Carola of Vasa
Encyclopedia
Carola of Vasa (5 August 1833 at Schönbrunn
– 15 December 1907 at Dresden
) was a titular princess of Sweden
, and the queen consort
of Saxony
. She was the last Queen of Saxony.
, and a granddaughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
who had been deposed in 1809.
In the early 1850s, she was considered one of the most beautiful royal princesses of Europe. Suitors were not lacking, and there had been plans for her to marry Napoléon III, Emperor of the French
. She was a cousin of the Emperor's through her maternal grandmother Stéphanie de Beauharnais
, also the adoptive daughter of Napoleon I
and a Princess of the First French Empire
. Her father was against the marriage due to the volatile political situation in France and his dynasty's historical dispute with the Napoleonic monarchy. 20 years later, when Napoleon III fell from power, her father is quoted as saying, "I foresaw that correctly!"
. On 18 June 1853, Carola married in Dresden
Crown Prince Albert of Saxony
. Their marriage was childless. Her closest heirs were: in paternal side, Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden (1857–1928), son of her first cousin; and her first cousin King Carol I of Romania
(1839–1914) in maternal side.
She had a good relationship to her parents-in-law and are described as their support during difficult times. Already as a crown princess, Carola began the activity within social issues which she would continue as a queen. In 1866, she visited the Saxony's field hospitals in Vienna, where she made herself known as a good samaritan. In 1867, she founded the Albert commission, which controbuted to the medical care of the German army during the war of 1870-71. For her work, she was decorated with the Prussian Luisen-Orden
and the Saxon Order of Sidonia
. In 1871, she accompanied Albert to Compiègne
after the defeat of France, where she entertained the officers of the victorious armies as a popular hostess.
as King Albert I, making Carola queen.
In 1884, the deposed Vasa dynasty made peace with the new Swedish Bernadotte dynasty through her, when the remains of her grandfather, king Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, her father and her brother Ludvig were taken to Stockholm
and interred in the royal crypt. In 1888, Carola and her spouse made an official visit to Sweden.
Queen Carola made an important contribution to the health care organisation in Saxony. In 1867, as Crown princess, she and Marie Simon founded the Albert-Verein. She founded a wet nurse school at Leipziger Tor (1869), the hospital "Carola-Haus" (1878), the women employment agency Johannes-Verein (1876), a women's school in Schwarzenberg (1884), the home "Gustavheim" for the old, sick and weak in Niederpoyritz (1887), the school Lehrertöchterheim Carola-Stift Klotzsche (1892) and the home for handicapped Amalie hus Löbtau, Friedrichstadt (1896). Carola was a popular queen. She was widowed in 1902.
She was the 499th Dame
of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa.
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Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. One of the most important cultural monuments in the country, since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna...
– 15 December 1907 at Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
) was a titular princess of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and the queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
. She was the last Queen of Saxony.
Background
She was the daughter of the former Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden and Princess Louise Amelie of BadenPrincess Louise Amelie of Baden
Princess Louise Amelie Stephanie of Baden was a daughter of Karl, Grand Duke of Baden and his wife Stéphanie de Beauharnais.-Family:...
, and a granddaughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden also Gustav Adolph was King of Sweden from 1792 until his abdication in 1809. He was the son of Gustav III of Sweden and his queen consort Sophia Magdalena, eldest daughter of Frederick V of Denmark and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. He was the last Swedish...
who had been deposed in 1809.
In the early 1850s, she was considered one of the most beautiful royal princesses of Europe. Suitors were not lacking, and there had been plans for her to marry Napoléon III, Emperor of the French
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
. She was a cousin of the Emperor's through her maternal grandmother Stéphanie de Beauharnais
Stéphanie de Beauharnais
Stéphanie, Grand Duchess of Baden was the consort of Karl, Grand Duke of Baden.-Biography:...
, also the adoptive daughter of Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
and a Princess of the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
. Her father was against the marriage due to the volatile political situation in France and his dynasty's historical dispute with the Napoleonic monarchy. 20 years later, when Napoleon III fell from power, her father is quoted as saying, "I foresaw that correctly!"
Crown princess
In 1852, against her father's wishes, Carola converted to CatholicismRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. On 18 June 1853, Carola married in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
Crown Prince Albert of Saxony
Albert I of Saxony
Albert was a King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.He was the eldest son of Prince John, Albert (full name: Frederick Augustus Albert Anton Ferdinand Joseph Karl Maria Baptist Nepomuk Wilhelm Xaver Georg Fidelis) (Dresden, 23 April 1828 – Schloss Sibyllenort (Szczodre), 19 June...
. Their marriage was childless. Her closest heirs were: in paternal side, Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden (1857–1928), son of her first cousin; and her first cousin King Carol I of Romania
Carol I of Romania
Carol I , born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was reigning prince and then King of Romania from 1866 to 1914. He was elected prince of Romania on 20 April 1866 following the overthrow of Alexandru Ioan Cuza by a palace coup...
(1839–1914) in maternal side.
She had a good relationship to her parents-in-law and are described as their support during difficult times. Already as a crown princess, Carola began the activity within social issues which she would continue as a queen. In 1866, she visited the Saxony's field hospitals in Vienna, where she made herself known as a good samaritan. In 1867, she founded the Albert commission, which controbuted to the medical care of the German army during the war of 1870-71. For her work, she was decorated with the Prussian Luisen-Orden
Order of Louise
The Order of Louise was founded in 1814 by Frederick William III of Prussia to honor his late wife, the much beloved Queen Luise . This order was chivalric in nature, but was intended strictly for women whose service to Germany was worthy of such high national recognition...
and the Saxon Order of Sidonia
Order of Sidonia
The Order of Sidonia was the German Kingdom of Saxony’s chivalric order for women. Created March 14, 1871 by King Johann, the order was granted to female members of the Saxon nobility until the fall of the monarchy in 1918.-Insignia:...
. In 1871, she accompanied Albert to Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
after the defeat of France, where she entertained the officers of the victorious armies as a popular hostess.
Queen
In 1873, her spouse succeeded his fatherJohn I of Saxony
John was a King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin....
as King Albert I, making Carola queen.
In 1884, the deposed Vasa dynasty made peace with the new Swedish Bernadotte dynasty through her, when the remains of her grandfather, king Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, her father and her brother Ludvig were taken to Stockholm
Stockholm
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...
and interred in the royal crypt. In 1888, Carola and her spouse made an official visit to Sweden.
Queen Carola made an important contribution to the health care organisation in Saxony. In 1867, as Crown princess, she and Marie Simon founded the Albert-Verein. She founded a wet nurse school at Leipziger Tor (1869), the hospital "Carola-Haus" (1878), the women employment agency Johannes-Verein (1876), a women's school in Schwarzenberg (1884), the home "Gustavheim" for the old, sick and weak in Niederpoyritz (1887), the school Lehrertöchterheim Carola-Stift Klotzsche (1892) and the home for handicapped Amalie hus Löbtau, Friedrichstadt (1896). Carola was a popular queen. She was widowed in 1902.
She was the 499th Dame
Dame (title)
The title of Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system . It is also the equivalent form address to 'Sir' for a knight...
of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa.
Ancestry
External links
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