of the Holstein Party was completed by the death of Catherine I, which destroyed
700-432: A widow to attend council, and that if not, it would be hard to keep sending a messenger to her quarters. Her reply that the council would be allowed to meet without her and only inform her when they considered it necessary was met with satisfaction from the council. Hedwig Eleonora's ostensible indifference to politics came as a great relief to the lords of the guardian government. His mother, Queen Hedvig Eleonora, remained
800-476: Is best remembered for her great charitable activity. She was also limited by ill-health and numerous pregnancies. Charles was very active and busy and while Charles was away inspecting his troops or pursuing his pastimes, she was often lonely and sad. The marriage itself, however, is considered a success, with the King and Queen being very fond of each other. As queen, Ulrika Eleonora had little political involvement and
900-754: The Hovpartiet , the Holstein Party were given a favorable situation have Charles Frederick appointed heir to the throne, a situation which was supported by Tsar Peter the Great of Russia who wished influence in Sweden. In the Riksdag of 1723, the attempt of the king and Hovpartiet to introduce absolute power was crushed and the Holstein Party, whose follower filled the seats of parliament and bought more followers by granting allowances and titles from Holstein and Russia, especially to those losing their property during
1000-452: The Battle of Halmstad (17 August 1676), when Charles and his commander-in-chief Simon Grundel-Helmfelt defeated a Danish division, was the king's first glimmer of good luck. Charles continued south through Scania, arriving on the tableland of the flooded Kävlinge River – near Lund – on 11 November. The Danish army commanded by Christian V was positioned on the other side. It
1100-556: The Dutch in 1672, and by the spring of 1674, Sweden was forced to take part by directing forces towards Brandenburg , under the lead of Karl Gustav Wrangel . Denmark was an ally of the Habsburg Holy Roman Empire , and it was evident that Sweden was on the verge of yet another war with that country. A remedy was attempted by chancellor Nils Brahe , who traveled to Copenhagen in the spring of 1675 to try to get
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#17327731491321200-617: The Great Northern War : Charles Frederick was granted the title Royal Highness, a Swedish allowance and an informal promise to be considered as heir to the throne should such an election be necessary. The marriage of Charles Frederick to the Russian princess Anna Petrovna and the accession of her mother as Empress Catherine I of Russia in 1725 signified a triumph for the Holstein Party: the rumours that Charles Frederick
1300-596: The Riksdag of the Estates in Gothenburg . Here he beheld his four-year-old son for the first time. Only a few weeks later, in mid-January 1660, the king fell ill; one month later, he wrote his last will and died. Charles X Gustav's will and testament left the administration of the Swedish Empire during Charles XI's minority to a regency led by Queen Dowager Hedwig Eleonora as both formal regent and chair of
1400-530: The Scanian War . Having successfully fought off the Danes, he returned to Stockholm and engaged in correcting the country's neglected political, financial, and economic situation. He managed to sustain peace during the remaining 20 years of his reign. Changes in finance, commerce, national maritime and land armaments, judicial procedure, church government, and education emerged during this period. Charles XI
1500-504: The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679) . Charles devoted the rest of his life to avoiding further warfare by gaining larger independence in foreign affairs, while he also promoted economic stabilization and a reorganization of the military. His remaining 20 years on the throne were the longest peacetime of the Swedish Empire (1611–1718). In the early years, he was assisted by the man who had become his trusted prime-minister, Johan Göransson Gyllenstierna (1635–1680). Some sources say
1600-543: The "magnificence of God". Charles encouraged the production of a hymnal ( Psalmbok ) to be printed and distributed to the churches (completed 1693), and a new printed version of the Bible that was completed in 1703 and named after his successor: Charles XII Bible . On 6 May 1680, Charles married Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark (1656–1693), daughter of King Frederick III of Denmark (1609–1670). He had previously been engaged to his cousin, Juliana of Hesse-Eschwege , but
1700-470: The British ambassador's, "being so untouched as if there had been no enemies present for hundreds of miles", which was considered to be an impressive act of courage. Her favorite courtier was Emerentia von Düben (1669–1743), her old nurse, who had been ennobled and made lady-in-waiting in 1707 and with whom she had a close relationship all her life. Düben acted as her advisor, her comfort and her support, and
1800-464: The Danish princess Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark engaged to the Swedish king. In mid-June 1675, the engagement was officially proclaimed. However, when news arrived of the Swedish defeat at the Battle of Fehrbellin , Danish king Christian V declared war on Sweden that September. The Swedish Privy Council continued its internal feuds, and the king was forced to rule without them. The 20-year-old king
1900-548: The Estates confirmed his power in 1693 by officially proclaiming that the king was the sole ruler of Sweden. In the 1682 assembly of the Riksdag of the Estates, the king put forth his suggestion for military reform, whereby each of the lands of Sweden were to have 1,200 soldiers at the ready, at all times, and two farms were to provide accommodations for one soldier. His soldiers were known as Caroleans , trained to be skilled and preferring to attack rather than defend. Savagery and looting were strictly forbidden. Soldier huts around
2000-553: The House of Hesse in the succession line, and though this attempt was unsuccessful, Ulrika Eleonora supported this choice rather than her nephew the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Queen Ulrika Eleonora enjoyed great popularity during the reign of her spouse, partly as the last member of the old royal house, and partly because of her personal piety. She was aware that this gave her power to influence policy, and when she let her opinion be known, it
2100-513: The Queen. Ulrika Eleonora served as regent twice: The first time during Frederick's absence in 1731, and the second time during his illness in 1738–1739. She was declared regent in May 1731 when Frederick departed to visit Hesse, and ruled until his return in the autumn. In 1738, she was asked by the Estates to accept the regency at an occasion when Frederick was so ill that he was in danger of dying and
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#17327731491322200-404: The Riksdag of 1740–41, the question was raised again. At this point, a change had occurred in the queen's attitude, signs of which were observed already during the Riksdag of 1738. The policy of Ulrika Eleonora not to express her dislike of Frederick's adultery was weakened during her last years, possibly due to the unique position of Taube as the official mistress, because of the long-term nature of
2300-412: The Riksdag of the Estates. Here, the king finally pushed through the reduction ordeal, something that had been discussed in the Riksdag since 1650. It meant that any land or object previously owned by the crown and lent or given away – including counties, baronies and lordships – could be recovered. It affected many prominent members of the nobility, some of whom were ruined by it. One of them
2400-446: The Riksdag willing to replace her with Frederick as sole monarch if she abdicated, an idea that had the support of Frederick. On 29 February 1720, after having again been denied a co-monarchy, Ulrika Eleonora abdicated in favour of her husband on the condition that she should succeed him if he should die before her. This condition of her abdication in fact granted her place as the heir to the Swedish throne until her death. This succession
2500-412: The Riksdag. One reason being that co-reigning had been forbidden in Sweden since the 15th century. There was also opposition in the Riksdag to the influence of Emerentia von Düben and her siblings over the affairs of state. Her difficulty in respecting the constitution and trouble in getting along with the Riksdag, as well as her way of continuously discussing state affairs with her husband, did however make
2600-467: The Swedish kings, except for Gustavus II Adolphus , unduly eclipsed by his father and his son. In the first half of the 20th century, the view of him changed and he was regarded as dependent, uncertain, and easily influenced by others. In the most recent book, Rystad's biography from 2003, the king is again characterized as a strong-willed shaper of Sweden through economic reforms and achievement of financial and military stability and strength. Charles XI
2700-518: The Swedish people and eased some of the difficulties brought on by her Danish background. In the peace negotiations between Sweden and Denmark in 1679, the marriage between her and Charles XI was on the agenda, and ratified on 26 September 1679. They married at Skottorp on 6 May 1680 in a hasty ceremony, as Charles prioritized government work over private matters, even a marriage ceremony. Charles and Ulrika Eleonora were very different. He enjoyed hunting and riding, while she enjoyed reading and art, and
2800-433: The Taube, Gylleborg and Sparre families (the last two known supporters of Hedvig Taube), although court protocol would have expected them to be included, and when the new Riksråd Carl Sparre, a known supporter of Taube, was presented to her during the audience for the new members of government, she demonstratively retired, preventing him from kissing her skirt in accordance with protocol. The discontent of Queen Ulrika Eleonora
2900-430: The absolute monarchy and reinstate their own power. As regent, she kept herself informed of state affairs and urged her brother to return, warning him of the effects if he did not. With his permission she signed all documents of state affairs except those written to him personally. However, she regarded herself only as her brother's representative, and therefore made no suggestions of her own. As his sister, many times during
3000-433: The affair and because they had children. Another reason for her change of conduct was reportedly that she, as an orthodox Lutheran, was concerned for the king's soul. Despite demonstrating her compassion with the other Riksråd deposed during the Riksdag of 1738, she smiled when the misfortune of the father of Hedvig Taube was mentioned. When hosting the wedding of her maid of honour Sigrid Bonde at court, she neglected to invite
3100-529: The affair, as it would be beneath the queen's dignity and her position was untouchable: "As the Moon travels along its course over the sky without bothering over the barks of dogs, so should Her Majesty despise the gossip, which has been unleashed by this much unfortunate and blinded commitment". By convincing Ulrika Eleonora not to publicly display her displeasure of his adultery, Emerentia von Düben also became favored by King Frederick. Ulrika Eleonora sternly followed
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3200-425: The all powerful Princess Ulrica Eleonora [...] and declare the Estates to be free of their oath of allegiance, should I ever break this oath and insurance", in fact declaring the king deposed if he disrespected the queen. On 26 April, the king expressed a wish to leave for Hesse. He was rumored to plan to settle there permanently with Taube. A rumor circulated of a planned coup d'etat by the queen's followers. The plan
3300-407: The care of their grandmother, Hedwig Eleonora. However, her grandmother was known to favor her elder sister. During her childhood, Eleonora was somewhat overlooked in favor of this elder, more extroverted and talented sister, princess Hedvig Sophia. Her elder siblings enjoyed riding and dancing and reportedly somewhat looked down upon her as she did not have the courage to participate in their games and
3400-468: The ceremonies in Stockholm, she received the Estates, who passed the throne in procession. On this occasion, she demonstrated that she knew who her followers were. When she received the nobility, she only allowed their representatives to kiss her hand with her glove on, while the other representatives were allowed to kiss her hand without the glove. Ulrika Eleonora never made the traditional journey through
3500-429: The clavier while her sister sang. Ulrika Eleonora lived most of her life in the shadow of others, outshone by her brother the king, and by her attractive sister. From 1700, she took care of her dominating grandmother, Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp , during her brother's absence in the Great Northern War . Her older sister, Hedvig Sophia , was then the heir presumptive to the throne. As their brother Charles XII
3600-416: The clergy estate were appointed: one to the king, and one to Hedvig Taube. In July 1741, the statement was read to the king in his audience chamber. The king reacted with rage, refused to accept the statement and stated that the Riksdag of the Estates had promised him not to interfere in his private life. He was, on their second attempt, forced to receive the statement. When told the result of that audience with
3700-473: The closest heir to the throne. In 1713, the government and her grandmother named her regent during the king's absence and thus she became a pawn of the many powers struggling for influence in a country without an official heir presumptive or heir apparent. The choice now stood between Ulrika Eleonora and her nephew. Her accession as regent and president of the parliament was treated with great enthusiasm. The Riksdag had opposed her brother as they wanted to abolish
3800-417: The constitution and insulted her by making the remark that nothing better was to be expected "under the regiment of a female." These conflicts had a deleterious effect on the war and state affairs. Ulrika Eleonora supported the political ambitions of her consort, and from the beginning, she wished for him to become her co-monarch, in the fashion of William III and Mary II . However, this was not permitted by
3900-402: The council were engaged in internal feuds, and the king more or less ruled without listening to their advice. At the 1680 assembly, he asked the Estates whether he was still bound to the council, to which the Estates responded with his desired reply: "he was not bound by anyone other than himself" ("envälde"), and thereby the absolute monarchy was formally established in Sweden. The Riksdag of
4000-468: The country dressed as a farmer or simple traveller. In the legend he is referred to as the Greycoat (Swedish: Gråkappan ). This was done to discover and identify corruption and oppression against the populace. There are many stories about him arriving in villages looking for corrupt church officials and punishing them. One anecdote tells of him visiting one village with a church in splendid condition and
4100-487: The country were the most visible part of the new Swedish allotment system . However, Charles also modernized the military techniques and worked to improve the skills and knowledge of the officers by sending them abroad to study. Charles XI was initially enthusiastic about warfare and combat and he was often portrayed as the soldier-King. In the years after the Scanian War however, during which he personally engaged in
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4200-722: The country, the Eriksgata , on her own. Instead, she made it with Frederick in 1722, after his coronation. Her reign occurred just before the end of the Great Northern War. During the Russian Pillage of 1719–1721 in August of the summer of 1719, the Russian Fleet attacked the capital of Stockholm . Despite the ongoing attack, Ulrika Eleonora forced her courtiers to attend a previously accepted reception at
4300-428: The dance at court balls, and though religious scruples made her conflicted in the issue, she also engaged German and French theatre companies to perform at Bollhuset. Intensely religious, she was capable of interrupting a parliamentary session to pray. Similarly, at court presentations, she could interrogate the female debutantes about the Bible , rewarding them for correct answers. Sternly maintaining her royal pride, she
4400-446: The day after King Charles X's death, Hedwig Eleonora sent a message to the council stating that she knew that they contested the will and that she demanded that it should be respected. The council answered that the will must first be discussed with the parliament, and at the following council in Stockholm on 13 May, the council tried to keep her from attending. The parliament questioned whether it would be good for her health or suitable for
4500-476: The day was attributed to Charles XI and his fighting spirit. The battle proved to be a decisive one for the rule of the Scanian lands and it has been described as the most significant event for Charles' personality. Charles commemorated this date the rest of his life. In the following year, 13,000 men led by Charles routed 12,000 Danes at the Battle of Landskrona . This proved to be the last pitched battle of
4600-411: The doctors discovered he had a large, hard lump in his stomach. At this point there was little the doctors could do except alleviate the King's pain as best they could. Charles XI died on 5 April 1697, at the age of 41. An autopsy showed that the King had developed cancer and that it had spread through his entire abdominal cavity . Charles XI has sometimes been described in Sweden as the greatest of all
4700-491: The engagement was broken after a scandal. Charles and Ulrika were engaged in 1675 in an attempt to smooth over longstanding hostilities, but the Scanian War soon broke out. During the war, Ulrika Eleonora gained a reputation for loyalty to her future home country by exhibiting kindness to Swedish prisoners: she pawned her jewelry, even her engagement ring, to care for the Swedish prisoners of war. Her personal merits and continued charitable acts throughout her tenure endeared her to
4800-434: The fighting and saw the devastation of war, he would later come to view that war was something better to be avoided if possible. With the recent war in mind he wanted to strengthen the armed forces for a defensive war which he knew would come sooner or later. The Swedish navy suffered major defeats against Danish-Dutch forces in the Scanian War , revealing deficiencies in organization and supply, and disadvantages in basing
4900-418: The fleet at Stockholm. The navy was bolstered with the founding of an ice-free base at Karlskrona in 1680 which became the mainstay of future naval operations. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Charles believed it was very important to assimilate the new Swedish territories of Scania , Blekinge , Halland , in southern Sweden; Bohuslän in western Sweden and Jämtland , in northern Sweden, and
5000-479: The foreign envoys since he had no foreign language skills apart from German and was ignorant of the world outside Sweden. Italian writer Lorenzo Magalotti visited Stockholm in 1674 and described the teenage Charles XI as "virtually afraid of everything, uneasy to talk to foreigners, and not daring to look anyone in the face". Another trait was a deep religious devotion: he was God-fearing, frequently prayed kneeling and attended sermons. Magalotti otherwise described
5100-466: The formal regent until Charles XI attained his majority on 18 December 1672, but she was careful not to embroil herself in political conflicts. During his first appearances in parliament, Charles spoke to the government through her. He would whisper the questions he had in her ear, and she would ask them aloud and clearly for him. As an adolescent, Charles devoted himself to sports, exercise, and his favourite pastime of bear-hunting. He appeared ignorant of
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#17327731491325200-621: The island of Gotland . Some assimilation policies included: the ban of all books written in Danish or Norwegian, thus breaking the promise made at the Treaty of Roskilde ; the use of Swedish language in the conduct of sermons; and all new priests and teachers having to come from Sweden. The king had seen bitter resentment from the Scanian peasants during the Scanian War and was particularly tough on that province. The guerrilla Snapphane movement, in northern Scania, had attacked his soldiers and stolen his money. They also had strong support from
5300-457: The king was basically dependent on Gyllenstierna. His sudden death in 1680 opened up the road to the monarch, and many men tried to get close to the king to take Gyllenstierna's place. Sweden's weak economy had suffered during the war and was now in a deep crisis. Charles assembled the Riksdag of the Estates in October 1680. The assembly has been described as one of the most important held by
5400-486: The king's main pursuits as hunting, the upcoming war, and jokes. The situation in Europe was shaky during this time and Sweden was going through financial problems. Charles XI's guardians decided to negotiate an alliance with France in 1671. This would ensure that Sweden would not be isolated if there was a war, and that the national finances would improve thanks to French subsidies . France directed its aggression against
5500-429: The king, the queen, Ulrika Eleonora insisted that the planned embassy to Hedvig Taube was also to be executed according to plan, and replied to the hesitation of the bishop with the words: "When you priests follow your calling and your conscience, you do well to do so with no concern of other matters." On this occasion, Hedvig Taube defended her by saying that she had never been aware of any negative reaction whatsoever from
5600-585: The king...to punish the people or Charles." Two years later, the course of events that highlighted the crisis was of the absolutism itself. Holstein Party The Holstein Party ( Swedish : Holsteinska partiet , lit. 'Holstein Party';), was the name of a political group in 18th-century Sweden which played a significant role in politics after the death of Charles XII of Sweden in 1718 and until 1727. The party
5700-507: The law of the German emperor and the peace treaty. In the Baltic, the power structure was completely different, with a German-descended nobility that used serfs , something that Charles abhorred and wanted to abolish but was unable to. Finally, Kexholm and Ingria were sparsely populated and not of great interest. Charles was a devoted Lutheran Christian . In February 1686, a church law
5800-425: The local villages. Charles remained suspicious of the Scanian inhabitants throughout his life. He did not allow soldiers from Scania in his Scanian regiment: the 1,200 soldiers that were to be stationed there had to be recruited from more northern provinces. He also advocated rough treatment of the inhabitants and the first Governor-General of Scania, his trusted aide Johan Gyllenstierna (governor-general 1679–1680),
5900-420: The marks of her illness were visible during her public lit de parade . As she had been the heir to the throne, her death marked the beginning of a succession crisis. King Charles XI Charles XI or Carl ( Swedish : Karl XI ; 4 December [ O.S. 24 November] 1655 – 15 April [ O.S. 5 April] 1697) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in
6000-427: The matter as that "which the Queen had made it known" that they should raise, in order to "set the mourning heart of the Queen to rest". An official statement of protest was made, stating a reminder of the king's oath always to treat the queen with respect when she abdicated in his favor, and that the whole kingdom was in mourning of the queen's sorrow, and concerned for the welfare of the king's soul. Two delegations from
6100-441: The only adult member of the royal house present in Sweden, aside from her grandmother, Queen Dowager Hedwig Eleonora. Already in late 1712, Charles XII had thoughts of making her regent during his absence. The royal council convinced her to be present at their meetings and give them her support. On 2 November 1713, she appeared at her first session, and a decision was made to assemble the Riksdag to declare her regent in her capacity as
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#17327731491326200-450: The policy of not displaying her feelings about the adultery for years. At the beginning of the affair, on one occasion she even walked publicly with Hedvig Taube in her effort to defend the reputation of her husband. During the Riksdag of 1738, the question of the king's adultery was raised by the clergy estate within the Riksdag of the Estates , and a letter of protest was presented to the king on 3 April 1739. The archbishop had already had
6300-516: The presence of the monarch. In 1710, she received a proposal from Prince Frederick of Hesse. The negotiations were handled by her favorite and confidante Emerentia von Düben . The marriage was supported by her grandmother Hedwig Eleonora, as the Queen Dowager thought this would force Ulrika Eleonora to leave Sweden for Hesse, increasing the chances for the son of Ulrika Eleonora's elder sister, Hedvig Sophia of Holstein-Gottorp, to become heir to
6400-403: The priest living in poverty. Continuing, the King found in the next village a church in disrepair and a priest living lavishly. The King solved the situation by switching the priests, giving the poor priest the lavish living condition and a church the King was certain he would rebuild. Always followed by a military cortège, Charles toured the country more than other Swedish kings during this era and
6500-465: The primary navy base in southern Sweden, which it remains to this day, is also named after him. Charles's Church in Tallinn , Estonia , is dedicated to Charles XI. The recognition of his sores and corpse didn't show the incorruptibility that medieval hagiographers believed to be a sign of Christian sainthood. In 1697 the same belief caused Charles's subjects to ask if "God had put the illness inside
6600-403: The relationship between Ulrika Eleonora and Frederick was described as a happy one, and before Frederick became monarch, he restricted himself to the role of her consort. After two miscarriages in 1715 and 1718 and at least until 1724, the Queen expressed hope that she would give birth to an heir, but ultimately her marriage was childless. King Frederick suggested placing his brother and his line in
6700-660: The right to inherit the throne, both for her and for her contestant, her nephew Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp . After having agreed to sign the new constitution as monarch, she was elected queen on 23 January 1719. On 19 February she signed the Instrument of Government (1719) , thereby securing the support of the Estates not to give the throne to her nephew and competitor. She was crowned in Uppsala Cathedral 17 March 1719 and made her formal entrance into Stockholm as monarch on 11 April that same year. During
6800-519: The throne, she did not intend to keep the Carolinian absolutism but agreed to reinstate the older system. The war council was determined to abolish absolutism and the right to inherit the throne, but was willing to acknowledge her as an elected monarch. Their opinion was supported by the majority of the Assembly of the Estates. Ulrika Eleonora was forced into agreeing to abolish absolute monarchy and
6900-468: The throne. The council was taken by surprise and did not contest this. She took control over the affairs of state and had Georg Heinrich von Görtz and his followers removed from power. The "Hesse Party" secured Ulrika Eleonora's succession to the throne. They gained the support of the Riksdag opposition, who wanted to end the absolute monarchy established in 1680 and reinstate parliamentary rule. On 15 December 1718, she declared that though she had inherited
7000-432: The throne. The engagement was announced on 23 January 1714, and the wedding took place 24 March 1715. During the wedding, her brother Charles XII remarked: "Tonight my sister is dancing away the crown". After her grandmother's death in 1715, she became the center of the court, and this was one of the happiest periods of her life. In 1715, she married Landgrave Frederick I of Hesse-Kassel . The marriage, which on her side
7100-408: The very rudiments of statecraft and almost illiterate . His main difficulties are now seen as evident signs of dyslexia , a disability that was poorly understood at the time. According to many contemporary sources, the king was considered poorly educated and therefore not qualified to conduct himself effectively in foreign affairs. Charles was dependent on his mother and advisors to interact with
7200-579: The war since, in September 1678, Christian V evacuated his army back to Zealand . In 1679, Louis XIV of France dictated the terms of a general pacification, and Charles XI, who is said to have bitterly resented "the insufferable tutelage" of the French king, was forced at last to acquiesce to a peace that managed to leave his empire practically intact. Peace was made with Denmark in the treaties of Fontainebleau (1679) and Lund , and with Brandenburg in
7300-718: The war, she had asked her brother if she could visit him, but was never permitted to. She met her brother for the first time after sixteen years in Vadstena in 1716, and after that one last time in Kristinehamn in 1718. On 5 December 1718, Ulrika Eleonora received the news of the death of her brother, Charles XII. It has never been claimed that she had any advance knowledge of the purported involvement of her husband's aide André Sicre , but she did immediately declare herself monarch in Uddevalla by stating that she had inherited
7400-503: Was a love-match, became another attempt to use her as a political puppet. Frederick had married her with the intent of reaching the throne, and immediately began plotting to have her named heir in place of her nephew. The "Hesse Party" and the " Holstein Party " stood against each other in the struggle for the throne. Ulrika Eleonora's situation began to change after the death of her older sister, Hedvig Sophia, in 1708. Ulrika Eleonora became
7500-428: Was about to be appointed Russian heir to the throne or at least be granted the Baltic provinces made him an attractive heir to the Swedish throne by those in Sweden wishing to restore the Swedish Empire , and ambassador Josias Cederhielm was sent to Russia. These plans were however prevented by Arvid Horn with support of the king and the ambassadors of France and Great Britain to prevent Sweden from being involved in
7600-560: Was actually the third King Charles. The numbering tradition thus begun still continues, with the present king of Sweden being Carl XVI Gustaf . Charles was born in the Stockholm Palace Tre Kronor in November 1655. His father, Charles X of Sweden , had left Sweden in July that year to fight in the war against Poland . After several years of warfare, the king returned in the winter of 1659, gathered his family and
7700-487: Was commemorated on the previous 500- kronor bill. His portrait is taken from one of Ehrenstrahl's paintings, possibly the one displayed on this page. The king is pictured on the bill since the Bank of Sweden was founded in 1668, during Charles' reign. The fortified town of Carlsburg near Bremen , at the site of modern Bremerhaven , was named after Charles XI. The Swedish town of Karlskrona , built during his reign to host
7800-494: Was confirmed by the Riksdag. She often spoke of the abdication as the greatest sacrifice of her life. Frederick succeeded her on 24 March 1720. The reign of her husband began the period traditionally known as the Age of Liberty , when the monarchy lost most of its power to a parliamentary system. As queen consort, she withdrew to private life. Ulrika Eleonora had married for love and was known to be fiercely loyal to Frederick. Initially,
7900-421: Was created in 1718 of those who favored Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp , son of Charles XII’s elder sister Hedvig Sophia of Sweden , as heir to the throne before that of Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden . The party lost to the followers of Ulrika Eleonora in 1719, and to her spouse and successor Frederick I of Sweden in 1720. But due to Frederick I’s plans to strengthen royal power with support of
8000-433: Was easily brought to tears. She was described as friendly, modest and dignified, with good posture and beautiful hands, but she was not regarded as either intelligent or attractive. Her grandmother, Hedwig Eleonora, described her as stubborn, and she was known to demonstrate her dislike of others or of events by simulating illness. She was a talented musician, and when performing with her sister at court concerts, she would play
8100-474: Was famous for the speed at which he travelled, setting many records. The stories of the Greycoat were published in a book by Arvid August Afzelius in the middle of the 19th century. Another important decision made during the assembly was that of the Swedish Privy Council . Since 1634, it had been mandatory for the king to take advice from the council. During the Scanian War, the members of
8200-412: Was impossible to cross the river and Charles had to wait for weeks until it froze over. This finally happened on 4 December and Charles launched a surprise attack on the Danish forces to fight the Battle of Lund . This was one of the bloodiest engagements of its time. Of the over 20,000 combatants, about 8,000 perished on the battlefield. All the Swedish commanders showed ability, but the chief glory of
8300-518: Was in fact in favour of an absolute monarchy. She had agreed to the new constitution only to secure the throne from her nephew, and her relations with the council were not good. She came into conflict with the president of the Privy Council Arvid Horn , who resigned in protest, as well as with his successor Gustaf Cronhielm . Horn criticized her for discussing state affairs with her husband, pressed her as to whether she would respect
8400-453: Was incapable of ruling. She duly accepted this task and handled the state affairs until after New Year's Eve 1738–39. During her second regency, she banned the newly founded Swedish theatre by refusing to extend their access to Bollhuset ; her reason for this was opposition toward the theatre among the clergy. The theatre, however, was restored the following year. Ulrika Eleonora was interested in jewelry and music. She enjoyed to participate in
8500-634: Was inexperienced and considered ill-served amidst what has been called the anarchy in the nation. He dedicated autumn in his newly formed camp in Scania to arm the Swedish nation for battle in the Scanian War . The Swedish soldiers in Scania were outnumbered and out-equipped by the Danes. In May 1676, they invaded Scania, taking Landskrona and Helsingborg , then proceeding through Bohuslän towards Halmstad . The King had to grow up quickly. He suddenly found himself alone and under great pressure. Victory at
8600-449: Was known to simulate illness and decline to leave her quarters when she felt insulted. Her dependency upon Emerentia von Düben has often been mentioned, but she had several additional friends, among them Hedvig Mörner , as well as her childhood friend Anna Fleming, who was her lady-in-waiting for thirty years. Queen Ulrika Eleonora died of smallpox in 1741. There were rumours that she had been poisoned, but these rumours were silenced when
8700-407: Was later made the god-mother of Louisa Ulrika of Prussia , who was named Ulrika after her. In 1702, a marriage to the future King George II of Great Britain was suggested, but was postponed, and in the end nothing came of it. Duke John William of Saxe-Gotha was given permission by her brother to court her, but the marriage plans were interrupted after he engaged in a duel with Anders Lagercrona in
8800-461: Was not a small matter for the Riksdag; not only because of the queen's popularity, but also because the queen had abdicated in favour of the king on the condition that she would succeed him if he should die before her, a condition which made the queen the heir to the throne. During the Riksdag of 1741, the matter of the king's adultery was, for the second time, raised in parliament by the clergy estate, this time by Bishop Erik Benzelius, who referred to
8900-399: Was notably brutal in his treatment of the locals. The rule of Rutger von Ascheberg (governor-general 1680–1693), proved more lenient. The assimilation was not as strongly implemented in the German dominions of Swedish Pomerania , Bremen-Verden , and the Baltic dominions ( Estonia and Livonia ). In Germany, Charles found himself being opposed by the Estates there. He was also bound by
9000-557: Was often followed. This influence was recognized. During the Riksdag of 1738, for example, the queen expressed her displeasure when Carl Gustaf Tessin was due to be elected to a post, which resulted in public protests which did not quiet down until Tessin had been received at the Royal Palace and allowed to kiss the bare hand of the queen, who assured him that she had no intention of interfering. The relationship between Ulrika Eleonora and Frederick changed after he became king, and it
9100-601: Was placed in the shadow of her mother-in-law. During "The Great Reversion" to the crown of counties, baronies and large lordships from the nobility, Ulrika tried to speak on the behalf of the people whose property was confiscated by the crown. But the king told her that the reason he had married her was not because he wanted her political advice. Instead, she helped people whose property had been confiscated by secretly compensating them economically from her own budget. However Charles XI's confidence in her grew over time: in 1690, he named her future Regent, should his son succeed him still
9200-578: Was put forth on his initiative. The church order declared that the king was ruler of the Church in the same way that he ruled the country and God ruled the world. Attending sermons on Sunday was made obligatory and ordinary people found walking during that time risked arrest. Three years later, he declared it obligatory for all commoners to learn to read a catechism written by archbishop Olov Svebilius and then-bishop Haqvin Spegel so that they would understand
9300-455: Was renamed for him ( Ulric's Dale ). Charles XI had complained of stomach pains since 1694. In the summer of 1696, he asked his doctors for an opinion on the pain as it had continuously become worse, but they had no viable cure or treatment for it. He continued to perform his duties as usual, but, in February 1697, the pains became too severe for him to cope and he returned to Stockholm where
9400-567: Was said that when she gave him the crown, she gave him his freedom. King Frederick had mistresses , and his extramarital affairs increased after he lost much of his royal authority in 1723. In 1734, Frederick became the first king in Swedish history to have an official mistress , the noblewoman Hedvig Taube , who was given the title Countess of Hessenstein. Ulrika Eleonora expressed her disapproval to her close confidant Emerentia von Düben , who convinced her never to display any public reaction to
9500-425: Was said to not have abused her influence – they were described as sisters. During her short reign, to secure support for her rule, she ennobled many families. In a period of fifteen months, she ennobled 181 people, more than any other monarch in Swedish history; one count, two barons and eight lesser noblemen every month. She had seven field marshals where her brother only ever had between three and five. Ulrika Eleonora
9600-400: Was succeeded by his only son Charles XII , who made use of the well-trained army in battles throughout Europe. Though Charles was crowned as Charles XI, he was not the 11th king of Sweden of that name. His father's name (as the 10th) was due to his great-grandfather, King Charles IX of Sweden (1604–1611), having adopted his own numeral by using a mythological History of Sweden. That ancestor
9700-425: Was the closest surviving relative of the late king (the idea of proximity of blood ) and cited the precedent of Queen Christina . She was recognized as successor by the Riksdag after she had agreed to renounce the powers of absolute monarchy established by her father. She abdicated in 1720, at which time her husband became king. After their mother's death in 1693, Ulrika Eleonora and her siblings were placed in
9800-399: Was the former guardian and Lord Chief Justice Magnus De La Gardie , who, among many other Estates, had to return the extravagant 248-room Läckö Castle . The reduction process involved the examination of every title deed in the kingdom, including the dominions , and it resulted in a complete readjustment of the nation's finances. According to Swedish legend, Charles XI travelled around
9900-414: Was to have the king leave with Taube, leaving the queen as regent of Sweden in his absence. After his departure, the queen's followers would present her with proof that the king had secretly married Taube, expecting the queen to respond by considering her marriage dissolved and agree to be reinstated as monarch. This planned coup never took place; the king never presented a request to leave for Hesse. During
10000-551: Was unmarried and childless, Ulrika Eleonora was regarded as a likely future heir to the throne, and was thereby attractive on the marriage market. In 1698, a marriage alliance was suggested by marrying her to Prince Charles of Denmark and her brother to Princess Sophia Hedwig of Denmark , but in 1700 this plan was discarded. In 1700, there were negotiations of a marriage to Frederick William I of Prussia , but nothing came of them. These plans were about to be put into effect when they were disrupted, without motivation, by her brother. She
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