Drottningens juvelsmycke
Encyclopedia
The Queen's Tiara is a classic Swedish
novel by Carl Jonas Love Almquist.
It is the fourth instalment in the series of novels known as Törnrosens bok (The Book of the Thorn Rose) and was published in 1834. Drottningens juvelsmycke was the first original historical novel to be written in Sweden, and it features one of Swedish literature's most enduringly popular characters, the intersex
Tintomara.
, commonly nicknamed 'The Theatre King', on the stage of Stockholm
's Royal Swedish Opera
at a masked ball in 1792.
Tintomara is employed by the Royal Swedish Ballet
to function as the centrepiece of their lavish spectacles. Tintomara's true gender is never made clear, but Tintomara is referred to by the pronomen "She". She is described as beautiful and is often the object of passion for both men and women.
Tintomara is portrayed as the secret half sibling to the underage King, Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
. Her father was Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
, and her mother was the actress Clara: Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila was said to be the biological father of the king and lover of the Queen, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark
.
Passing as a girl, Tintomara is involved in the notorious assassination of the King. On the same night, she steals the Queen's
tiara in order to show it to her mother. Tintomara is then taken under the protection of a Baroness, who hides her on her country estate, where Tintomara passes as a boy. In the country, she becomes the love object of two women, Amanda and Adolfine, the daughters of the Baroness; and two men, the nobles Ferdinand and Clas-Henrik, who earlier courted the sisters and who are now concealing their involvement in the assassination.
Tintomara is killed by Ferdinand during a performance planned as a spectacular entertainment for the court which ends in disaster.
The novel's most famous line is spoken by Tintomara's dying mother, Clara: "Tintomara, two things are white - Innocence and Arsenic." She continues "You have the Innocence - I have the Arsenic".
, Johanna Fredrika (1787-1810), who was presumed to be fathered by Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila
. By persistent rumors, the count was said to be the true father of Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
; Bassi's daughter was said to have a strong resemblance to the King, who might have been her half-brother.
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....
novel by Carl Jonas Love Almquist.
It is the fourth instalment in the series of novels known as Törnrosens bok (The Book of the Thorn Rose) and was published in 1834. Drottningens juvelsmycke was the first original historical novel to be written in Sweden, and it features one of Swedish literature's most enduringly popular characters, the intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
Tintomara.
Plot
The novel is set in 1792 and weaves the story of the beautiful but sexless androgyne Tintomara around the assassination of King Gustav III of SwedenGustav 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....
, commonly nicknamed 'The Theatre King', on the stage of 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...
's Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
at a masked ball in 1792.
Tintomara is employed by the Royal Swedish Ballet
Royal Swedish Ballet
The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera and the...
to function as the centrepiece of their lavish spectacles. Tintomara's true gender is never made clear, but Tintomara is referred to by the pronomen "She". She is described as beautiful and is often the object of passion for both men and women.
Tintomara is portrayed as the secret half sibling to the underage 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...
. Her father was 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 :...
, and her mother was the actress Clara: Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila was said to be the biological father of the king and lover of the Queen, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark
Sophia Magdalena of Denmark
Sofia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway was a Queen consort of Sweden as the spouse of Gustav III of Sweden....
.
Passing as a girl, Tintomara is involved in the notorious assassination of the King. On the same night, she steals 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....
tiara in order to show it to her mother. Tintomara is then taken under the protection of a Baroness, who hides her on her country estate, where Tintomara passes as a boy. In the country, she becomes the love object of two women, Amanda and Adolfine, the daughters of the Baroness; and two men, the nobles Ferdinand and Clas-Henrik, who earlier courted the sisters and who are now concealing their involvement in the assassination.
Tintomara is killed by Ferdinand during a performance planned as a spectacular entertainment for the court which ends in disaster.
The novel's most famous line is spoken by Tintomara's dying mother, Clara: "Tintomara, two things are white - Innocence and Arsenic." She continues "You have the Innocence - I have the Arsenic".
Trivia
Tintomara is said to have been inspired by the daughter of Giovanna BassiGiovanna Bassi
Giovanna Bassi was an Italian ballerina who spent the majority of her career in Sweden. She was regarded as the prima donna of the Swedish Ballet during the Gustavian age.- Biography :...
, Johanna Fredrika (1787-1810), who was presumed to be fathered by 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 :...
. By persistent rumors, the count was said to be the true father of 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...
; Bassi's daughter was said to have a strong resemblance to the King, who might have been her half-brother.
People
- Adolfine - daughter of the baroness
- Amanda - daughter of the baroness
- The ballet master - employer of Tintomara
- Benjamin Cohen - money lender
- Clara - mother of Tintomara
- Clas Henrik - a young noble conspirator
- Emmanuel - brother of Tintomara
- Ferdinand - a young noble conspirator
- The Baroness - protector of Tintomara and mother of Adolfine and Amanda
- The Uncle - brother of the Baroness
- Tintomara - the main character
Real people in the novel
- Johan Jacob Anckarström
- Gustav III of SwedenGustav III of SwedenGustav 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....
- Gustav IV Adolf of SwedenGustav IV Adolf of SwedenGustav 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...
- portrayed as the half-brother of Tintomara. - Gustaf Adolf ReuterholmGustaf Adolf ReuterholmBaron Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm , was a Swedish statesman.-Early career:...
- attempts to seduce Tintomara - Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp
- Charles XIII of SwedenCharles XIII of SwedenCharles XIII & II also Carl, , was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 until his death...
- attempts to seduce Tintomara - Magdalena RudenschöldMagdalena RudenschöldMagdalena Charlotta Rudenschöld, commonly known as Malla Rudenschöld and privately as Malin Rudenschöld , was a member of the Swedish nobility and a lady-in-waiting. She was one of the main participants in the so-called Armfelt conspiracy against the guardian government of 1792...
- an ally in Tintomara's attempt to escape persecution