Beata Sparre (1662–1724) was a Swedish courtier. She used the net of contacts her office gave her to benefit the interests of both her family, herself personally as well as individual supplicants and foreign powers in exchange for money. She is known for her successful use of her service as lady-in-waiting for lucrative purposes, and considered a notable example of a female courtier who used her office and the net of contact it gave her as a way of creating influence and personal wealth.

Biography

Beata Sparre was the daughter of Baron Axel Carlsson Sparre and Beata Stenbock. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Hedvig Eleonora in 1680–1715 and to Princess

Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden Ulrika Eleonora or Ulrica Eleanor (23 January 1688 – 24 November 1741), known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, was Queen of Sweden, reigning in her own right from 5 December 1718 until her abdication on 29 February 1720 in favour of her husband ...

in 1715–1720. She used her position as a courtier by creating a net of influential contacts, which she could use to accept and put forward requests from supplicants in exchange for money. This was a common way for a female courtier to earn money, but like her contemporary

Anna Maria Clodt Anna Maria Clodt (died 1708), was a Swedish courtier. She served as a Danish agent at the Swedish Royal Court and was widely reputed and consulted by supplicants for her contacts and acquired a great deal of influence. She was the daughter of Baro ...

, Sparre was very successful in her line of business. Already during the 1680s, she had created a power base through which she could exact favors from the monarch. The French embassy pointed her out as one of the power holders in the Swedish court necessary to cultivate. She is known to have received gifts from France and may have acted as a French agent, which would make her a spy: it was noted that during the fire of the royal palace in 1697, she saved a portrait of

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of ...

which she had been given as a personal gift from France. Her petitions to Charles XII of Sweden went through the channel of the royal princesses and were normally successful. In 1709, she was a part of the group consisting of herself,

Arvid Horn Count Arvid Bernhard Horn af Ekebyholm (6 April 166418 April 1742) was a Swedish general, diplomat and politician, a member of the noble Horn family. He served twice as President of the Privy Council Chancellery (1710–1719 and 1720–1738) ...

, the queen dowager's priest Molin,

Christina Piper Christina Piper, née ''Törne'' (1673 in Stockholm – 1752 in Krageholm Castle, Scania), was a Swedish countess, landowner and entrepreneur, married to the statesman and military count Carl Piper. During the tenure of her spouse in office, ...

, and

Märta Berendes Märta Berendes (21 January, 1639 – 18 October, 1717), was a Swedish Baroness and diary writer. She served as ''överhovmästarinna'' (Mistress of the Robes) at the Swedish royal court from 1693 to 1717. She is the author of a diary written be ...

who evicted

Anna Catharina von Bärfelt ''Anna Catharina'' Charlotta Wilhelmina von Bärfelt (1673 – Linköping, 2 April 1738), was a Swedish courtier and an influential royal favourite of Queen Hedwig Eleonora. She was immensely unpopular and rumoured to abuse her influence and positi ...

from court by forming an alliance with Carl Gyllenstierna. In 1703, she had Princess Ulrika Eleonora acquire a mansion for her by

Charles XII Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of ...

. When she finally lost favor at court, she retired to this manor.

References

* Eva Österberg, red (1997). Jämmerdal & Fröjdesal. Kvinnor i stormaktstidens Sverige. Stockholm: Atlantis AB. * Fabian Persson (1999). Servants of Fortune. The Swedish court between 1598 and 1721. Lund: Wallin & Dalholm.

Biography

References

Further reading