Royal side pieces were dime-a-dozen, but Hedvig Taube was the first and one of only two official mistresses in Swedish history. It’s a shame she wanted nothing to do with it. But Hedvig was right: It destroyed her life.
1. She Was Cursed With Beauty
Hedvig Taube was too beautiful for her own good. When her family fell into crisis and she caught the eye of a king 38 years her senior, she landed in the royal court. Right in the center of its scandals, gossip, and conspiracies. History remembers Hedvig as a mistress—but she turned out to be more of a royal victim than a royal mistress.
Lorens Pasch the Elder, Wikimedia Commons
2. She Went From Riches to Rags
In 1714, Count Edvard Didrik Taube and Christina Marina Falkenberg welcomed Hedvig, one of eight children, into their noble family. High society doesn’t even begin to cover it: Frederick I, the future king, even became godfather to one of their kids. But young Hedvig experienced little of this as Edvard’s gambling and bad business decisions plunged the family into debt and financial ruin.
Engraving by Johan Fredrik Martin (1755-1816), Wikimedia Commons
3. She Was Too Beautiful
Edvard realized that he still had a priceless asset that no creditor could take away: Hedvig. She was always stunning—and it wasn’t just her biased parents claiming this. When the 16-year-old crossed paths with 54-year-old King Frederick I, it was lust at first sight…for him. And only him.
Lorens Pasch the Elder, Wikimedia Commons
4. She Was Courted By A King
King Frederick I was as powerful, rich, determined, and married as he was creepy. It didn’t take long for him to send extravagant fruit baskets and floral arrangements to the Taube home. Frederick made his not-so-innocent intentions clear: He was courting Hedvig. And just in case it wasn’t obvious enough, he threw in some secret gifts.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
5. She Received Secret Gifts
As if the flowers and fruits weren’t enough, Frederick hid jewels and other valuables beneath them. These priceless items would’ve impressed anyone, but especially the debt-ridden and struggling Taube family. Hedvig wasn’t the only Taube that he was courting. Edvard in particular, fell for his seduction hook, line and sinker.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Wikimedia Commons
6. She Enchanted A King
Still, Frederick wasn’t satisfied with courting Hedvig from afar. He even asked another nobleman if Hedvig could stay with him so he could court her in person. This nobleman not only refused, but warned the monarch that many powerful people didn’t approve. Hedvig was too young, too unmarried—oh, and too engaged.
Martin van Meytens, Wikimedia Commons
7. She Was With Another Guy
Turns out, Hedvig was already betrothed to Erik Sparre. Erik wasn’t a king, but he also wasn’t 38 years her senior. It’s no wonder that Hedvig’s mom preferred this count over the king. But Christine knew an engagement wouldn’t deter Frederick, who pushed pushiness to new heights. She realized that protecting Hedvig called for drastic measures.
Johan David Swartz, Wikimedia Commons
8. She Wanted To Hide
Out of sight, out of mind? Christine sure hoped so. She planned to whisk Hedvig away to their country estate with the hope that Frederick would move on. But Christine learned the hard way that her husband and the king had other plans. Turns out, Christine and Edvard weren’t on the same page. In fact, they weren’t even on the same book.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
9. She Was Isolated
Edvard was many things, but sentimental wasn’t one of them. He probably didn’t react well to Christine’s plans. He did send her away to live in their country house… alone. Meanwhile, Edvard insisted that Hedvig stayed with him in the capital. This left the teenager alone with her dad and his schemes. And boy did he have a lot of them.
Gustaf Lundberg, Wikimedia Commons
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10. She Was Sold
Christine had Hedvig’s best interests at heart, but Edvard couldn’t care less. Erland Broman, one of the king’s henchmen, agreed. He convinced Edvard into green-lighting Frederick and Hedvig’s not-so-innocent relationship. Erland was persuasive, speaking not only Swedish, but the universal language of money. Hedvig didn’t stand a chance.
Jakob Björck, Wikimedia Commons
11. She Was Betrayed
The Taube family were drowning in debt, and Frederick threw them a life line. He offered to pay Edvard’s debts and promote the men in his family. This deal would leave them richer and more titled. But of course, there were strings attached. In exchange, Frederick wanted Hedvig. In every way. After making a deal with the devil, Edvard just had to get Hedvig on board.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Wikimedia Commons
12. She Was Manipulated
Turns out, this was easier said than done. Countless people, including family members, implored Hedvig to accept Frederick's proposition. They promised her future would be more beautiful than anything she could imagine. Hedvig didn’t budge. The sweet talkers finally pulled out their ace: the family duty card. It didn’t just sway Hedvig, it toppled her resolve.
Martin van Meytens, Wikimedia Commons
13. She Became The Cash Cow
Hedvig was too young to be feeling this old. The teenager knew that only she could save her entire family. But when Hedvig finally gave in, she didn’t just become his mistress. She became a cash cow to countless people after Frederick rewarded everyone involved in turning his fantasy into reality.
However, this exploitation only worsened after Hedvig stepped foot into the royal court.
Martin Mijtens, Wikimedia Commons
14. She Felt The Pressure
Hedvig knew the sweet talkers were lying: Ferderick's fantasy was her nightmare. On the way to the court, she mourned, “My fate is harder than I could imagine. I am being forced to expose my virtue to save a family ruined by gambling”. But Hedvig learned the hard way that she’d have to give up so much more than her virtue.
15. She Fooled Everyone
At the royal court, Hedvig lived a double life. During the day, she was Queen Ulrika Eleonora’s maid of honor. At night, she was the king’s favorite mistress. But Frederick still treated her like a dirty secret. The inner circle conspired to hide Hedvig’s real identity from his wife. This was a horrifying betrayal to Ulrika for a shocking reason.
Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
16. She Was A Secret
Turns out, Ulrika was Sweden’s real monarch. She became queen after her brother King Charles XII died. But she was submissive to Frederick and agreed to transfer her power over. Though she demanded two things. First, Ulrika could take the throne back if she outlived Frederick, who was 12 years older. Second, he vowed to always respect Ulrika. Well, that didn’t last long.
Workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud, Wikimedia Commons
17. She Tricked The Queen
Despite their best efforts, salacious rumors of Frederick and Hedvig’s affair still circulated. Ulrika couldn’t ignore them. At public events, she smothered Hedvig with affection. Ulrika’s message was clear: She adored her maid of honor and rejected these rumors. Ulrika just didn’t see the then 18-year-old as a threat, a sentiment that most shared.
Georg Desmarées, Wikimedia Commons
18. She Wasn’t Taken Seriously
There’s being wrong, and there’s Sweden’s royal court. The majority didn’t take Hedvig seriously. This even included those who believed the affair rumors. The court thought the teenager was a goner. Even though Frederick called her “the beautiful dove”. Even though he gave Hedvig lavish gifts. But she soon proved them wrong.
19. She Hid A Huge Secret
When Hedvig was 19, she pulled a vanishing act. She disappeared from not only the public eye, but even the royal court. Hedvig retreated to her room and cited sickness. She claimed to suffer from a mystery illness that left her bedridden. Turns out, she technically did have a health problem. But there was no mystery as to what it was.
Dguendel, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. She Had A Secret Pregnancy
While Frederick's marriage failed to produce children, his affair had no trouble. However Frederick and Hedvig weren’t married, which doomed all of their kids to illegitimacy. Not to mention, their affair remained a secret. Now they had to hide not only their relationship, but Hedvig’s pregnancy. Unless something major changed, Ulrika would catch them.
21. She Had A Secret Birth
When Frederick and Hedvig hid her pregnancy, they already walked a fine line. They would cross it if they tried to conceal a live birth. Since Ulrika lived in the same palace, she’d finally discover the truth. So Frederick convinced his wife to move her court to another palace. To make it convincing, he went with them.
But this left the 19-year-old to have her first child alone. It gets even worse.
Martin van Meytens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
22. She Had A Secret Daughter
Just like her innocence, Hedvig’s motherhood didn’t last long. Tragically, it was short-lived in more ways than once. Since Hedvig couldn’t hide a baby after Ulrika and the court returned, she had no choice but to give up Mamsell Elrich to a foster mother. But sadly, her daughter didn't even make it out of infancy.
After all this secrecy, rumors to exploded anyway.
23. She Hid Another Pregnancy
Hedvig just couldn’t catch a break. That same year, she became pregnant again. But this time, they learned their lesson. Hedvig didn’t remain in the palace during her pregnancy and birth. Instead, Frederick set her up in a nearby home. After frequent visits from the king, the 21-year-old gave birth to a son. But the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Wikimedia Commons
24. She Gave Up Her Son
Different child, same fate: Hedvig still had to surrender her newborn. William of Hesse, Frederick's brother, became the boy’s godfather and pseudo father. If it was any consolation, she got three things out of this. First, her son received a title. Second, Hedvig received a generous allowance from the state.
Third, the king began calling her la Comtesse Taube. But these changes caused a catastrophe.
Wilhelm Böttner, Wikimedia Commons
25. She Was Exposed
The cat was out of the bag: everyone viewed these moves as confirmation of a long rumored affair. Rumor turned into reality. Hedvig used to be just another royal mistress. But Frederick’s recognition made her Sweden’s first publicly acknowledged one. No one took this well. This triggered a national scandal—but no one exploded more than Ulrika.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Wikimedia Commons
26. She Infuriated The Queen
Ulrika was fuming—not that most people could tell. Like any wife, she found the ordeal humiliating. And on top of that, Ulrika realized that she sacrificed the throne for this man. As much as Ulrika ranted in private, she refused to publicly comment. But when the opportunity arose, Ulrika couldn’t resist insulting her maid turned traitor.
David von Krafft, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
27. She Was Snubbed
When Hedvig made her first public appearance at court, Ulrika made her fury known. The queen claimed that she was sick and refused to leave her room. Everyone knew this, like many other Hedvig related claims, was a lie. Afterwards, the maid turned mistress never appeared in court again. The world beyond the palace wasn’t any kinder to their new public enemy number one.
David von Krafft, Wikimedia Commons
28. She Became Widely Hated
Hedvig found out the hard way just how beloved Ulrika was. So this scandal made her not only widely known, but widely hated. Hedvig may have been Sweden’s first official royal mistress, but she was no better than a social outcast. Hedvig was surrounded by people, but still felt alone. Everything changed when a group of noblewomen threw her a lifeline—with a catch.
Pierre Signac, Wikimedia Commons
29. She Received A Life Line
These women paid Hedvig an official visit, which was huge for a pariah. But they didn’t just come for tea: They wanted Frederick to advance the careers of their husbands. Hedvig agreed to speak with him. Once news got out, her ostracism ended. Now, everyone knew to go through Hedvig to get to the king.
Once again, Hedvig was used. And yet again, this wouldn’t end well for her.
Rijksmuseum, Wikimedia Commons
30. She Held A Unique Status
As if Hedvig’s place in society wasn’t already weird enough, there was yet another twist. After her redemption, she became a unique figure. She even hosted events at her own residence. Sometimes Frederick even joined her. She also became a patron of the arts. None of this was even remotely mistress-appropriate behavior. Hedvig was accumulating power—and powerful people noticed.
Richard Mortel, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
31. She Had Too Much Power
Just as Hedvig enjoyed her increased popularity, she blew it. The more she interfered with the government, public resentment grew. The worst part was Hedvig didn’t even care about politics. She just did what her family and politicians instructed her to. Hedvig, still in her early 20s, already had enough drama for several lifetimes—but there was more on the horizon.
Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
32. She Got Into Another Scandal
No matter what Hedvig did, she couldn’t win. She angered some people when she meddled with politics. She angered other people when she didn’t get involved. When Hedvig refused to become one party’s pawn, they didn’t just get angry. They got even. The group spread plays, papers, and propaganda that condemned Frederick and Hedvig’s adultery. Then, they took it too far.
Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
33. She Was In Crisis
After a secret conversation with Ulrika, the archbishop mobilized his clergy estate. The queen lamented with grief over her husband’s adultery and the disappointments of his mistress’s family. Hedvig’s father lost his position during this crisis. In the legislature, the clergy reminded Frederick that he made an oath to step down if he disrespected the queen. Somehow, it was about to get even messier.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Wikimedia Commons
34. She Was Exposed
The clergy were like scent hounds on the hunt. They sent a delegation to interrogate Stiernman, a high ranking member of the royal court. They demanded every piece of dirt on Hedvig, from secret marriages to secret children. Stiernman refused to budge. Disappointed—but just as thirsty—the delegation showed up on the king’s doorstep the next day.
J. v. Teutschländer,Wikimedia Commons
35. She Had Someone On Her Side
When the clergy confronted Frederick, he couldn’t resist being messy. He called out specific members on their own scandals and illegitimate children. The king declared he’d defend Hedvig against anyone. This wasn’t just out of affection: Frederick asserted that his “sin” was only between him and God.
So any oaths made as king didn’t cover his personal life… not that any of this stopped conspiracies from spreading like wildfire.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Wikimedia Commons
36. She Faced Conspiracies
Countless rumors circulated around the capital, but none were as scandalous as this. The word on the street was Frederick and Hedvig planned to flee to Germany. Afterwards, Ulrika would reclaim the throne. This would’ve been a dream come true for Ulrika’s many supporters and the couple’s many haters. While it didn’t happen, something even crazier did.
Georg Engelhard Schröder, Wikimedia Commons
37. She Was Dangerous
Hedvig never loved politics, but it sure loved her. When a political party wanted Hedvig banished, William—the king’s brother and godfather of her son—joined in. William finally realized Hedvig’s power: Her sons could inherit if she and Frederic married. He had to protect his power. With so many voices pressuring Frederick, he caved.
Herman Hendrik de Quiter the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
38. She Was Exiled
The Frederick who swore to always defend Hedvig was nowhere to be found. He started by exiling their children. Then, he went after his favorite mistress. At only 26, she ended up exiled. Far from home, Hedvig’s future looked as uncertain as it did when she first arrived. Ulrika witnessed everything—and showed zero mercy.
David von Krafft, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
39. She Didn’t Receive Sympathy
Ulrika couldn’t forgive or forget—the jealousy and humiliation were still too raw. The queen began by snubbing the Taube family and their supporters. But Ulrika wasn’t content with social snubs. When she “reminded” the clergy estate that the king’s betrayal and sin remained unsettled, they pounced. Their delegation prepared for a showdown.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
40. She Was Confronted
When the delegation arrived, Hedvig pretended she was too bedridden and ill. It didn’t work: The priests barged into her bedroom. She had to face them in bed. Hedvig maintained that the legislature shouldn’t care about her, since she never cared about politics. The clergy didn’t care and shamed her. Finally, Hedvig broke down.
Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
41. She Broke Down
Hedvig cried, drew a sheet over her face, and wailed, "It would have been well, if this had been prevented twelve years ago, when I was too young to protect myself". The unfairness of the situation didn’t escape her. After all, Hedvig hadn’t even wanted to be a mistress in the first place. But like Ulrika, the clergy couldn’t care less.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
42. She Was Pressured
In the wake of Hedvig’s sobs, the priests didn’t budge. While they acknowledged that Frederick led her to sin, they didn’t think it was an excuse. Since Hedvig knew better now, she had to do better. The delegation guilt-tripped her with descriptions of the queen’s suffering. They implored her to leave the capital and the king. Forever.
Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
43. She Was Defiant
After the legislature that forced her out dissolved, Hedvig faced the decision of a lifetime. Hedvig knew how many powerful people she’d anger, but she still chose to return to her position and residence as soon as possible. Hedvig’s return was the last straw for Ulrika: The queen retreated to her room and refused to come out for a long time.
Like the queen, this royal mistress was a changed woman.
Johan Starbus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
44. She Had Ambitions
If you can’t beat them, join them. The theories of her political meddling just wouldn’t go away. So Hedvig gave them something real to talk about. Since the king and queen failed to produce an heir, she saw her opportunity. Hedvig wanted to marry Frederick so her sons could take that place.
Hedvig failed, but she and her sons still received Count and Countess titles. Not too shabby for a mistress and her illegitimate kids.
Georg David Matthieu, Wikimedia Commons
45. She Became Pregnant Again
When she ended up pregnant again, it was during chaos in the capital. She had to confront her failure to make her sons heirs when Adolf Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp was chosen instead. If it’s any consolation, both she and Ulrika failed to secure this part of their legacy. And one night, she received an invitation for a secret first meeting with this crown prince.
Lorens Pasch the Younger, Wikimedia Commons
46. She Charmed Another King
No matter how you look at it, this clandestine meeting was bizarre in every way. At this meeting, she was joined by the king, a courtier, and Erland. They met in Hedvig’s bedroom. On top of that, the heavily pregnant Hedvig met everyone in bed. From there, she asked for a massive favor: Adolf’s protection of her and her children.
Carl Fredrich Brander, Wikimedia Commons
47. She Was Scared
Hedvig wasn’t just being dramatic—it’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you. Hedvig, along with everyone, figured that she’d outlive the much older Frederick. But she’d made an enemy or two. It didn’t help that Hedvig had already fled the capital recently in fear of her life. Adolf’s reaction to Hedvig and her request was unexpected.
Gustaf Lundberg, Wikimedia Commons
48. She Was Enthralling
Even heavily pregnant, men still had over the top responses to Hedvig. Before the meeting, the crown prince didn’t believe the hype around Hedvig’s charm and beauty. After the meeting, Adolf confessed that he finally understood the hype and Frederick’s obsession. But it turns out Hedvig didn’t need Adolf’s protection after all—for the worst reason.
Gustaf Lundberg, Wikimedia Commons
49. She Had A Difficult Pregnancy
Shortly after, Hedvig gave birth for the last time. She became the victim—sorry, “mistress”—of a middle-aged king to save her family, only to find herself plagued by scandals, politics, and exile. But the saddest part of all was that Hedvig passed during chilbirth at the young age of 30.
However, during this ill-fated pregnancy, she raged at the injustice of it all.
Jacob Truedson Demitz, Wikimedia Commons
50. She Said Scathing Last Words
Hedvig was at the end of her rope—and cursed her father and Erland. She threw Frederick's gifts around. She declared it was the king’s fault if she didn’t make it to heaven. She insisted Frederick would join her if he didn’t change. Tragically, Frederick had reportedly waited for Ulrika to pass so he could marry Hedvig. But it was too little too late.
Johan Henrik Schildte, Wikimedia Commons
51. She Was Replaced
Frederick outlived the much younger Hedvig by seven years. During this time, he continued to sin with women and drinks. Alarmed, the court found him a replacement mistress, Catharina Ebba Horn. Thanks to her predecessor’s precedents, Catharina realized that she could demand more.
Recognition, titles, power, and money: Hedvig proved they were within the reach of a royal mistress.
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