Emerentia von Düben facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baroness Emerentia von Düben
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| Born | 24 May 1669 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 22 March 1743 (aged 73) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Noble family | von Düben |
| Father | Gustaf Düben |
| Mother | Emerentia Standaert |
| Occupation | Lady-in-waiting |
Baroness Emerentia von Düben (born May 24, 1669 – died March 22, 1743) was a Swedish lady-in-waiting. She was also known as Menza. Emerentia was a very close friend and trusted adviser to Ulrika Eleonora, who later became the Queen of Sweden. She was famous for how much influence she had over the Queen.
Life Story
Emerentia von Düben was born into a family of talented musicians. Her father, Gustaf Düben, was a famous organist and composer. Her mother was Emerentia Standaert. Emerentia was also the great-granddaughter of Andreas Düben, another well-known composer from Germany. She had several brothers, including Gustaf von Düben the Younger and Joachim von Düben the Elder.
Emerentia, likely born in Stockholm, Sweden, started her career at the royal court. She began as a chamber maid for Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark. In 1690, she was given an important job. She became responsible for Princess Ulrika Eleonora, who would later become Queen.
Her family's status grew over time. In 1707, Emerentia and her brothers were given noble titles. This meant they became part of the Swedish nobility. By 1717, she officially became a lady-in-waiting to Princess Ulrika Eleonora. This was a special role, helping the princess with her daily life. In 1719, she received the high title of Baroness (called Friherrinna in Swedish).
A Trusted Friend
Emerentia von Düben was always by Ulrika Eleonora's side. She supported and advised her throughout her life. People said she was like a constant helper and comforter. Menza, as she was called, was known for being very religious. Some people were jealous of her close relationship with the Princess. However, she was never involved in any public disagreements or bad rumors.
Menza strongly supported Ulrika Eleonora's right to become queen. She believed Ulrika Eleonora should rule instead of her cousin, Hedvig Sophia of Sweden. Many people at court believed that to get something from Princess Ulrika Eleonora, you had to go through Menza. Foreign diplomats and people asking for favors often gave her large sums of money. They hoped she would use her influence to help them. Even though she became very wealthy, people generally agreed she used her influence fairly.
She even helped arrange the marriage between Ulrika Eleonora and Frederick of Hesse. This was a big deal, and she earned a lot of money for her role. In 1714, a Russian agent named Prince Chilkov tried to make peace with Sweden. He was told by Peter the Great to talk to Menza to reach Ulrika Eleonora.
When Ulrika Eleonora was Queen from 1718 to 1720, Menza and her brothers were thought to have a lot of say in state matters. The Austrian ambassador even noted that Menza could enter the Queen's private rooms before the Queen's own husband. In 1720, the Düben family wanted Ulrika Eleonora to stay Queen. They suggested she rule alongside her husband. However, this idea was not accepted, partly because of their strong influence. A famous person named Axel von Fersen the Elder once said that Queen Ulrika Eleonora saw and felt things only through Emerentia von Düben's eyes.
Life After the Queen's Reign
In 1732, King Frederick, Ulrika Eleonora's husband, had a relationship with another woman, Hedvig Taube. Emerentia von Düben advised the Queen not to show her sadness or anger in public. Menza told the Queen that it would be undignified to react to this. She said the Queen's position was too important to be affected by such gossip. She compared it to the moon continuing its path in the sky, not caring about dogs barking. King Frederick was very thankful to Menza for this advice.
When Queen Ulrika Eleonora passed away in 1741, Emerentia von Düben received a large inheritance from her. When Menza herself died in 1743, she left behind a huge fortune. It was worth about $200,000, which was like the yearly pay of 877 chamber maids combined. After her death, a poet named Olof von Dalin wrote about her. He said that as long as people remembered Queen Ulrika Eleonora, they would also remember Miss Düben.
See also
- Bertha Zück
- Anna Catharina von Bärfelt
