Anna Charlotta Schröderhiem
Encyclopedia
Anna Charlotta Schröderheim, née
Anna Charlotta von Stapelmohr, also called Ann-Charlotte or Anne-Charlotte, (24 September 1754 – 1 January 1791), was a Swedish noble
, wit
and salonist
, spouse of the politician Elis Schröderheim. She was one of the most known socialite
s of her time and became one of the more known symbols of the Gustavian age
. She was the inspiration for several poets; poems by Crusenstople, Bellman
and Carl Gustaf af Leopold was dedicated to her.
. Her husband was then minister and the second most powerful man in the country, and her salon became a center of the aristocracy, where her husbands ”amiable jokes" mingled with the conversation and sharp tongue of his spouse. She is described as passionate, anintelligent wit as a person, and beautiful with ”burning brown eyes” to her appearance.
The marriage was not a marriage of love, but rather a union of friendship. Several of the friends of the couple were pointed out as her lovers, and she was known for her love affairs, but her husband was tolerant, and the couple lived in harmony. In 1789, the young royal secretary Carl Wilhelm Seele was her lover: Seele was called l'Adonis de la Roture and known for changing clothes three or four times a day to ”coming, going and riding to demonstrate his beauty”.
Among her lovers were Crusenstolpe and his father. Several of her lovers belonged to the opposition of Gustav III, and her salon became a centre of political opposition, where the political acts as well as the personal life of the monarch were exposed to criticism through witty remarks. This disturbed the political career of her spouse, a loyal supporter of the monarch, who demanded of him to close his home to his enemies and tell his wife not to interefere in politics. A conflict arose between Anna Charlotta and the monarch.
In 1790, Charlotta was pregnant by Seele. In contrast to his usual behaviour, Schröderheim demanded a divorce and declared that the child was not his and would be taken from her and registered as dead after the birth. It became a scandal. The reason for the changed behaviour of her husband was said to be the king: during a political disagreement, Gustav III
, made a remark about her childless marriage and her latest interest in Bruse, one of his stable masters, upon which she answered him: "Your Majesty, we can not afford to keep a equerry
"
This remark deeply offended the King, who quite correctly took it as a remark about his and the queen’s
rumoured relationship with the royal stable master, equerry Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
: the rumour at the time claimed that the King had asked Munck to impregnate the queen.
The sympathies was largely on Anna Charlotta’s side during the scandal. She gave birth to a daughter 1 January 1791 and died ”of sorrow” after the childbirth. In 1796, Elsa Fougt
gave a memorial speech to her:
Her daughter, Charlotte Schröderheim, was raised as a foster-child at the home of one of her friends, Beata Elisabeth Théel (1744–1805) .
in the movie Två Konungar (1925).
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Anna Charlotta von Stapelmohr, also called Ann-Charlotte or Anne-Charlotte, (24 September 1754 – 1 January 1791), was a Swedish noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, wit
Wit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
and salonist
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
, spouse of the politician Elis Schröderheim. She was one of the most known socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
s of her time and became one of the more known symbols of the Gustavian age
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
. She was the inspiration for several poets; poems by Crusenstople, Bellman
Bellman
Bellman is an alternative term for a bellhop. It may also refer to:People named Bellman* Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer* Eric Bellman, psychotherapist* Gina Bellman, New Zealand/English actress...
and Carl Gustaf af Leopold was dedicated to her.
Biography
Anna Charlotta was born daughter of the wealthy Christoffer Lorentz von Stapelmohr and Maria Lucretia Dittmer: her father was director of the sea customs and was ennobled in 1756. Her parents home was a center for the capital's high society and Charlotta was a celebrated beauty. After her marriage to the noble (since 1759) Elis Schröderheim in 1776, she became the greatest socialite and society hostess of StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Her husband was then minister and the second most powerful man in the country, and her salon became a center of the aristocracy, where her husbands ”amiable jokes" mingled with the conversation and sharp tongue of his spouse. She is described as passionate, anintelligent wit as a person, and beautiful with ”burning brown eyes” to her appearance.
The marriage was not a marriage of love, but rather a union of friendship. Several of the friends of the couple were pointed out as her lovers, and she was known for her love affairs, but her husband was tolerant, and the couple lived in harmony. In 1789, the young royal secretary Carl Wilhelm Seele was her lover: Seele was called l'Adonis de la Roture and known for changing clothes three or four times a day to ”coming, going and riding to demonstrate his beauty”.
Among her lovers were Crusenstolpe and his father. Several of her lovers belonged to the opposition of Gustav III, and her salon became a centre of political opposition, where the political acts as well as the personal life of the monarch were exposed to criticism through witty remarks. This disturbed the political career of her spouse, a loyal supporter of the monarch, who demanded of him to close his home to his enemies and tell his wife not to interefere in politics. A conflict arose between Anna Charlotta and the monarch.
In 1790, Charlotta was pregnant by Seele. In contrast to his usual behaviour, Schröderheim demanded a divorce and declared that the child was not his and would be taken from her and registered as dead after the birth. It became a scandal. The reason for the changed behaviour of her husband was said to be the king: during a political disagreement, Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
, made a remark about her childless marriage and her latest interest in Bruse, one of his stable masters, upon which she answered him: "Your Majesty, we can not afford to keep a equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
"
This remark deeply offended the King, who quite correctly took it as a remark about his and the queen’s
Sophia Magdalena of Denmark
Sofia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway was a Queen consort of Sweden as the spouse of Gustav III of Sweden....
rumoured relationship with the royal stable master, equerry Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
Adolf Fredrik, Count Munck af Fulkila was a Swedish and Finnish noble alleged to have been the biological father of King Gustaf IV Adolf.- Biography :...
: the rumour at the time claimed that the King had asked Munck to impregnate the queen.
The sympathies was largely on Anna Charlotta’s side during the scandal. She gave birth to a daughter 1 January 1791 and died ”of sorrow” after the childbirth. In 1796, Elsa Fougt
Elsa Fougt
Elsa Fougt was a Swedish printer, publisher, book importer and newspaper editor and an important figure in the literary market in the second half of the 18th century Sweden. Between 1772 and 1811, she ran the Royal printing and was responsible for the country's official print. Fougt was the...
gave a memorial speech to her:
"Court and city admired her exquisite taste, her playful mind. Learning and the beautiful arts were flattered by her support. Her house became the center of the best company and the school for good tone, the true amiability, the decent joy. One gathered around her, to hear her every word; one admired and praised her wit. Every whim was considered to be better than what preceded it, and there were those, who thought themselves to be wits, only by hearing her and repeating what she, even without effort, had babbled forth. So passed some happy years, by which she, flattered by everyone's applause and safe by the nature of her own good heart, free from sorrow abandoned herself to the shining pleasures of the grand world."
Her daughter, Charlotte Schröderheim, was raised as a foster-child at the home of one of her friends, Beata Elisabeth Théel (1744–1805) .
In fiction
Anna Charlotta Schröderheim has been portrayed by actress Brita Appelgren in the movie Ulla, min Ulla (1930) and by Renée BjörlingRenée Björling
Renée Björling was a Swedish film actress. She was born in Lovö, Sweden and died in Täby.-Selected filmography:* Summer Interlude * Summer with Monika * A Lesson in Love * Dreams...
in the movie Två Konungar (1925).