Gender and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Sweden: Queen Louisa Ulrika (1720-1782)

In 1744, Princess Luise Ulrike of Prussia, (1720-82) married Adolf Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp crown prince of Sweden, and seven years later following her husband’s accession to the throne she became queen consort of Sweden. This book traces her life and experiences as crown princess (1744-51), queen (1751-71) and then queen dowager (1771-82) of Sweden. It shows how she took an active role in political matters in a period that was difficult for the monarchy in which it was deprived of many of its traditional royal prerogatives following Sweden’s defeat in the Great Northern War. Born in Prussia where Luise Ulrike’s father exercised supreme control over the kingdom, the princess could not fail to find Swedish governance and institutions abnormal and unnatural, and from the moment she arrived in Sweden she worked tirelessly towards increasing the power of the monarchy. Described variously as fierce, proud, haughty, intelligent, conscious of her due royal prerogatives, filled with political ambition, and accused by many of wanting to restore absolutism, she never diverted from her objectives, despite obstacles and adversities. More than just a biography, this book places Luise Ulrike within the wider European context, thus shedding light on gender and politics in the early modern period. For while much attention has been given to reigning queens and female regents, much less is known about queens consort. For whilst their political function may have been secondary to the dynastic alliances contracted through their marriage, some of these women did exert a real influence, beyond the primary duties expected from a consort, as the life of Luise Ulrike clearly shows.