Hedvig Eleonora Stenbock
Encyclopedia
Hedvig Eleonora Stenbock (1658–1714) was a Swedish noble
and lady-in-waiting
.
Daughter of Count
Erik Stenbock and related to queen Katarina Stenbock
; sister of the political salonist Magdalena Stenbock
. She was described as beautiful and well educated and could speak French
, German
and Italian
. She was the lady-in-waiting of the queen dowager, Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
.
Stenbock caused a great conflict of rank at the royal court when she demanded precedence in etiquette
before another lady-in-waiting, Johan Göransson Gyllenstierna
s sister Ingeborg Gyllenstierna, despite the fact that Gyllenstierna was senior as a lady-in-waiting : "on the grounds that she was the daughter of a Count and a lord of the state, while Ingeborg was the mere daughter of a Baron, admiral and governor”. The queen dowager judged the matter in favour of Stenbock, which ment that Stenbock had in fact changed the etiquette of precedence at court. It was considered that the conflicts among the nobles at the royal court cause by this had political consequences: ” and thus this battle of etiquette were among the motivation as to why the great reduction were so swiftly and strictly conducted” by Johan Gyllenstierna, who became the enemy of Stenbock and her family.
Stenbock was known for her rank conflicts at court, and caused many more similar quarrels. In 1681, Margareta von Parr was appointed first lady in waiting to one of the royal children. This insulted Stenbock, as Parrs spouse, though a royal lord of the state, had been ennobled as late as in 1673 on his own merits, and lived in humble economic circumstances: his sister rented out rooms in the capital. To display her displesure, Stenbock stepped on the train of Parr in the middle of the baptismal procession of the royal child. When Parr complained to the Queen Dowager, she refused to take sides, and when she confronted Stenbock herself, she replied: "It is bad enough that the filth has been placed among apples!" These numerous conflicts at court in the late 17th-century is considered to reflect the conflict between the old nobility and a new phenomena: the rising career nobility, commoners being ennobled for their merits.
Stenbock, however, in fact caused a new conflict about rank herself, in the opposite direction, when she married Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
15 June 1689. The marriage was considered a scandal
at court because Tessin was seen as a lesser noble than her, and it was made after an elopement to Swedish Pomerania
, against the will of her family and the queen dowager.
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...
and lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
.
Daughter of Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Erik Stenbock and related to queen Katarina Stenbock
Katarina Stenbock
Catherine Stenbock was the third and last consort of King Gustav I of Sweden, and Queen consort of Sweden between 1552 and 1560...
; sister of the political salonist Magdalena Stenbock
Magdalena Stenbock
Magdalena Stenbock , was a politically active Swedish Noble and salon holder. She was married to the statesman Count Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna from 1667...
. She was described as beautiful and well educated and could speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. She was the lady-in-waiting of the queen dowager, Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp
Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp was the queen consort of King Charles X of Sweden and queen mother of King Charles XI...
.
Stenbock caused a great conflict of rank at the royal court when she demanded precedence in etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
before another lady-in-waiting, Johan Göransson Gyllenstierna
Johan Göransson Gyllenstierna
Johan Göransson Gyllenstierna was a Swedish statesman.-Biography:He completed his studies at Uppsala University and then visited most of the European states, which laid the foundation for his deep insight into international politics which afterwards distinguished him...
s sister Ingeborg Gyllenstierna, despite the fact that Gyllenstierna was senior as a lady-in-waiting : "on the grounds that she was the daughter of a Count and a lord of the state, while Ingeborg was the mere daughter of a Baron, admiral and governor”. The queen dowager judged the matter in favour of Stenbock, which ment that Stenbock had in fact changed the etiquette of precedence at court. It was considered that the conflicts among the nobles at the royal court cause by this had political consequences: ” and thus this battle of etiquette were among the motivation as to why the great reduction were so swiftly and strictly conducted” by Johan Gyllenstierna, who became the enemy of Stenbock and her family.
Stenbock was known for her rank conflicts at court, and caused many more similar quarrels. In 1681, Margareta von Parr was appointed first lady in waiting to one of the royal children. This insulted Stenbock, as Parrs spouse, though a royal lord of the state, had been ennobled as late as in 1673 on his own merits, and lived in humble economic circumstances: his sister rented out rooms in the capital. To display her displesure, Stenbock stepped on the train of Parr in the middle of the baptismal procession of the royal child. When Parr complained to the Queen Dowager, she refused to take sides, and when she confronted Stenbock herself, she replied: "It is bad enough that the filth has been placed among apples!" These numerous conflicts at court in the late 17th-century is considered to reflect the conflict between the old nobility and a new phenomena: the rising career nobility, commoners being ennobled for their merits.
Stenbock, however, in fact caused a new conflict about rank herself, in the opposite direction, when she married Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
Count Nicodemus Tessin the Younger was a Swedish Baroque architect, city planner, and administrator.The son of Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and the father of Carl Gustaf Tessin, Tessin the Younger was the middle-most generation of the brief Tessin dynasty, which have had a lasting influence on...
15 June 1689. The marriage was considered a scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
at court because Tessin was seen as a lesser noble than her, and it was made after an elopement to Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815, situated on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the southern Baltic coast, including Pomerania and parts...
, against the will of her family and the queen dowager.