Ulrika Strömfelt

Who was Ulrika Strömfelt?

Ulrika Eleonora Strömfelt was a politically active Swedish noble and lady-in-waiting who played an important part in the attempted Coup d'état of queen Louisa Ulrika.

Daughter of nobleman and statesman Johan Strömfelt, she and her sister Agneta were made ladies-in-waiting to the crown princess, Louisa Ulrika of Prussia in 1746. She belonged to the first group to be made ladies-in-waiting to Louisa Ulrika upon her arrival in Sweden, together with Cathérine Charlotte De la Gardie, Henrika Juliana von Liewen and Lotta Sparre. In 1748, she replaced Liewen as first lady-in-waiting, a position she kept until 1756.

In 1756, Queen Louisa Ulrika planned a coup d'état to depose the parliament and restore absolute monarchy. To finance the coup, Louisa Ulrika removed the diamonds from the queens' crown, replacing them with crystals. Strömfelt, who was a supporter of the Hats, informed the government. The government then demanded that they be allowed to inspect the crown jewels. They confirmed Strömfelt's accusation, which resulted in the exposure and failure of the queen's coup.

In recognition of Strömfelt's acts, she was awarded the title of "The Daughter of the Parliament" and a pension of $2,000.