Juliane von Schwellenberg facts for kids

Juliane Elisabeth von Schwellenberg (1728–1797), also known as Madame Schwellenberg, was a lady who helped the British Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz with her daily life. She was a very well-known and important person at the British royal court. Madame Schwellenberg was a favorite and trusted friend of Queen Charlotte. She often decided who could meet the Queen, which gave her a lot of influence. People often wrote about her in stories, songs, and diaries from that time, including her colleague Fanny Burney.

Life at Court

Juliane von Schwellenberg, along with Johanna Hagedorn, traveled with Queen Charlotte from Germany to Great Britain in 1761 for the Queen's wedding. In the royal household, she became a "keeper of the robes." This meant she was in charge of the Queen's clothes and helped her get dressed.

Madame Schwellenberg was a very close and trusted friend of the Queen. Because of this, she had a lot of power at the royal court. At first, she insisted that anyone who wanted to see the Queen had to ask her permission first. This caused some arguments among the royal staff. The Queen eventually had to promise the King and her mother-in-law that Schwellenberg would not get special treatment. This was to stop Schwellenberg from being sent back to Germany.

Even so, Madame Schwellenberg often decided who could meet the Queen. She helped some people get the Queen's support and stopped others. It was even noted that she would invite people who wanted to meet the Queen for tea in her own rooms. One person she helped was the artist Carl von Imhoff, whom she introduced to the Queen.

In 1785, Johanna Hagedorn, who shared the job with her, was replaced by Fanny Burney. Madame Schwellenberg did not get along well with Burney, partly because Burney was a novelist. When Burney became sick and had to leave her job in 1790, Schwellenberg helped the Queen try to stop her from retiring.