Anna Maria Hjärne née ''Ehrensvärd'' (1718-1798) was a Swedish courtier,

Chief Court Mistress Court Mistress (; ; ; ; ) or Chief Court Mistress (; ; ; ; ; ) is or was the title of the senior lady-in-waiting in the courts of Austria, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Imperial Russia, and the German princely and royal courts. Chief c ...

to the queen of Sweden,

Sophia Magdalena of Denmark Sophia Magdalena of Denmark (; ; 3 July 1746 – 21 August 1813) was Queen of Sweden from 1771 to 1792 as the wife of King Gustav III. Born into the House of Oldenburg, the royal family of Denmark-Norway, Sophia Magdalena was the first daughter ...

, from 1766 to 1777.

Biography

Born to Johan Jacob Ehrensvärd and Anna Maria Mannerheim, she married ''

riksråd Riksrådet (in Norwegian and Swedish) or Rigsrådet (in Danish or English: the Council of the Realm and the Council of the State – sometimes translated as the "Privy Council") is the name of the councils of the Scandinavian countries that ...

'' count Gustaf Adolf Hjärne in 1739. She and her spouse were both known sympathizers of the

Hats A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

. During the

Age of Liberty In Swedish history, the Age of Liberty () was a period that saw parliamentary governance, increasing civil rights, and the decline of the Swedish Empire that began with the adoption of the Instrument of Government in 1719 and ended with Gustav ...

, the

and

Caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...

often maneuvered to have their sympathizers placed in court offices, and when the office of senior lady in waiting to the crown princess (from 1771 queen)

Sophia Magdalena Sophia Magdalena of Denmark (; ; 3 July 1746 – 21 August 1813) was Queen of Sweden from 1771 to 1792 as the wife of King Gustav III. Born into the House of Oldenburg, the royal family of Denmark-Norway, Sophia Magdalena was the first daughter ...

was to be permanently filled after Ulrica Catharina Stromberg in 1766, the Hats managed to have Hjärne appointed to the office. The appointment was however mostly formal: it was understood that Hjärne would only serve during grander occasions, and that the office would in practice be performed by her deputy (first Ernestine Palmfelt, from 1767 Charlotta Sparre).Till Sveriges historia utgifna af D:r E. V. Montan. Gustaf Johan Ehrensvärds Dagboksanteckningar förda vid Gustaf III:s Hov. Dagboskateckningar förda vid Gustaf III:s hof av Friherre Gustav Johan Ehrensvärd. Utgifna af D:r E. V. MONTAN Hjärne was acceptable to the office because of her status as ''riksrådinna'', wife of a ''

'', but

Axel von Fersen the Elder Count Fredrik Axel von Fersen (5 April 171924 April 1794) was a Swedish statesman and soldier of Baltic German descent. He served as Lord Marshal of the Riksdag of the Estates, and although he worked closely with King Gustav III before and thro ...

considered her to be unsuitable and not of sufficient character, sense and knowledge in the French language for the office. The conflict between Sophia Magdalena, who had the support of the Cap Party, and her mother-in-law, the Hat Party sympathizer

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 ...

was publicly known and disliked, and the sympathies were on Sophia Magdalena's side. Anna Maria Hjärne was a Hat sympathizer and reportedly slandered and spread rumors about

.Gerd Ribbing (1958) Gustav III:s hustru. Sofia Magdalena. Stockholm: Alb. Bonniers Boktryckeri. In the contemporary paper '' Dagligt Allehanda'', a fable was presented about ''Rävinnan och Turturduvan'' he She Fox and the Turtle Dovein 16 February 1771. The fable was about the innocent Turtle Dove (Sophia Magdalena) who was slandered by the wicked She Fox (Louisa Ulrika), who was supported by the Second She Fox (The Mistress of the Robes Anna Maria Hjärne) and the other Foxes (the nobility). The fable was believed to have been sent from the Caps Party. During the

Revolution of 1772 The Revolution of 1772, also known as The Bloodless Revolution () or the Coup of Gustav III ( or older ''Gustav III:s statsvälvning''), was a Swedish coup d'état performed by King Gustav III of Sweden on 19 August 1772 to introduce a division ...

, queen Sophia Magdalena confided to Anna Maria Hjärne that she was afraid that the now all powerful monarch would divorce her because she knew he did not care for her, because she had not given him a child and because she knew she was being slandered before him. King Gustav III was informed of this and confided in Axel von Fersen the Elder that he was contemplating to divorce the queen for pro-Danish plots and adultery with ''

'' Fredrik Ribbing, who was known to court her, and the Danish envoy baron Rosencrone, who forwarded letters from her to Denmark. The queen was known to enjoy the company of Ribbing, who amused her with compliments and once made her laugh by caricaturing her senior lady-in-waiting Anna Maria Hjärne, who reportedly told the king that the queen was pregnant "and the ''riksråd'' Ribbing is her favorite". The king gave Ulrica Catharina Stromberg, who was very well liked by the queen, the task to examine the statements made by Hjärne. Stromberg reported that she could not bring herself to ask the queen herself, but she did ask her ''

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 ...

'' Charlotta Hellman, from whom she was given "information that left little doubt, particularly as the clearest evidence could be extracted from the linen of the queen." Axel von Fersen the Elder however, advised against a divorce and stated that there was no other reason to suspect her of pro-Danish views than her affection for her Danish maids Ingrid Maria Wenner and Hansen, and that the understandable pleasure the queen, as a neglected wife, felt for the compliments of Ribbing was not sufficient to suspect her for actual adultery. The whole affair resulted in nothing. When the royal couple consummated their marriage with the assistance of

Adolf Fredrik Munck Adolf Fredrik, Count Munck (Mikkeli, Finland, 28 April 1749 – Massa, Italy, 18 July 1831), was a Swedish and Finnish noble during the Gustavian era. His family name is sometimes inaccurately given as "Munck af Fulkila" because his father usurp ...

in 1775, the king reportedly apologized to the queen for believing Hjärne's story. Anna Maria Hjärne was replaced in her office by Ulrika Strömfelt in 1777.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hjärne, Anna Maria 1718 births 1798 deaths 18th-century Swedish people Mistresses of the Robes (Sweden) Gustavian era people