Hedwig of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf
Princess Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotta of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf (born March 22, 1759 in Eutin , † June 20, 1818 in Stockholm ) was a member of the House of Holstein-Gottorp and, by marriage, Queen of Sweden and Norway .
Life
Hedwig was the daughter of Friedrich August , Prince-Bishop of Lübeck and Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and Oldenburg, and his wife, Landgravine Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hessen-Kassel . She was a niece of King Adolf Friedrich of Sweden and a cousin of Catherine II ( Catherine the Great ) Tsarina of Russia and Peter Friedrich Ludwig , Duke of Oldenburg .
Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotta grew up in Eutin. In 1774, at the age of 15, she married her cousin Karl, the Duke of Södermanland and later King Karl XIII. Her cheerful demeanor quickly made her popular at the Swedish court. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotta took her husband's constant infidelity calmly. The marriage was childless for a long time; their only child together, the son Karl Adolf, died in 1798 a few days after his birth.
Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotta stayed out of politics as queen; only after Gustav IV Adolf's deposition did she stand up for his son. From this point on she was regarded as the leading figure of the "Gustavians" and had a tense relationship with the circles that had forced Gustav IV Adolf to abdicate.
She was an attentive observer and tireless writer. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotta became famous for her so-called "diary" - consisting of 7000 pages covering the period from 1775 to 1817. Until 1800 the records were written in letter form (addressed to her closest friend, Sophie von Fersen , later married Countess Piper, sister of Axel von Fersen the Younger). From 1800 on, these are monthly summaries that are no longer in letter form. The term "diary" is therefore misleading. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotta's records are one of the most important sources of knowledge of the Gustavian Age .
Web links
| Predecessors | Office | Successor |
|---|---|---|
| Friederike von Baden |
Queen of Sweden 1809-1818 |
Désirée Clary |
| Marie of Hessen-Kassel | Queen of Norway 1814-1818 |
Désirée Clary |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hedwig of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotta von (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Queen of Sweden and Norway |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 22, 1759 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Eutin |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 20, 1818 |
| Place of death | Stockholm |