Swedish Queen Ulrika Eleonora sister of Charles xll. Portrait of Ulrika-Eleanor (and an anecdote about artists as a bonus). Far from power

Even as a child, Odin gave me a brave heart.
The Saga of Olaf Tryggvasson

Father Charles XII Charles XI was born on November 24, 1655 and was enthroned at the age of five. Nothing foreshadowed in him the future unlimited ruler of Sweden. Charles XI grew up as a shy young man who, at meetings of the State Council, timidly whispered his opinion into the ear of the presiding mother. A turning point in his character occurred after the battle with the Danes at Lund (1676), where Charles XI, who commanded the right wing of the Swedes, put the left flank of the Danes to flight and decided the outcome of the battle.

Charles XI at the Battle of Lund

During the war with Denmark, the king concentrated all power in his hands and became a dictator in the ancient Roman, military sense of the word. But he was not seduced by the military field, but used his power to carry out a reduction - the seizure of a significant part of the noble lands in favor of the treasury. The ambition of Charles XI was manifested in the fact that he wanted to achieve an “ideal budget”, which he succeeded in, bringing order to public finances.

Charles XI

The king also finished church reform, begun by Gustav I. In 1686, a law was passed on the subordination of the Church to royal power. Archbishop Olof Swebelius wrote a special catechism, which became mandatory throughout the kingdom. The only legitimate spiritual food was recognized as official school textbooks, and then the book of psalms, the authors of which were famous Swedish poets Hakvin Spegel, Jesper Svedberg and others.

Simultaneously with the growth of prosperity and education in Sweden, as in other countries Western Europe, the “witch hunt” expanded. In this matter, the Swedish clergy showed no less zeal than the papists so hated by them. So, in 1669, in Dalecarlia, an unknown illness was discovered in children, accompanied by fainting and spasms. The children said that witches took them to the Sabbath at night. A church commission interrogated 300 children using torture. According to their testimony, 84 adult and 15 juvenile heretics were burned; 128 children were flogged at the church doors every day for a long time. Lawyers tried to challenge the children’s testimony, but theologians referred to the text of the Bible, which says that “through the mouth of a child the truth speaks,” and the executions continued.

Crown political activity The king was the decision of the Riksdag of 1693, which officially described Charles XI as “an autocratic, ordering and disposing of everything king, not answerable to anyone on earth for his actions.” Thus the doctrine of absolutism was solemnly proclaimed. However, Charles XI continued to turn to the Riksdag for support. The country had to fully regret the recklessness of this decision a little later, already under Charles XII, when nothing could force the king to stop the war that had become senseless.
The irrepressible lust for power of Charles XI left behind a contradictory memory. The opinion of supporters of state centralization was best expressed by King Oscar II: “The reduction of Charles XI was necessary, but it was carried out heartlessly and too strictly. He created, on the ruins of a provincial aristocracy with federal convictions, an official hierarchy faithful to duty and the royal house... the state treasury was enriched as a result of strict economy and honest management, the courts were incorruptible, trade relations were established with the most distant countries, the army was reorganized and perfectly armed, a strong and well-trained fleet ruled the Baltic Sea."

The Swedish nobility, through the mouth of one of its representatives, composed a eulogy for him in a slightly different spirit: “Blessed be the memory of the great economist of the state, Charles XI, who deprived my grandfather of five estates. God forbid that he should be resurrected on the Day of Judgment among the saints, for then he will give us canvas made of combs instead of snow-white silk robes and juniper branches instead of the promised palm branches. He will make the Lord God himself think about frugality.”
Apparently, Charles XII was supposed to receive a very good inheritance.

2. Education

In 1680, Charles XI married the Danish princess Ulrike Eleonora. From this marriage, early in the morning of June 17, 1682, an heir was born in the Stockholm palace, named Karl.

According to legend, many signs and omens surrounded his cradle (to this day it is one of the precious historical relics of Sweden), contributing to the growth of popular hopes for the baby’s brilliant future.

Allegory written by Ehrenstrael (1629-1698) in connection with the birth of Prince Charles

Charles XII had six siblings: Princess Jadwiga Sophia was born a year earlier, Prince Gustav in 1683, Ulrich in 1684, Frederick in 1685, Carl Gustav in 1686 and Princess Ulrika Eleonora in 1688. Charles XII subsequently had especially tender feelings for his younger sister and called him mon coeur (my heart) in his letters; she succeeded him, taking the rank of king in 1719.

From left to right: King Charles XI, his mother— Queen Dowager Hedwig Eleonora,
Prince Charles (future Charles XII), Charles XI's aunt Maria Euphrosyne, Princess Hedwig Sophia
(eldest sister of Charles XII), Queen Ulrika Eleonora (mother of Charles XII).
Above them is a portrait of Charles X (father of Charles XI)

Little Karl spent the first years of his life under the beneficial influence of his mother. It was she who sowed in him the seeds of religiosity, justice and purity of morals that distinguished Karl in adulthood. At the same time, the heir revealed an innate will and pride, which in childhood inevitably took the form of stubbornness. So, one day a boy declared that dark blue was essentially black, and they could not convince him. Another time, the nanny, who needed to go away for a while, sat Karl in a chair and made him promise not to get up until she returned. After some time, the queen entered the room to take her son with her to church, but all her persuasion to get up and go with her turned out to be useless until the nanny arrived.

Prince Charles with his mother

The Queen did not want these qualities to become stronger in the child over time. She closely watched Karl and took care of his lessons herself. The best teachers were assigned to the heir. At the age of four, Karl received the royal advisor Count Erik Lindschöld as his uncle, and later his teacher became the famous professor of eloquence (eloquence) at Uppsala University Norchepensky (in the Latin version - Norcopensis), who was later elevated to the nobility under the surname Nordenhielm; Karl, it seems, chose the latter himself from several teachers offered to him by his parents. The teachers received instructions, which, among other things, said: “Although there are many reasons due to which sovereigns and their children are carried away by arrogance and self-will, for the most part these bad qualities arise from their own imagination or as a result of the speeches of flatterers, from which comes the false opinion that the royal children, placed above other children, can do or not do what they want.” Nordenhielm had great influence to the heir and enjoyed his constant respect.

The first book that Charles was given to read to introduce him to his own and neighboring states was the work of the 17th century German lawyer Samuel Pufendorf. Nordenhielm quickly discovered the main spring in the heir's character - ambition - and successfully used his discovery to break his stubbornness. Thus, while learning foreign languages, Karl showed a great tendency to German language, which he spoke as if it were his native language. But he had an undisguised aversion to Latin. Then Nordenhielm told him that the Polish and Danish kings knew her perfectly. Karl immediately changed his attitude towards Latin and studied it so well that he used it in conversation all his life. The same tool helped when studying French— Karl learned it, although subsequently he almost never used it. When the teacher noticed to him that knowledge of this language could be useful if he needed to talk with the French ambassador in person, the heir proudly replied:
“If I meet the King of France, I will speak to him in his language, but if the French ambassador comes here, then it is more fitting for him to learn Swedish for my sake than for me to learn French for his sake.”

The boy's enormous ambition was revealed in many other cases. When Nordenhielm, reading with the heir the work of Quintus Curtius about Alexander the Great, asked his opinion about this commander, Charles replied:
“I think I would like to be like him.”
“But he lived only thirty-two years,” Nordenhielm objected.
“Isn’t that enough when he has conquered so many kingdoms?” - Karl said arrogantly.

These words were conveyed to his father, who exclaimed: “Here is a child who will be better than me and go further than Gustavus the Great!”

Another time in his father's office, Karl became interested in two geographical maps: one of them depicted a Hungarian city taken by the Turks from the German emperor; the other is Riga, conquered by the Swedes. Under the first card was written a saying from the Book of Job: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” The prince read the inscription, took a pencil and wrote on the map of Riga: “God gave it to me, the devil will not take it away from me.”

Prince Charles as a child

Unfortunately, Karl's upbringing remained unfinished. On August 5, 1693, Queen Ulrika Eleonora died. Rumor blamed the king for her death. Indeed, in recent years Charles XI treated her poorly. Every day, victims of the reduction carried out by the king crowded around the Stockholm palace. Ulrika Eleonora gave them her money, jewelry, furniture and even dresses. When her funds were exhausted, she threw herself in tears at her husband’s feet, asking him to help the unfortunate. Charles XI rudely interrupted her:
“Madam, we married you to have children from you, and not to listen to your opinions.”

From then on, he treated her so harshly that, by all accounts, this brought her end closer. Karl grieved so much over the loss of his mother that he fell into a fever, which then turned into smallpox, which, however, did not leave any marks. A year later Nordenhielm also died; Lindskiöld died even earlier. Together with these people, the good genius left little Karl. The new teachers assigned to him, Count Nils Guldenstolpe and clerical adviser Thomas Polus, could not completely replace the dead - the heir was gradually left to his own devices. In addition, Charles XI, a passionate hunter, often took his son with him, disrupting the course of his studies. In his interactions with his father, Charles acquired the habits of an unlimited sovereign.
Karl's development progressed very quickly. At the age of 14-15, contemporaries paint his character with the same colors that will prevail in him later.

3. King

At the beginning of 1697, Bishop Dr. Benzelius prepared Charles for the first communion of the Holy Mysteries; the heir received communion the day after the last performance of this sacrament over his dying father. Charles XI died at the forty-second year of his life from stomach cancer.

Death mask of Charles XI

Charles XII ascended the throne on April 14, 1697 at the age of 14 years 10 months, taking possession of Sweden, Finland, Livonia, Karelia, Ingria, the cities of Wismar, Vyborg, the islands of Rügen and Ezel, the best part of Pomerania, the duchies of Bremen and Verden - lands, assigned to Sweden by international treaties and fear of the Swedish army.

A difficult situation immediately arose: Charles XI’s will did not precisely define the date of Charles XII’s coming of age, but only appointed a regency of five guardians under the chairmanship of Charles XII’s grandmother Jadwiga Eleanor of Holstein until the more “mature” age of the new king, as stated in the will. As a result, the regency immediately turned into a tangle of intrigues between rival parties at court. Jadwiga Eleonora was already at an advanced age, which made her natural dementia excusable; Of the regents, who were distinguished by their spinelessness, only Count Bengt Oxenstierna had influence on state affairs. The regents were opposed by the French party, represented by Christopher Gyllenstierna, Fabian Wrede, Wallenstedt, Gyllenstolpe and others, and by the pro-Danish aristocracy, which, due to its impotence, soon merged with the supporters of France.

Little information has been preserved about this period. The people's dissatisfaction with the rule of the nobles, love for the dashing king and the famine that broke out in the country accelerated the coup. Charles XII had already managed during the terrible fire that destroyed royal palace, for the first time publicly show his inherent dexterity and fortitude: he left the smoking ruins of the castle against his will, yielding to the insistence of the courtiers. His popularity increased. The name of Charles XII united his favorites, senators who were not included in the regency, the aristocracy who hated the regents as supporters of reduction, officers who hoped for promotion, and the people who, as usual, had high hopes for the young king.
Subsequent events developed rapidly. One day at the beginning of November 1697, Charles reviewed several regiments. With him was his favorite Karl Pieper, an energetic, intelligent, ambitious fat man, a representative of a poor noble family. The king was lost in thought.
“Dare I ask Your Majesty what you are thinking about so seriously?” - asked Pieper.

“I think,” answered Karl, “that I feel worthy to command these brave men and that I would not want me or them to receive orders from a woman.”

Pieper decided to take advantage of the opportunity to take a high position, fulfilling a more than transparent hint from his master. He conveyed the king's words to Count Axel Sparre, an ardent man who was also looking for an opportunity to attract attention. Sparre took on the role of intermediary in relations with the court parties. In a short time, he gained the support of almost all influential people.

The Riksdag was urgently convened. Among the noble deputies, the French party prevailed, which stood for the speedy provision of Charles's rights to adulthood. On the morning of November 8, in the noble chamber, the king’s supporters shouted down the cautious ones, silenced those who resisted, and laughed at the doubters. A deputation was immediately sent to the State Council, which was at that time in the cathedral. All members of the council, including Jadwiga Eleonora, agreed with the decision of the nobles with some feverish haste.

Other classes also hastily announced their agreement, only the clergy exhorted them not to rush and showed persistence, “later called respect for the law,” according to Oscar II.

According to the decision of the Riksdag in 1604, the Swedish king came of age at the age of eighteen. Charles was only fifteen (which perhaps explains the vagueness of Charles XI’s will), but after the announcement of the decision of the noble chamber, everyone began to enthusiastically throw their hats at the ceiling and shout: “Vivat rex Carolus!” (Long live King Charles!). There was almost no clergy; the next day it again called for prudence, but the adult king could no longer be made a minor again.

In the evening, the leader of the nobility, at the head of representatives of the estates, at an audience expressed a desire for Charles to declare himself sovereign. The king readily announced his decision “to rule the country with the help of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” The estates swore an oath of loyalty and obedience, and mercilessness of goods, belly and blood. Subsequently, Charles XII had no reason to complain about the infidelity of the Swedes, and his subjects - that the king forgot even a word from their oath: he demanded from them the first, and the second, and the third.

So, three days after the conversation with Pieper and less than ten hours after the start of the Riksdag meeting, a coup d'etat took place - the “political Narva” of Charles XII. On November 29, 1697, the king took the reins of government into his hands.

Charles XII in coronation robes

The king rode into Stockholm on a red horse shod with silver, with a scepter in his hand and a crown on his head, amid the enthusiastic shouts of the crowd. The Archbishop of Uppsala performed the rites of anointing and coronation over him. When he was ready to place the crown on Charles’s head, he snatched it from his hands and crowned himself, proudly looking at the prelate. The audience greeted this gesture with wild applause. Thus, Charles took away from the Church the only right in relation to the king that it still had from the times of Catholicism.

Charles XII in his youth

Having become an unlimited monarch at such an early age, Charles wanted to show the habits of an adult husband and did not convene the Council of State for two years. He decided matters in the bedroom, consulting mainly with his favorites, among whom the first role for a long time passed to Pieper, who became a count and first minister.

However, Karl did not particularly burden himself with government concerns. It gave him even greater pleasure to break chairs and candelabra in the palace with his peers, shoot at marble statues in the halls and give wine to a tame bear for the amusement of the court. If glass rattled and flew out in Stockholm houses at night, the townspeople knew: it was the young king having fun; if a belated passer-by met a noisy gang on the street riding on horseback in their shirts, he had no doubt: it was the young king who was making fun of him; if shots were heard in the Diet hall of the palace, the courtiers were not afraid, knowing that it was the young king who was hunting... It is possible that these inclinations of Charles also influenced the decision of the nobility to transfer power to him - the absolutism of Charles XI was imposed on everyone.

Karl divided his free time between heroic pastimes - hunting, a passion for which was encouraged by the Duke of Holstein, married to Karl's older sister, and war games under the guidance of the teacher of military sciences, Quartermaster General Stuart.

Military legend was strong in Sweden as nowhere else in Europe. Only through wars did the country acquire the importance that it had, and only through wars could it be preserved. A series of brilliant warriors on the throne of Vasa accomplished what seemed only possible in the ancient sagas.

Karl grew up in an atmosphere of heroic legends. Since childhood, he was so keen on reading sagas that Nordenhielm even warned him against wasting too much time in this activity. The sagas had a strong influence on his imagination. Seven-year-old Karl had already expressed a desire to entrust the reign to his brother while he himself traveled around the world with his retinue. This passion has not faded with age. As a young man, he became interested in reading chivalric novels, voraciously read the multi-volume “Gedeon de Maxibrandard”, where the king, among other things, hands his son a scepter with the words: “I spent my days in peace, but you have to constantly fight with robbers and rebels, with lions and leopards, with fire and water. Yes, the world will be amazed at the suffering that you will have to endure: anger and envy and persecution from scorpions and snakes that will block the path of you and yours. But after long and hard work, you will finally achieve your goal.” Karl's subsequent life would turn out to be an almost literal fulfillment of this parting word.

Of course, it is a rare boy who does not dream of adventures and exploits, but for Karl this was not a simple play of the imagination. Already as a child, he began to lead a corresponding lifestyle: at the age of 4 he sat on a small horse to attend troop maneuvers; at the age of 12 he wrote with delight about the pleasure of riding royal horses. At the age of seven he shot his first fox while hunting; at the age of 11 - the first bear. The courtiers present were especially surprised by the composure with which the boy pointed the gun at the approaching beast.

In the hunt, Karl was looking not for prey, but for glory, as befits a Viking. Having matured, he was not satisfied with the existing hunting rules, but issued a decree that on royal hunts they should only go after a bear with a spear or knife (like the ancient knights), and he himself, according to his biographer Frixel, did this many times. His companions watched in horror as the huge beast stood up on its hind legs and walked towards the king, spewing a hot stench from its mouth along with a roar. One day the bear rushed at Karl so quickly that he managed to tear off his wig. But the king found this method of hunting insufficiently chivalrous and too profitable for the hunter - and began to go after the bear with a pitchfork and a club. He knocked the animal over with a pitchfork, and his comrades tied the hind legs in a noose. The hunt in Kungöer became especially famous, in which eighteen-year-old Karl stunned a bear that rushed at him with such powerful blows of his club that the clubfoot was brought in a sleigh in a faint state.

Karl also loved other fun activities that involved danger to life, such as horse racing. He then rushed around thin ice bays and lakes, often falling through the ice, he ascended such steep mountains that one day he toppled over along with his horse.

One day in the spring at four o’clock in the morning, accompanied by a guards captain, he went out onto the ice, which had already fallen behind the shore. The officer reined in the horse.

-Are you afraid? - the king asked him.
“I’m not afraid for myself, but for the eminent person of Your Majesty,” answered the guardsman.

But Karl pulled the reins and galloped across the ice. When he reached the other shore, it turned out that a strip of water several meters wide had formed between the shore and the ice. It was impossible to jump over it, as the king loved to do. Then Karl spurred his horse, went waist-deep into ice water, but made it safely to land.
The Duke of Holstein incited Charles to even more dangerous antics. One day, on a dare, the king sat astride a newly caught deer. Another time, the Duke boasted that he would cut off the head of a calf with one blow of his saber. Hearing this, Karl perked up. For several days, calves and sheep were brought into the palace, and Charles and the Duke cut off their heads and threw them out of the windows into the street.

The king did not forget about military exercises, which he also accustomed himself to since childhood. At the age of 6, he ordered the construction of a fortress with bastions in order to get acquainted with various types fortifications; I listened with enthusiasm to lectures on fortification and tactics.

At the age of thirteen, he already enthusiastically rushed into maneuvers into the very thick of the “enemy” cavalry, regardless of bruises and abrasions. He literally lost his mind from pleasure.

Karl accustomed himself to the hardships of war: at night he moved to sleep from the bed to the floor; When I was 17, I spent three December nights in a hay barn. It is no coincidence that the Swedish king subsequently served as one of Suvorov’s favorite models.

It was on one of the hunts that Charles XII heard the news of the beginning of the Northern War, which became his first and only life-long war.

Ulrika Eleonora was a Swedish queen who reigned from 1718-1720. She is the younger sister of Charles XII. And her parents are Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark and Charles XI. In this article we will describe short biography Swedish ruler.

Potential regent

Ulrika Eleonora was born in Stockholm Castle in 1688. As a child, the girl was not much spoiled with attention. Her elder sister Gedviga Sofia was considered her parents' favorite daughter.

In 1690, Ulrika Eleanor of Denmark was named by Charles as a possible regent in the event of his death, provided that their son did not reach adulthood. But due to frequent childbirth, the health of the king’s wife deteriorated greatly. After the winter of 1693 she was gone.

The Legend of the Queen's Death

There is a legend on this topic. It says that when Karl's wife was dying in the palace, Maria Stenbock (her favorite maid of honor) was lying sick in Stockholm. On the night when Ulrika Eleonora passed away, Countess Stenbock arrived at the palace and was allowed into the deceased’s room. One of the officers looked into the room and saw the Countess and the Queen talking by the window. The soldier's shock was so great that he began to cough up blood. Around the same time, Maria and her crew seemed to disappear. An investigation began, during which it turned out that that night the Countess was seriously ill and did not leave her house. The officer died of shock, and Stenbock died a little later. Karl personally gave the order never to talk about what happened anywhere.

Marriage and authority

In 1714, King Ulrika's daughter Eleonora was engaged to Frederick of Hesse-Kassel. A year later their wedding took place. The princess's authority grew significantly, and those close to Charles XII had to take her opinion into account. The girl's sister, Gedviga Sophia, died in 1708. Therefore, in fact, Ulrika and Karl's mother were the only representatives of the Swedish royal family.

At the beginning of 1713, the monarch already wanted to make his daughter a temporary regent of the country. But he did not carry out this plan. On the other hand, the royal council wanted to enlist the support of the princess, so they persuaded her to attend all its meetings. At the first meeting where Ulrika was present, they decided to convene the Riksdag (parliament).

Some participants were in favor of appointing Eleanor as regent. But the royal council and Arvid Gorn were against it. They feared that new difficulties would arise with the change in government. Subsequently, Charles XII allowed the princess to sign all documents emanating from the council, except those sent to him personally.

Fight for the throne

In December 1718, Ulrika Eleonora learned of the death of her brother. She took this news calmly and forced everyone to call herself queen. The council did not oppose this. Soon the girl gave the order for the arrest of supporters of Georg Goertz and canceled all the decisions that came from his pen. At the end of 1718, at the convening of the Riksdag, Ulrika expressed a desire to abolish the autocracy and return the country to its previous form of government.

The Swedish military high command voted to abolish absolutism, not recognize the right of succession, and award Eleanor the title of queen. Members of the Riksdag had a similar position. But in order to gain the support of the royal council, the girl announced that she had no right to the throne.

Swedish Queen Ulrika Eleonora

At the beginning of 1719, the princess renounced hereditary rights to the throne. After that, she was proclaimed queen, but with one caveat. Ulrika approved a form of government composed by the estates. According to this document, most of her power passed into the hands of the Riksdag. In March 1719, Eleanor's coronation took place in Uppsala.

The new ruler was unable to cope with the difficulties that arose when she assumed a new position. Ulrika's influence dropped significantly after disagreements with the head of the Chancellery A. Gorn. She also did not have a good relationship with his successors - Krunjelm and Sparre.

Upon ascending the throne, the Swedish Queen Ulrika Eleonora wanted to share power with her husband. But in the end she was forced to abandon this idea due to the persistent resistance of the nobility. The inability to adapt to the new constitution, the autocracy of the ruler, as well as the influence of her husband on her decisions gradually pushed government officials to the desire to replace the monarch.

New King

Ulrika's husband Friedrich of Hesse began to actively work in this direction. To begin with, he became close to A. Gorn. Thanks to this, in 1720 he was elected Landmarshal at the Riksdag. Soon, Queen Ulrika Eleonora submitted a petition to the estates to rule jointly with her husband. This time her proposal was met with disapproval. On February 29, 1720, the heroine of this article abdicated the throne in favor of her husband, Frederick of Hesse-Kassel. There was only one stipulation - in the event of his death, the crown was returned to Ulrike. On March 24, 1720, Eleanor's husband became monarch of Sweden under the name Frederick I.

Far from power

Ulrika before last days was interested in public affairs. But after 1720 she distanced herself from them, preferring to engage in charity work and reading. Although from time to time the former ruler replaced her husband on the throne. For example, in 1731 during his trip abroad or in 1738 when Frederick became seriously ill. It is worth noting that, replacing her husband on the throne, she showed only her best qualities. November 24, 1741 is the date when Ulrika Eleonora died in Stockholm. The Swedish queen left no descendants.

Portrait of Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-89) by David Beck.

As already mentioned, Sinebryukhov preferred primarily portraits, so in his collection huge amount portraits of the Swedish royal family and other representatives of the European aristocracy.

Anna Beata Klin. King Gustav II Adolf (1594-1632), king since 1611, of the Vasa dynasty. He became famous during the thirty-year war in Germany, where he was killed.

David Beck. Queen Christina (1626-89), daughter and heir of Gustav II Adolf. Following the example of Queen Elizabeth of England, she decided to remain unmarried, was interested in science and the arts, in 1654 she abdicated the throne in favor of a relative, went to travel to Italy and became a Catholic. A few years later she tried to regain her throne, but the Swedes did not like her extravagance, and she continued to travel around Europe and Italy.

Queen Hedviga Eleonora (1636-1715), wife of King Charles X of Sweden, mother of Charles XI, daughter of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, ruler of Sweden during her son’s childhood in 1660-72. and grandson of Charles XII in 1697, and also regent during the Northern War, when Charles XII was in the army in 1700-13.

Andreas von Behn. Queen Hedviga Eleonora of Sweden

Charles XI (1655-97), king of Sweden from 1660, nephew of Christina, son of Hedwig-Eleanor, father of Charles XII

Johan Starbus. Queen Ulrika Eleanor "the elder" (1656-93), wife of Charles XI, daughter of King Frederick III of Denmark. The king loved his wife very much, but only his mother was considered a queen. Ulrika-Eleanor was actively involved in charity work.

David Kraft. Charles XII (1682-1718), King of Sweden from 1697. The famous rival of Peter I in the Northern War.

David Kraft. Karl Friedrich Holstein Gottorp as a child. Karl-Friedrich Duke of Holstein (1700-39), nephew of Charles XII (son of his sister Hedwig) and son-in-law of Peter I. In 1718, he laid claim to the Swedish throne. In 1725-27 was a member of the Supreme Privy Council of Russia.

Tsesarevna Anna Petrovna (1708-28), daughter of Peter I, wife of Karl-Friedrich of Holstein, mother of Peter III.

Karl Friedrich Merck. King Frederik I (1676-1751), son-in-law of Charles XII, husband of his younger sister Ulrika Eleonora, was elected king of Sweden in 1720. Under him, the Peace of Nystad was concluded with Russia, associated with the loss of many eastern possessions by Sweden. In order to remain on the throne despite his personal unpopularity, the king transferred great powers to parliament - the Riksdag, stepped away from affairs, took a mistress, Hedwig Taube, whom he married in 1741 after the death of Queen Ulrika.

Johan Starbus Queen Ulrika Eleonora “the young” (1688-1741), sister of Charles XII, Queen of Sweden in 1718-20, ceded control to her husband Frederick I. In order to become queen, bypassing her nephew, Ulrika-Eleonora proposed to parliament to abolish the right of inheritance and make royal power is elected and limited. Later she was involved in charity work.

Lawrence Pach. King Adolf Frederick of Sweden (1710-71), king since 1751, representative of the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty, in his youth was the guardian of the future Peter III. Portrait 1760.

Lawrence Pach. Queen Lovisa Ulrika (1720-82), 1770, wife of King Adolf Frederick, daughter of King Frederick William I of Prussia.

Alexander Roslin. King Gustav III. 1775. (1746-92). The son of Adolf Friedrich fought with Russia, tried to expand civil liberties in Sweden, then establish his absolute power, and was killed by the conspirators.

Alexander Roslin Queen Sophia Magdalene (1746-1813), 1775. Wife of Gustav III since 1766, daughter of King Frederick V of Denmark. In Sweden, the queen faced a lot of trouble: she was hated by the king’s mother, who wanted respect only for herself, and her husband Gustav III called his wife “ cold and icy” and did not enter into marital relations for a long time, until finally the need to have an heir forced the spouses to live together. The queen shunned life at court; after the murder of her husband, she was engaged in charity work.

Johan Eric Bolinder. King Gustav IV Adolf (1778-1837), son of Gustav III. Interested in Russia, tried to marry the granddaughter of Catherine II Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, but the engagement did not take place due to the bride’s refusal to become a Lutheran. The deterioration of relations with Russia cost the king dearly; in 1809, Sweden lost Finland, and the king lost his throne. Former king went to travel around Europe, divorced his wife and died in Switzerland.

Leonard Ornbeck. King Gustav IV as a child. 1779

Elisa Arnberg Queen Frederica Dorothea (1781-1826). The marriage of King Gustav IV of Sweden and the sister of Princess Elizabeth Alekseevna, Princess of Baden, contributed to the negative attitude towards Princess Elizabeth at the Russian court. After Gustav IV abdicated the throne, Queen Frederica moved away from him, believing that they no longer needed children in exile. After her divorce in 1812, she supposedly entered into a secret marriage with Jean Polier-Vernland, her children's tutor.

Cornelius Heuer Princess Sophia Albertina (1753-1829), 1785. Sister of Gustav III, from 1767 abbess of Quedlinburg Abbey in Germany, which for a Lutheran did not carry a vow of celibacy. Her brother tried to marry her off to one of the European princes, but Sophia-Albertina fell in love with Count Frederick William of Hessestein (1735-1808), the illegitimate son of King Frederick I and Hedwig Taube. Gustav III forbade them to marry, but the princess gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Sophia, in 1786, and did so in a public hospital, where she could hide her face. After this, in 1787, the princess was sent to manage her abbey in Germany. In her old age, the princess returned to the Swedish court and was respected under the new Bernadotte dynasty.

Cornelius Heuer. Charles XIII (1748-1818) when he was Duke of Sundermanlad. Brother of Gustav III. Elected King of Sweden in 1809 after the abdication of his nephew Gustav IV.

Anders Gustav Andresson Queen Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte (1759-1818), wife of Charles XIII, daughter of the Duke of Oldenburg, married since 1775. The couple had only two children, who died in infancy.

Axel Jacob Gillberg. Portrait of Charles XIV Johan, (1763-1844), king since 1818. Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was one of the brilliant Napoleonic marshals (1804), received the title Prince of Ponte-Corvo from Napoleon, received an officer's rank even under royal power (which was rare for a non-nobleman), supported Napoleon's rise to power, a member of the State Council of France, won a number of military victories, but adhered to republican views, which became the reason for the cooling of relations with Napoleon. However, what republican would not refuse to become king? The childless King of Sweden, Charles XIII, chose Bernadotte as his successor. Bernadotte agreed, became a Lutheran, then a king, despite Napoleon in 1812 he supported an alliance with Russia.

John William Card Way Queen Desiderie, 1820. Desiree Clary (1777-1860) was Napoleon's fiancée in 1795, but Bonoparte chose to marry Josephine Beauharnais. In 1798, Desiree married Marshal Bernadotte, after he was elected heir to the Swedish throne, she came to Sweden, but she did not like the cold climate, and she returned to France, where she lived until 1823, supporting the Bonoparte family, only in 1829 she was crowned in Sweden, but continued to periodically travel to Paris.

Johan Wilem Karl Way. King Oscar I of Sweden when he was Crown Prince (1799-1859), portrait painted in 183-40. Son of Charles XIV Johan.

Elise Arnberg Josephine Crown Princess of Sweden (1807-76), wife of Oscar I, née Princess of Leuchtenberg, granddaughter of Empress Josephine of Beauharnais.

Johan Wilem Karl Way. Charles XV (1826-72) when he was crown prince. King of Sweden, son of Oscar I

Princess Eugenie (1830-89), daughter of Oscar I, was distinguished by fragile health from childhood and at the same time a desire for independence, and was involved in charity and art.

You look at these Swedish monarchs, and somehow there are not enough beautiful faces. Our Romanovs or some Habsburgs are much more beautiful. What is the reason? Are Swedish artists so unprofessional that they couldn’t embellish their monarchs? Or were the Scandinavian monarchs born inconspicuous in the meager northern sun?
Let's now look at the portraits of monarchs of other countries from Sinebrykhov's collection.

Jean Louis Petit. Anne of Austria, Queen of France (1601-66), wife of Louis XIII.

Anthony van Dyck. Margaret of Lorraine (1615-72), princess, daughter of Francois II Duke of Lorraine, wife of Jean-Baptiste-Gaston Duke of Orleans, brother of King Louis XIII of France.

Nicholas Dixon. Queen Mary Second of England and Scotland (1662-94), daughter of King James II, wife of King William III of Orange, ascended the throne after her father was overthrown by the Glorious Revolution in 1688.

Joseph I. 1710 Holy Roman Emperor of the Habsburg dynasty (1678-1711), ally of Charles XII of Sweden

Karl Guchstav Pilo. Louise Queen of Denmark (1724-51), daughter of George II of Great Britain, wife of Frederick V of Denmark, mother of Christian VII

Cornelius Heuer. Christian VII of Denmark (1749-1808), King of Denmark from 1766, allegedly suffered from schizophrenia, the country was ruled either by his wife or his stepmother.

Louis Sicardi. Portrait of King Louis XVI of France (1754-93). 1783. The King in 1774-92.

Eloise Arnberg. Queen of France Marie Antoinette (1755-93).

Elisa Arnberg. Count Axel Fersen the Younger (1755-1810), a close associate of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, a supporter of the deposed King Gustav IV of Sweden, was killed by a mob on suspicion of political murder.

Francois Dumont Countess of Provence. Marie-Joséphine-Louise of Savoy (1753-1810) - wife of the Count of Provence, brother of Louis XVI, the future king of France Louis XVIII.

Per Köhler. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) when he was first consul. Bonoparte was first consul in 1799-1804, concentrating the administration of France in his hands.

Abraham Constantin Josephine Beauharnais (1763-1814), née Tacher della Pagerie, wife of Napoleon in her second marriage.

Also, her portrait, which makes it clear why Josephine was called “the beautiful Creole”

Bodo Winzel. Amalia Augusta Eugenia, Empress of Brazil (1812-73), granddaughter of Josephine Beauharnais, since 1829 wife of Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil (aka Pedro IV King of Portugal, d. 1834).

Georg Raab. Maximilian of Habsburg (1832-67), Archduke of Austria. 1851. The brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria was the groom of the daughter of Princess Marie-Amelie of Brazil (1831-53), depicted in the previous portrait of Amalia-Augusta Beauharnais, who died on the eve of the wedding from tuberculosis. Despite his subsequent marriage to Charlotte of Belgium, Maximilian remembered his bride all his life, becoming interested in Brazil and South America, he attempted to restore the monarchy in Mexico and was executed by the revolutionaries.

Chevalier de Chateaubourg. George IV (1762-1830), King of Great Britain from 1820, regent from 1811.

Princess Juliana of Schaumburg-Lippe, possibly wife of Philip II Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, née Hesse-Philippstahl (1761-99)

Jeremy David Alexander Fiorino. Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony (1794-1870), writer and librettoist

About the Sinebrychoff Museum in Helsinki

Against the backdrop of events in Ukraine, the glory and shame of Hetman Mazepa, covered by his European choice in favor of the Swedish king Charles XII, somehow faded.
However, the story of the Swedish king and commander, who was shot in the head, is shrouded in mystery, which brings us to the story of the Kaulbars fitting, hanging in the Knights' Hall of the Art Museum in St. Petersburg.

A little about this secret george_rooke on the death of Charles XII

While everyone is holding their breath, wondering "What do crests have there?", we will digress a little from the narrative outline and talk a little about a character with whom I have long become close, since the time I wrote "The Struggle for the Spanish Heritage".

Swedish sappers carry the body of Charles XII.

If anyone carefully read the previous description, they should have concluded that the bullet hit the king’s head LEFT.
However, if we look at the photo of his skull:


Then we will see that the bullet entered RIGHT!
That is, they did not shoot from the side of the fortress walls of Fridriksten!
Moreover, the court physician Melchior Neumann announced that the bullet that killed the king flew from the fortress - to left temple. But the sappers who carried away the king claimed that wound in right temple- the shot was made from a trench.
The first opening of the king's sarcophagus was done in 1746, and it turned out that Neumann LIE - the bullet actually hit the right (this is clearly visible in the photo). That is, they fired at the king from Swedish trenches, and their own.
Since the bullet pierced his head (entered the left temple and came out of the right), the big question was how hard the bullet would have hit Karl, taking into account the fact that the walls of the fortress were at least 600-1000 meters away.

Approximate plan of shooting at Karl from the Fridriksten fortress. We are interested in number 7 here - these are the trenches where Charles XII was.
Calculations showed that the bullet would have reached the place of Karl’s death from where the enemy could have shot at him, but its destructive power was no longer enough to pierce through his head, knocking out his temple, as was discovered during the examination. Fired from a nearby Danish position, the bullet would have remained in the skull or even lodged in the wound itself. This means that someone shot the king from a much closer distance. But who?
The fact that it was a bullet is doubtful (they also talked about the buckshot that hit Karl in the head), but everyone present noted that it was a single weapon shot, and we most likely have no reason to doubt this.
However, the blow still fell precisely in right side- on the right temple the entrance hole is clearly visible, from which deep cracks radiate like black rays. Instead of the left eye, according to eyewitnesses, there was a huge wound into which three fingers could easily fit.
Let us recall the description of Sergei Dolya from his “Lace and Steel”:

The impact area of ​​a smoothbore musket can be divided into three zones.
I. Up to 100 meters. Zone of catastrophic destruction of the human body.
A supersonic projectile, which has no modern analogues in mass (like two bullets from the famous Colt 45 caliber), inflicts terrible wounds. There are no neat holes in the forehead and movie wounds here when main character grabs his shoulder (crushing a bag of paint) and at the same time casts the stoic, constipated Chuck Norris look at the enemy from under his brows.
If a musket bullet hits the forehead, then the head shatters like a watermelon on the floor, and if it hits the shoulder, it knocks out the joint (trochanter), and wraps the arm around the neck with a whip.
When shooting at gelatin blocks from 9 meters from a rifled carbine (No. 1288), its bullet formed a cavitation area measuring 369 cm³, this is a very respectable value. For comparison, the Austrians fired from their 5.56 mm AUG-1 assault rifle, so the cavity for temporary tissue expansion was three times smaller.
When approaching the enemy front at extremely close distances, the commander had to realize that the wounded could immediately be written off as irretrievable losses.
II. 100-150 meters. Area of ​​severe blind wounds.
A musket bullet at this distance does not pierce the body, does not create a cavitation cavity, and naturally does not open into petals.
The wound is always blind and has the shape of a blunt cone, similar to the crater of an old volcano.
The large open area of ​​the wound (for muskets No. 1316 and 1317 it was 5.2-5.9 cm³) leads to instant contamination by microbes and large blood loss. The prognosis for treatment is unfavorable.
III. Over 150 meters. The zone of shell shock, with which documents are literally replete Seven Years' War, occasionally leading to death, but having a moral impact at significant distances, by the standards of the era. There is no need to talk about targeted shooting here; we can talk about area sowing, watering dense enemy formations with a large elevation angle of the gun (he aimed at the hat, hit the foot).

From the description it is clear that we can only talk about zone I for a regular musket, or about zones I and II if a fortress gun was used. That is, we are talking about a shot from 100-150 meters. And the advanced trenches of the Swedes are located at a distance of 500-1000 meters (that is, the king could have received buckshot with such consequences, but everyone who was with him is talking about a single weapon shot, and not a cannon shot).
And there remains one more option - everyone who was with Karl that night in the trench is lying. But why? What difference does it make whether the buckshot killed the king or the gun? What difference does it make whether Karl was with them all the time or crawled with a telescope to reconnoiter? Could they be accused of not protecting the king? But knowing Karl’s character, hardly anyone would blame them. Moreover, the company gathered that night surrounded by the international king.
It is logical to assume that lies in this situation have a reinforced concrete argument only in one case - the king was killed by the people who were with him. Let me remind you of the entire composition: the Frenchman Philippe Maigret, the Livonian adjutant general Johan Fredrik von Kaulbars and the engineer lieutenant Karlberg. In addition, a little further away were the king's adjutant, Italian captain Marchetti, life guard captain Count Knut Posse, cavalry major general Baron Philip Boguslav von Schwerin, senior adjutant and personal secretary of Frederick of Kassel-Hesse Andre Sighier, as well as sapper captain Philip Schultz. That is, 2 French, Italian, Baltic, German, 2 Swedes.
At first, the suspicion of those who began the investigation into the death of the king (and the investigation began in 1750) fell on the French - Sigier and Maigret. Like, they killed for the sake of the interests of the French crown. But the whole problem is that the regent (if we take away the completely crazy version that the regent ordered Charles to his volunteers in order to please the British) had no reason to kill Charles, no matter how far-fetched the motives may be.
Therefore, they soon switched to engineer-lieutenant Karlberg. There was an opportunity, Karlberg was an excellent shooter and knew ballistics perfectly. But the motive?... Moreover, how could he take so many people as accomplices? There was also a dying confession of Baron Kronstedt - in the times described, he was a general under Charles XII. Like, the Danes offered him 100 thousand talers, if the Swedes lift the siege, for 500 guilders he hired the shooter Magnus Stierneros, the drabant of the Swedish king, he crawled from the trenches at night and found a secluded place between the fortress walls and trenches, and as soon as the king’s head appeared above parapet - shot and killed Karl. To be honest, the version is designed for idiots. For those who doubt it, I suggest sitting in a hole or ravine at 8-9 pm in November-December, and from a distance of 70-120 meters, identify a person by one sticking out head.
And yet, judging by the motives, the main suspects are Karl's sister Ulrika-Elinora and the Anglo-Hanoverian ruler George I. The first - because she received the crown as a result of this murder. The second - as is clear to everyone who read the previous post - because it immediately got rid of the dangerous enemy and ally of Jacob Stuart, in addition, it excluded plans for reconciliation with Peter I and the war for Bremen and Verdun.
But were there other reasons and motives? Could there be?
Yes, they very well could.
Charles XII was absent from Sweden for a long time, and the same situation arose as under Oxyshiern - the country was essentially ruled by a handful of nobility. The king who returned back pressed the nobles and began to rule alone. Why not a motive?
Or Peter I bribed someone, hoping for a dynastic crisis in Sweden (Charles did not have a direct heir). Also a motive!
Or Denmark, hoping to push its then contender, Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp, onto the throne of Sweden.
Or Poland-Saxony, since Charles wanted to install Leszczynski as Polish king instead of Augustus the Strong.
You can guess on coffee grounds as much as you like. In conclusion, the words from Lurka about Dyatlov’s tour group fit perfectly here: “In general, after the incident, so many different versions of what happened appeared that it seems that Dyatlov’s tour group had no chance to survive at all. Following these versions, a UFO constantly flies over Mount Otorten, nuclear, chemical, and bacteriological weapons are tested, prisoners are constantly running away in the vicinity, and behind them Death Squads are running, connecting rod bears, evil shamans, ancient gods, foreign intelligence agents are roaming near the mountain, and, of course, from such movement, avalanches happen there all the time - even in the summer, when there is no snow.".
There is only one meaning - Charles XII made so many enemies during his life, and put his life in danger so many times that he had almost no chance of ending his existence calmly, at home, in bed. That's why what happened happened.

Hello dears.
Second part of yesterday's post:
So let's continue...

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg - wife and beloved comrade-in-arms of the great Gustav II Adolf. An interesting lady from any point of view, she was extremely wasteful, but she left behind several interesting and beautiful royal regalia.

The orb of Maria Eleonora is made of gold, with enamel work in blue and yellow and studded with diamonds and rubies. It was created in 1620 in Stockholm by Ruprecht Miller
The scepter was also made around the same years.

Key of Ulrika Eleonora. This is the Queen of Sweden, who reigned from 1718-1720. Daughter of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleanor of Denmark, younger sister of Charles XII, who essentially ruled for him de jure, and then de facto.


The key was probably made in Stockholm by the German jeweler Nikolai (von) Bleichert. It is made of gilded silver and is a faithful copy of the key of Eric XIV. On one side it says "V.E.G.R.S." d. May 3 A: 1720.”

Let's move on...
The anointed horn was made in 1606 in Stockholm by Pieter Kilimpe for the coronation of Charles IX and features a gold bull's horn supported on a pedestal. The large end is covered by a cap with a chain, and at the opposite point of the horn stands a small figure of justice holding a pair of scales. The horn is decorated with decorative relief work with multi-colored opaque and translucent enamel and is set with 10 diamonds and 14 rubies, including 6 Karelian “rubies” (garnets). This wonder was presented in order to store anointing oil in it before laying the crown on the monarch. You remember that the Old Testament says that the king was chosen by God and anointed by God with sacred oil to reign.


The British and Norwegians also have similar ritual things. But after the coronation of Queen Christina, the horn was no longer considered a full-fledged regalia, although it continued to be used by all subsequent kings. Height - only 15.5 cm.

The silver font was commissioned by Charles XII for the baptism of royal children. The silver came from Indonesia, with which Sweden was trying to establish trade at that time. The attempt was unsuccessful; its only result was a shipment of silver ore from Sumatra, which was purified in the Swedish mines, and the metal was put into the font.

It was created in 1707 by masters from France with the help of local Bernard Fouquet and Nicodemus Tessin Jr.
It was first used in 1746 for the christening of the future Gustav III, and since then for every royal child.

And finally - a few crowns.

The Maria Eleonora Crown was made in 1620 and remains the heaviest of all Swedish royal crowns. Her weight is almost 2.5 kilograms. Pay attention to the arrangement of flowers and stones. They are not random. For the red rubies and white diamonds symbolize the colors of the house of Brandenburg, from which the queen is, and the black enamel and gold on the top are the colors of the coat of arms of Vaas.

At first, the crown was created for queens, and from 1751 to 1818 it was “reclassified” as a crown for kings. And all because of one funny incident. The fact is that in 1751 the crown of Eric XIV was too big for King Adolf Fredrick, so instead they took the “female” crown of Maria Eleonora.

Louise Ulrika's Crown - Crown of the Queen of Sweden
Louise Ulrika of Prussia, also known as Lovisa Ulrika of Prussia, is a Prussian princess, daughter of King Frederick William I, and younger sister of Frederick the Great. Since 1751, the Queen of Sweden has been the wife of Adolf Federick.


Due to the fact that there was no insignia left for the queen and she had to order a new regalia, which has since been considered the main women's crown of the country. After the name of the first owner, the crown is called “The Crown of Louise Ulrika.”
In its manufacture they used silver (though it was later gilded) and diamonds. The crown is small, but there are 695 diamonds on it!

For the crown, the Riksdag gave the royal family 44 especially large diamonds. But after a few years, the confrontation between parliament and the monarchy increased so much that the king’s power melted. The queen was not some kind of countess, but the sister of Frederick the Great; she did not want to put up with the loss of power, so she decided that best friends queens are not diamonds, but an army. The Riksdag ordered the gift to be replaced with rock crystal, and 44 stones were sold to a local merchant in Hamburg. That's it :-)

Crown of the Heir to the Throne, or Crown of Crown Prince Charles X Gustav.


In 1650 famous queen Christina set the task of creating the heir's crown. And it was quickly made, literally in 2 weeks, from the old women’s crown, which existed even before the crown of Mary Eleanor. The small diameter fit perfectly. In the center you can see a sheaf resembling a vase - a symbol of the Vasa dynasty.

The Crown of the Heir to the Throne clearly indicated that only the future monarch could wear it. This created some problems for kings with many children, which Gustav III resolved by decreeing that every member of the royal family should have a crown.




Thus, 4 more crowns of princes and 3 crowns of princesses appeared, but over time, despite the price, their value fell and the newest, 1902, the last of the royal regalia, the crown of Prince William, is disparagingly called “pastiche”. By the way, this crown was last used at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria to Daniel Westling, and lay on the groom’s side of the altar.


That's how things are.
I hope you found it interesting.
Have a nice time of day.