Ulrika "Ulla" Ottiliana Möllersvärd (1791–1878) was a Finnish courtier in service of the Russian Imperial court. She was rumored to have been the secret daughter of Princess

Sophie Albertine of Sweden Princess Sophia Albertina of Sweden (''Sophia Maria Lovisa Fredrika Albertina''; 8 October 1753 – 17 March 1829) was the last Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg Abbey, and as such reigned as vassal monarch of the Holy Roman Empire. Sophia Alberti ...

, and the lover of Tsar

Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. The son of ...

Life

She was one of seven children of the noble Carl Adolph Möllersvärd and Maria Charlotta L'Estrade, and sister of Carl Magnus Möllersvärd. She is foremost known for the occasion, where she danced with Tsar Alexander I of Russia at the

Diet of Porvoo The Diet of Porvoo ( fi, Porvoon maapäivät, or unhistorically ; sv, Borgå lantdag; russian: Боргоский сейм), was the summoned legislative assembly to establish the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809 and the heir of the powers of the ...

in 1809, which was repeated at Mäntsälä some days later and gave rise to rumors that they had an affair: the incident has been portrayed in fiction.kansallisbiografia (National Biography of Finland) She was the subject of much attention in contemporary Finland. She was claimed to be the foster child of Möllersvärd and in actuality the secret illegitimate daughter of Princess Sophia Albertina of Sweden; Möllersvärd was also reputed to have had a secret child with Tsar Alexander. She was

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

to the Russian empress

Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden) Princess Louise of Baden (13/24 January 1779 – 4/16 May 1826) was, later known as Elizabeth Alexeievna ( rus, Елизавета Алексеевна), the Empress of Russia during her marriage with Emperor Alexander I. Princess of Baden Eliz ...

from 1811 to 1813. The last year, she left court to marry noble general major Odert Reinhold von Essen. She divorced him the following year and left him to live with her unmarried brother.

Legacy

Möllersvärd has been portrayed in fiction, both literature and film. Her rumored affair with Tsar Alexander was portrayed in the novel '' Tanssi yli hautojen'' by

Mika Waltari Mika Toimi Waltari (; 19 September 1908 – 26 August 1979) was a Finnish writer, best known for his best-selling novel ''The Egyptian'' ( fi, Sinuhe egyptiläinen). He was extremely productive. Besides his novels he also wrote poetry, short stori ...

(1944), which was made into a film in 1950.

References

*
Möllersvärd (Möllerswärd), släkt, urn:sbl:8681, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av H G-m), hämtad 2016-11-05.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mollersvard, Ulrika Ladies-in-waiting from the Russian Empire 1791 births 1878 deaths Mistresses of Alexander I of Russia 19th-century Finnish women