Beata Charlotta "Charlotte" Eckerman (1759 – 16 January 1790 in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

), was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

opera singer Opera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a lib ...

and

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. She was also a very well known

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

during the

Gustavian era The history of Sweden from 1772 to 1809 is better known as the Gustavian era of kings Gustav III and Gustav IV Adolf, as well as the reign of King Charles XIII. Gustav III Adolf Frederick of Sweden died on 12 February 1771. The electio ...

, and the official royal mistress of

Charles XIII of Sweden Charles XIII or Carl XIII (; 7 October 1748 – 5 February 1818) was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son (and younger brother to King Gustav III) of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa ...

from 1779 to 1781.

Life

Charlotte Eckerman was the daughter of Bengt Edvard Eckerman, cavalry captain of the Royal Scanian Husars, and the writer

Catharina Ahlgren Catharina Ahlgren (1734 – c. 1800) was a Swedish proto-feminist poet and publisher, and one of the first identifiable female journalists in Sweden. She was the publisher and chief editor of a number of different women's periodicals in Stoc ...

. Her father was the cousin of Carl Fredrik Ekerman, speaker of the burghers in the Swedish parliament, and her mother was at one point the ''

kammarfru A Chamber Woman (Danish: ''Kammerfrue''; German: ''Kammerfrau''; Swedish: ''kammarfru'') was a court office in several European courts. The Chamber Woman was in charge of the wardrobe, cosmetics and other matters concerning the domestic manageme ...

'' of the queen,

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia Louisa Ulrika of Prussia (; ; 24 July 1720 - 16 July 1782) was Queen of Sweden from 1751 to 1771. She was married to king Adolf Frederick and she was queen mother during the reign of king Gustav III. Background Louisa Ulrika was born in Berl ...

. In the custody of her father after her parents divorce, she was described as more or less an orphan. She had two brothers and a sister, as well as several halfsiblings by her fathers second marriage and by her mother. She and her sister did not get along with their stepmother, and appears to have moved from home early on. Her sister Julie Eckerman (1765–1801) was also a courtesan and the mistress of nobleman count

Carl Sparre Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

, governor of Stockholm.

Opera singer

Charlotta Eckerman was engaged at the

Stenborg Company The Stenborg Company () was a Swedish theatre company, active in Sweden and Finland in the 18th century. It was also called Stenborgska skådebanorna ('Stenborg Stages'), Svenska komeditruppen ('Swedish Comedy Troupe') and Svenska Comedien ('Swed ...

in 1774, and as a singer at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera () is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the centre of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, in the borough of Norrmalm (borough), Norrmalm, on the eastern si ...

Bollhuset Bollhuset, also called (The Big Ball House), (Ball House Theater), and Gamla Bollhuset (Old Ball House) at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater buildin ...

in 1776–81. In 1774, she and several other actors of the Stenborg Company was called to

Gripsholm Castle Gripsholm Castle () is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm. Since Gustav I Vasa, Gripsholm has belonged ...

by Gustav III, who had recently created the Swedish Royal Opera and was in search of talent. The king discovered that she had a talent for drama, and gave the courtier

Maria Aurora Uggla Maria Aurora Uggla, married name Ehrengranat (1747–1826), was a Swedish lady in waiting and noble. She was the lady in waiting and confidant of the Swedish Queen, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, and later the head of the court of Crown Prince Gust ...

, the star of the nobility's amateur theatre at the royal court, the task to instruct her in the part of Mechtild in the opera ''Birger jarl'' by Gyllenborg and Adlerbeth, after the part had been refused by

Elisabeth Olin Elisabeth Olin née ''Lillström'' (December 1740 – 26 March 1828) was a Swedish opera singer and a music composer. She performed the leading female role in the inauguration performance of the Royal Swedish Opera in 1773, and is referred to ...

. Charlotte Eckerman made a great success in the part at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, and was called in by the audience: Prince Charles started to shout "Miss Uggla! Miss Uggla!", after which the audience applauded also Maria Aurora Uggla in her box as well as the author Gyllenborg for having instructed Eckerman in the part. Eckerman was given a contract as a singer at the opera in 1776, and was active there until 1781, during which she was "an adored actress and singer". After having been judged as unfit for the ballet, she was given a place in the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

. Though her voice was weak, she was described as beautiful and vivid. While described as failed dancer and a mediocre singer, she was considered a well capable actress.Beata Charlotte Ekerman, urn:sbl:16573, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Bengt Hildebrand.), hämtad 2019-06-15. Charlotte Eckerman was, alongside Ulrica Rosenlund, much recommended for her dramatic talent and belonged to the members of staff in the first national Opera, who proved their talent not only as singers, but also as actors in talking parts, the theatrical performances that were sometimes given at the opera before the opening of the royal theatre in 1788.

Royal mistress

Charlotta Eckerman was from 1774 active as a

. In 1779, she was made the official mistress of the king's brother duke Charles, the future

. Rumour claimed that Charles took Eckerman as a mistress upon the advice of his brother,

Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fe ...

, who thought it more polite to Charle's consort than his first choice; countess Maria Sophia Rosenstierna, who was the courtier of his consort. Duke Charles had, in any case, a more unofficial relationship with the ballerina

Charlotte Slottsberg Charlotte (Gustava Charlotta) Slottsberg (29 May 1760 – 29 May 1800) was a Swedish ballerina. She was one of the first native members of the Royal Swedish Ballet. She was also known as a courtesan and as the controversial mistress of the ...

, who was however not given any official recognition. The relationship between Charles and Eckerman caused a scandal because of sympathy toward the consort of Charles,

Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp (; 22 March 1759 – 20 June 1818) was the queen consort of Charles XIII of Sweden and II of Norway. She was also a famed diarist, memoirist and wit. She is known as ''Hedwig Elisabeth Charlo ...

, who was very popular. Duke Charles tried to influence king Gustav III to take an official mistress, and Eckerman suggested the French adventurer Madame Monzouve (or de Monzouvre), but the plot does not seem to have succeeded. In 1781, Charles ended the connection. It was rumoured that the relationship ended because of the scandal, but in reality, it was more likely because Charles regarded it as necessary after having become inducted into the

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

. However, this does not seem to be correct, as Charles soon entered into another love affair with

Françoise-Éléonore Villain Françoise-Éléonore Villain (1761 in Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situ ...

. In 1781, Eckerman became involved in a conflict with the king,

Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he s ...

. Eckerman was disliked by the king, as it was said, because she did not admire him and because she had a talent for caricaturing the current ideals. When her affair with the king's brother ended and she could no longer count on his protection, the king arranged for her dismissal from the Opera and had her banished from

Drottningholm Drottningholm, literally "Queen's Islet", is a locality situated in Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden, with 398 inhabitants in 2010. It is on the island Lovön in lake Mälaren on the outskirts of Stockholm. Drottningholm Palace, ...

. Furthermore, he ordered Baron

, the governor of the city of

, to have her arrested and sent to the

Långholmens spinnhus Långholmens rasp- och spinnhus, commonly known as Långholmens spinnhus, was a women's prison in Långholmen, Stockholm, Sweden. The prison was established in 1649 when the Malmgården in Alstavik at Långholmen was erected, and was closed in 18 ...

. As a reason, he claimed that she had given birth to a child and murdered it in secrecy, and that she had taken part in the spreading of rumours regarding the legitimacy of the

heir to the throne An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

. There were at the time many rumors that the crown prince was fathered by the stable master Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila on the orders of the king, rumors which were spread by the king's own mother,

, and increased when Munck were given gifts by the king and the queen. Sparre, who was the lover of Eckerman's sister Julie, was aware of the king's dislike of Eckerman. Sparre investigated the accusations and could find nothing to indicate that she had committed child murder. Charlotte Eckerman denied the accusation that she was to have spread rumours regarding the crown prince's legitimacy, and claimed that it was the king's

page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young m ...

, Georg Johan De Besche as the guilty party. De Besche was to have said, that the gift the queen had given to Munck was well worthy of the birth of an heir to the throne. Sparre refused to arrest her, and pointed out that it was against Swedish law for a monarch to threaten the freedom of a citizen without a legal verdict from a court. The whole affair ended in silence. Eckerman was not sent to jail, and the king did not mention it further. Eckerman left the country shortly afterward, possibly banished by the monarch.

Later life

Charlotte Eckerman later lived in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, where she worked as a courtesan under the name ''Madame Ahlgren''. During this period, she was portrayed by the famous artist

Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller (February 18, 1751 – October 5, 1811) was a Swedish painter whose notable works include ''Danaë receiving Jupiter in a Shower of Gold''. Wertmüller was born in Stockholm and studied art at home before moving to Paris i ...

: the painting was likely ordered by her then admirer

Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt (; 31 March 1757 – 19 August 1814) was a Finnish-Swedish count, baron, courtier, general and diplomat who was later in Russian service. In Finland, he is considered one of the greatest Finnish statesmen. His advi ...

. In 1784,

arranged a meeting with Gustav III during his official visit to France, during which she was reconciled with the monarch and allowed to return to Sweden. During these years, she made a journey through Italy, which was unusual for a single woman in this period. She returned to Sweden in 1786. Charlotte Eckerman now became active as a spy. She received an allowance from the authorities in exchange for spying on the foreign ambassadors stationed in Stockholm in her capacity of a courtesan. At the time of her death, she was the mistress of the Dutch ambassador to Sweden, baron van der Bork. She died while being

magnetized Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that occur through a magnetic field, which allows objects to attract or repel each other. Because both electric currents and magnetic moments of elementary particles give rise to a magnetic field, m ...

Anders Sparrman Anders Sparrman (27 February 1748 – 9 August 1820) was a Swedish naturalist, abolitionist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Biography left, Miniature of Sparrman at the time of his travels with James Cook. By unknown artist. Born in Tensta ...

Fiction

Charlotta Eckerman is portrayed as the main protagonist in the novel ''Kurtisanen'' (The Courtesan) by Anna Laestadius Larsson (2019).

Notes

References

Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 6. Degeberg - Egyptolog
* Svensk Uppslagsbok. 1947 års utgåva. (Swedish Dictionary. 1947 edition) * Kjellberg, Bertil, Beijer, Agne & Andersson, Ingvar (red.), Gustavianskt: 771-1810 Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm, 1945

* Bohman, Nils & Dahl, Torsten (red.), Svenska män och kvinnor: biografisk uppslagsbok, Bonnier, Stockholm, 1942-1955

* Grimberg, Carl, Svenska folkets underbara öden. 7, 1756–1792, Stockholm, 1961 {{DEFAULTSORT:Eckerman, Charlotte 1759 births 1790 deaths 18th-century Swedish actresses 18th-century Swedish women opera singers Mistresses of Charles XIII Swedish courtesans Swedish spies 18th-century spies Gustavian era people