Ulrika Eleonora von Düben

Who was Ulrika Eleonora von Düben?

Ulrika Eleonora von Düben, was a Swedish Courtier, lady in waiting and favourite of the Swedish queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia.

Ulrika was born to Baron Joachim von Düben and Margareta Spegel and was the paternal niece of the royal favourite Emerentia von Düben. She became lady in waiting to Louisa Ulrika in 1748. She is described as Louisa Ulrika's favourite among the courtiers. As a person, she was described as "an temperamental and cunning woman", and as a typical representative of an ingratiating court-noble. She played a political role when she maneuvered everyone from the court whom she saw as threatening to her position: as a follower of the Caps, she is reported to have removed all sympathisers of the Hats from the circle of the queen, such as the previous favourite Henrika Juliana von Liewen. The only thing which could affect her was reportedly her desire to marry Count Nils Adam Bielke, with whom she was passionately in love. When Ulrika Strömfelt resigned her position as "kammarfru" in 1756, Düben was appointed to this position. She married Count Nils Bielke 14 April 1757. After her death, her former spouse married her relative, artist Fredrika Eleonora von Düben.