Marguerite Morel
Encyclopedia
Marguerite Morel as married Marguerite Du Londel, was a French ballerina
, and actress and opera singer. She was active in Sweden 1755-1771 and at that time counted as the perhaps notable star in the ballet in Sweden. She is also known for her relationship with king Adolf Frederick of Sweden
.
with her mother and her two sisters in the Du Londel Troupe
until 1753, when the troupe was hired to perform in Sweden. The years later, they also followed the troupe to Sweden. At her debut in Sweden in August 1755, Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
compared her to Barbara Campanini
. After her marriage to Louis Du Londel in 1759, she was known as Madame Du Londel. She was appointed premier dancer and was counted as the star of the ballet in the advertisements on the public performances at Bollhuset
in Stockholm alongside Louis Gallodier
. Morel was also active as an actor and as a singer. In her capacity of a singer, she performed both in opera and at concerts at court and in public, and she was noted as the lead female star in the French Theatre alongside Marie Baptiste
. In parallel with her husband Louis Du Londel and her husband's brother-in-law Pierre Lefevbre, who was the instructors in French and fencing for the royal princes, she was hired as the instructor in dance and in the French language of Princess Sophie Albertine of Sweden from 1757 until 1769.
. After the King's death in 1771, her son Frederici was taken care of by the Queen Dowager and by the new King, who declared that he was the late kings son. He died soon after, however.
in 1771, the Du Londel couple was the only ones granted a royal pension. They left Sweden in 21 June 1771, and settled in Metz
in 1778. In 1780, when some of the remaining French artists performed in the Swedish court, Gustav III said that the only thing preventing them from being a good theatre was the fact that the Du Londel couple was in Paris.
In 1792, the Du Londel couple returned to Sweden. Because her spouse was a royalist with noble ascendancy on his mothers side, the French revolution
made them feel unsafe in France. Upon the death of her spouse in 1793, she lost her pension and was supported by friends, mainly her god daughter Marie Louise Marcadet
, who however left for France in 1795. The year after, her daughter Marie Louise married Louis Gallodier
, and she was thereafter supported by her son-in-law until her death.
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
, and actress and opera singer. She was active in Sweden 1755-1771 and at that time counted as the perhaps notable star in the ballet in Sweden. She is also known for her relationship with king Adolf Frederick of Sweden
Adolf Frederick of Sweden
Adolf Frederick or Adolph Frederick was King of Sweden from 1751 until his death. He was the son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach....
.
Career
Morel performed in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
with her mother and her two sisters in the Du Londel Troupe
Du Londel Troupe
The Du Londel Troupe was a French 18th-century theatre troupe. From 1753 to 1771, it was active as the French Theatre of Sweden, where it played a great part in that country's theatre history....
until 1753, when the troupe was hired to perform in Sweden. The years later, they also followed the troupe to Sweden. At her debut in Sweden in August 1755, Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia was Queen of Sweden between 1751 and 1771 as the spouse of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, and queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III of Sweden.-Background:...
compared her to Barbara Campanini
Barbara Campanini
Barbara Campanini, known as La Barberina, was a famous Italian ballerina, one of the most important ballet dancers of the 18th century....
. After her marriage to Louis Du Londel in 1759, she was known as Madame Du Londel. She was appointed premier dancer and was counted as the star of the ballet in the advertisements on the public performances at Bollhuset
Bollhuset
Bollhuset, also called ', ', and ' at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of Scandinavia. The name "" means "The Ball House", and it was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in...
in Stockholm alongside Louis Gallodier
Louis Gallodier
Louis Gallodier was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent the majority of his career in Sweden, were he was to have a great importance for the development of the ballet in Sweden as the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet.- Biography and career:Louis Gallodier was born in France...
. Morel was also active as an actor and as a singer. In her capacity of a singer, she performed both in opera and at concerts at court and in public, and she was noted as the lead female star in the French Theatre alongside Marie Baptiste
Marie Baptiste
Marie Baptiste née Dumont, , also known as Mademoiselle le Prévost , was a French actor and singer...
. In parallel with her husband Louis Du Londel and her husband's brother-in-law Pierre Lefevbre, who was the instructors in French and fencing for the royal princes, she was hired as the instructor in dance and in the French language of Princess Sophie Albertine of Sweden from 1757 until 1769.
Royal mistress
Morel was also the lover of the monarch, king Adolf Frederick of Sweden, from about 1760. She was not an official mistress, but their relationship was public knowledge. In Le Pientre amoreaux de son modéle by L. Anselme, which was performed in Bollhuset Theatre in the presence of the royal family, and were she had the line: "When I was young, I was the taste of a king", the audience burst in to laughter. This caused the queen to feel herself publicly insulted. She had a son by the king with the patronymicon Fredriksson, also called Frederici, something which deeply offended the queen The relationship ended when the King took the courtier Ulrica von Liewen as mistress, with whom he is said to have fathered Lolotte ForssbergLolotte Forssberg
Lolotte Forssberg was a Swedish noble and lady-in-waiting, later countess Stenbock. She was one of the most talked about people of her time as the possible child of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden. Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden investigated her birth in the 1790s and tried to have her...
. After the King's death in 1771, her son Frederici was taken care of by the Queen Dowager and by the new King, who declared that he was the late kings son. He died soon after, however.
Later life
The king had made his son, Crown Prince Gustav, promise to give her a pension when he became King. When the French troupe was fired by 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....
in 1771, the Du Londel couple was the only ones granted a royal pension. They left Sweden in 21 June 1771, and settled in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
in 1778. In 1780, when some of the remaining French artists performed in the Swedish court, Gustav III said that the only thing preventing them from being a good theatre was the fact that the Du Londel couple was in Paris.
In 1792, the Du Londel couple returned to Sweden. Because her spouse was a royalist with noble ascendancy on his mothers side, the French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
made them feel unsafe in France. Upon the death of her spouse in 1793, she lost her pension and was supported by friends, mainly her god daughter Marie Louise Marcadet
Marie Louise Marcadet
Marie Louise Marcadet was a Swedish opera singer and a dramatic stage actor. She was active in both the Royal Swedish Opera, and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. She is regarded as the greatest tragedienne in Sweden during the 1780s decade, before the first noted native tragedienne, Maria Franck...
, who however left for France in 1795. The year after, her daughter Marie Louise married Louis Gallodier
Louis Gallodier
Louis Gallodier was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent the majority of his career in Sweden, were he was to have a great importance for the development of the ballet in Sweden as the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet.- Biography and career:Louis Gallodier was born in France...
, and she was thereafter supported by her son-in-law until her death.