Scandalous Facts About Hedvig Taube, The Unwilling Royal Mistress
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.
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.
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
