Alice Trolle-Wachtmeister Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Alice Countess Trolle-Wachtmeister


Chief Court Mistress
In office 1994 – 31 December 2015
Monarch	Carl XVI Gustaf
Preceded by	Astrid Rudebeck
Succeeded by	Kirstine von Blixen-Finecke
Statsfru
In office 1978–1993
Succeeded by	Louise Lyberg

Personal details
Born	Alice Tornérhielm (1926-05-09)9 May 1926 Helsingborg, Sweden
Died	26 June 2017(2017-06-26) (aged 91) Trolle-Ljungby Castle, Sweden
Spouse	Count Hans Gabriel Trolle-Wachtmeister (m. 1949)

Countess Alice Viktoria Trolle-Wachtmeister (born May 9, 1926 – died June 26, 2017) was an important person at the Royal Court of Sweden. She worked there from the 1970s until 2015. Her main role was Chief Court Mistress from 1994 to 2015. This meant she was the highest-ranking non-royal woman in Sweden.

Alice's Early Life and Work
Her Service to Sweden
- Witnessing Royal Births
Awards and Honors
- Awards from Sweden
- Awards from Other Countries
See Also

Alice's Early Life and Work

Alice Viktoria Tornérhielm was born in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 9, 1926. Her father, Erik Gunnar Tornérhielm, was a landowner from Gedsholm. Her mother, Ellen Valentiner-Branth, was from Denmark.

When Alice was a child, she was often sick. She lived for a while in a special hospital called a sanatorium in Denmark. Because of this, she only spoke Danish when she returned home.

After finishing school in 1945, Alice learned about home care. She also took a nursing course and worked at a children's hospital. She studied social work in Copenhagen and spent time with an English family. In 1947, she became a certified child care nurse.

In 1949, Alice Tornérhielm married Count Hans Gabriel Trolle-Wachtmeister. They lived at Trolle-Ljungby Castle in Skåne. After her marriage, Alice became involved in volunteer work. She joined the Swedish Red Cross and a Church Sewing Association.

Her Service to Sweden

Alice Trolle-Wachtmeister was very active in the Swedish Women's Voluntary Defence Organization. This group helps support Sweden's defense. She trained in air defense and staff welfare for the Swedish Air Force.

She led the Women's Voluntary Defence Organization in Kristianstad County from 1962 to 1974. She then became the chief of the entire organization from 1974 to 1978.

In 1978, Alice became a statsfru. This is a high-ranking official at the Royal Court. She held this position until 1994. Then, she was promoted to Chief Court Mistress. This was a very important role, making her the top non-royal woman in Sweden.

Alice also served in local government. She was part of the municipal council from 1964 to 1976. She worked on boards related to temperance and social welfare. She was also involved with church councils and several important foundations, including those connected to Queen Silvia and Queen Victoria.

Witnessing Royal Births

One of her special duties as Chief Court Mistress was to witness royal births. On February 23, 2012, Alice Trolle-Wachtmeister was present when Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland, was born. This tradition ensures that the new royal baby is truly the child of the Crown Princess. She also attended the announcement of the Princess's names the next day.

Awards and Honors

Alice Trolle-Wachtmeister received many awards for her long service. These "distinctions" show how much her work was valued both in Sweden and by other countries.