#Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp

[venicepearl]

Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp (22 March 1759 – 20 June 1818) was Queen of Sweden and Norway as the consort of King Charles XIII and II. She was also a famed diarist, memoirist and wit. She is known by her full pen name (above), though her official name as queen was Charlotte (Charlotta).

She was born in Eutin the daughter of Duke Frederick August I of Holstein-Gottorp and Princess Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel. She grew up in Eutin and married her cousin Charles, Duke of Södermanland, in Stockholm on 7 July 1774 when she was fifteen years old. The marriage was arranged by King Gustav III to provide the throne of Sweden with an heir. The King had not consummated his marriage and had decided to give the task of providing an heir to the throne to his brother.

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According to Antonia Fraser “Antoine wore glistening cloth-of-silver” to her proxy marriage ceremony. Sadly, neither this nor any other of Marie Antoinette’s complete gowns survive today.

The two gowns above were worn by two future Swedish Queens. The one on the top was worn by Sophia Magdalena of Denmark to her November 4th, 1766 wedding to the future Gustav III of Sweden. On the bottom is the one worn by Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp to her June 7th, 1774 wedding to the future Charles XIII.  One was worn four years before Antoinette’s proxy wedding, and the other four years after, and these lovely gowns us an idea of what her dress might have looked like.

[tiny-librarian]

historicwomendaily:

 women in history ↳ hedvig elisabeth charlotte of holstein-gottorp

“Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte was the daughter of Duke Frederick August I of Holstein-Gottorp and Princess Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel. In 1774, she married her cousin Charles, Duke of Södermanland, brother to the Swedish king Gustav III. Charles’s father King Adolf Frederick of Sweden was the brother of her father Duke Frederick August, making them first cousins.It wasn’t a conventionally happy marriage. Both parties had extensive extra-marital affairs and they never had any children. On top of this, Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte was a keen intrigue-maker and occasionally did not align her own political sympathies with those of her husband’s (she was even suspected of plotting against him and planning a coup in 1810). But she seems to have derived a great deal of pleasure from life. She enjoyed jokes, dancing and theatre, and had lots of lovers, including a brief fling with Axel von Fersen and a longer affair with his brother Fabian von Fersen (note that she was also BFF with their sister Sophie). She was a spirited and intelligent woman, and her diaries are a fabulous and very entertaining source on late 18th century court life in Sweden. ”  JB Bonham, Historical Character of the Day: Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp

[widvile-blog]

Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden (22 March 1759 - 20 June 1818)

[livesofwomenthroughtheages-blog]

Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp.

Born in 1759, the youngest child of Duke Frederick Augustus I of Oldenburg and Duchess Ulrike Friederike. Fifteen years old, she married the ten years older Prince Charles of Sweden and became Duchess of Södermanland. Charles was a younger brother of King Gustav III of Sweden. When Gustavs son, Gustav IV Adolph of Sweden, was dethroned in 1809, the Duke of Södermanland became King Charles XIII of Sweden. Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte also became Queen Charlotte of Sweden. Her marriage with Charles wasn't a happy one. Charlotte died in 1818.

[tiny-librarian]

According to Antonia Fraser “Antoine wore glistening cloth-of-silver” to her proxy marriage ceremony. Sadly, neither this nor any other of Marie Antoinette’s complete gowns survive today.

The two gowns above were worn by two future Swedish Queens. The one on the top was worn by Sophia Magdalena of Denmark to her November 4th, 1766 wedding to the future Gustav III of Sweden. On the bottom is the one worn by Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp to her June 7th, 1774 wedding to the future Charles XIII.  One was worn four years before Antoinette’s proxy wedding, and the other four years after, and these lovely gowns us an idea of what her dress might have looked like.

[tiny-librarian]

A portrait of Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, future Queen of Sweden and Norway, in her wedding gown.

The gown itself is still in existence, one of only a handful of 18th Century Royal Wedding Gowns that have survived into the present day. Images of the stunning dress can be seen here.

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, March 22nd:

Go-Horikawa, Emperor of Japan, 1212

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1459

John II Casimir, King of Poland, 1609

Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, 1759

Wilhelm I, German Emperor, 1797

Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, 1956

Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, 1972

[tiny-librarian]

Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden.

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A miniature of Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden and Norway.

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, March 22nd:

Go-Horikawa, Emperor of Japan, 1212

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1459

John II Casimir, King of Poland, 1609

Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, 1759

Wilhelm I, German Emperor, 1797

Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, 1956

Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, 1972

[tiny-librarian]

The coronation gown of Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden.

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Three small shirts/bodices that were made during the false pregnancy of Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, the year after her marriage.

More Info about her Pregnancy

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Three baby dresses that were made for the child Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, the wife of the future Charles XIII of Sweden, thought she was expecting in the summer of 1775, the year after her marriage. This pregnancy was a cause for celebration, since the king at the time (her husband’s brother, Gustav III) hadn’t yet consummated his marriage and had arranged his brother’s in hopes he’d provide an heir to the throne.

The pregnancy was a false one though, and she wouldn’t actually become pregnant for the first time until 1792. This first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and a second in 1797 resulted in a stillborn daughter. During third and final pregnancy in 1798, she gave birth to a son who lived less than a week.

The dresses ended up being used by the children of her nephew, Gustav IV Adolf, and his wife Frederica of Baden. (Gustav III had decided to finally consummate his marriage and personally provide an heir to the throne after Hedwig’s false pregnancy.)

[tiny-librarian]

Closeup of the back of the wedding gown of Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden and Norway.

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, March 22nd:

Go-Horikawa, Emperor of Japan, 1212

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1459

John II Casimir, King of Poland, 1609

Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, 1759

Wilhelm I, German Emperor, 1797

Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, 1956

Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, 1972