Ulrica "Ulla" Elisabeth von Liewen (24 February 1747, 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 ...

– 16 May 1775, in

Uppsala Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019. Loc ...

), was a Swedish courtier and baroness. She was at one point the royal mistress of

Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden Adolf (or Adolph) Frederick (; ; 14 May 171012 February 1771) was King of Sweden from 1751 until his death in 1771. He was the son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin, and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach. He was an ...

and is known as the likely mother of

Lolotte Forssberg Fredrika Charlotte "Lolotte" Forssberg (1766–1840) 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 ...

. Ulla von Liewen was the daughter of the noble Carl Gustaf von Liewen and Ulrika Eleonora Ribbing af Zernava. She served as

maid of honor Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party at some Western traditional wedding ceremonies. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often the bride's close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ce ...

to the queen of Sweden. Originally engaged to count Per Brahe, she was impregnated by the king and gave birth to a daughter. The queen was informed, and agreed to keep the matter a secret and care for the child. The story was described in 1799 by count Fredrik Georg Strömfelt to Eleonora Charlotta d'Albedyhll after the attempt of

Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for t ...

to have Lolotte Forssberg officially acknowledged as her sister, by then countess Stenbock by marriage (though the year is here 1769 instead of 1766):

"Queen
Louisa Ulrika 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 Berli ...
had a lady-in-waiting by the name Ulla Liewen, engaged to count Per Brahe, son of the unhappy count Erik. In 1769 she fell sick and was delivered of "The Petite", who was the daughter of
Adolf Fredrik Adolf (or Adolph) Frederick (; ; 14 May 171012 February 1771) was King of Sweden from 1751 until his death in 1771. He was the son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin, and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach. He was an un ...
. The queen was informed of the secret, but out of friendship for her maid of honor, who had a good name for virtue and the purity of her customs - perhaps also in reference to the utter jealousy, which Her Majesty had displayed in the matter of the charming actress and dancer m:lle Dulondel, with whom the King had a son called Fredriksson, a jealousy which caused the exile of m:lle Dulondel from the realm - the queen promised her husband to care for the child under the vow of secrecy. Those, who have seen countess Stenbock in her younger years, as well as the portrait of Ulla Liewen, can not doubt the matter. Beside, she looks like Adolf Fredrik, and this explains, why people have found such as resemblance between her and princess Sofia Albertina".

Princess Sophia Albertine stated to her intimate friend, countess Caroline Ehrencrona, the she had several reasons to believe that Ulla Liewen was the mother of Lolotte Forssberg, but that she would keep quite about it out of concern for the Liewen family, even though the matter seemed to be an open secret in high society.Cecilia af Klercker (1927). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok VI 1797-1799. P.A. Norstedt & Söners förlag Stockholm. Sid. 290-92 In 1770, Ulla Liewen married the politician and courtier baron

Charles De Geer (1747–1805) Charles De Geer (30 January 1720 – 7 March 1778) was an entomologist, industrialist, civil servant and book collector. He is sometimes referred to as Charles the Entomologist, to distinguish him from other relatives with the same name. Charl ...

. Their daughter Charlotte De Geer later married

Hans Henric von Essen Count Hans Henric von Essen (26 September 1755 – 28 June 1824) was a Sweden, Swedish officer, courtier and statesman. Biography Hans Henric von Essen was born at Kavlås Castle in Tidaholm Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. He ...

. The daughter of her spouse in his second marriage, Vilhelmina, served as

mistress of the Robes The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, who would, by appointment, attend on the Queen (whether queen regnant or a queen consort). Queens dowager retained their own mistresses of the robes. In ...

Désirée Clary Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary (; 8 November 1777 – 17 December 1860) was Queen of Sweden and Norway from 5 February 1818 to 8 March 1844 as the wife of King Charles XIV John. Charles John was a French general and founder of the House o ...

and married Carl Edvard Gyldenstolpe, who was at one point engaged to marry Lolotte Forssberg.

References

Sources

* Cecilia af Klercker (1927). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok VI 1797-1799. P.A. Norstedt & Söners förlag Stockholm. Sid. 290-92, 335 * Oscar Fredrik Strokirk: Kultur- och personhistoriska anteckningar / Tredje delen {{DEFAULTSORT:Liewen, Ulla von Mistresses of Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden 18th-century Swedish nobility 1747 births 1775 deaths Swedish ladies-in-waiting People from Stockholm