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Court Mistress (Danish: hofmesterinde; Dutch: hofmeesteres; German: Hofmeisterin; Norwegian: hoffmesterinne; Swedish: hovmästarinna) or Chief Court Mistress (Danish: overhofmesterinde; Dutch: grootmeesteres, lit. 'grand mistress'; German: Obersthofmeisterin; Norwegian: overhoffmesterinne; Swedish: överhovmästarinna; Russian: обер-гофмейстерина, romanized: ober-gofmeysterina) is or was the title of the senior lady-in-waiting in the courts of Austria, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Imperial Russia, and the German princely and royal courts.

Chief court mistresses of Austria

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Marie Karoline von Fuchs-Mollard

In 1619, a set organisation was finally established for the Austrian Imperial court which came to be the characteristic organisation of the Austrian-Habsburg court roughly kept from this point onward.[1] The first rank of the female courtiers was the Obersthofmeisterin, who was second in rank after the empress herself, and responsible for all the female courtiers.[1] Whenever absent, she was replaced by the Fräuleinhofmeisterin, normally in charge of the unmarried female courtiers, their conduct and service.[1]

Anna of Tyrol, 1608–1618

  • 1611–1618: Freiin Katharina v. Kollowrath-L.

Eleonora Gonzaga, 1622–1658

  • 1621–1624: Gräfin Maria Anna v. Portia
  • 1624–1637: Gräfin Ursula v. Attems
  • 1637–1644: Freiin Margarita v. Herberstein
  • 1647–1647: Gräfin Octavia Strozzi
  • 1652–1655: Freiin Anna Eleonora v. Metternich

Maria Anna of Spain, 1631–1646

  • 1630–1638: Victoria de Toledo y Colonna
  • 1643–1646: Marquesa de Flores Dávila

Maria Leopoldine of Austria, 1648–1649

  • 1648–1649: Gräfin Anna Eleonora v. Wolkenstein 1648–1649

Eleonora Gonzaga, 1651–1686

  • 1651–1658: Gräfin Maria Elisabeth v. Wagensperg

Maria Theresa of Austria, 1740–1780

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, 1854–1898

Chief court mistresses of Denmark

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Louise von Plessen

The early modern Danish court was organized according to the German court model, in turn inspired by the Imperial Austrian court model, from the 16th century onward.[2]

The highest rank female courtier to a female royal was the hofmesterinde (Court Mistress) from 1694/98 onward named Overhofmesterinde (Chief Court Mistress), equivalent to the Mistress of the Robes, normally an elder widow, who supervised the rest of the ladies-in-waiting.[3]

The Princess Anne of Denmark married James VI of Scotland in 1589, and Fru Ide Ulfstand was appointed hofmesterinde to her new household. In Scotland, Margaret Stewart, Mistress of Ochiltree seems to have fulfilled the role.[4]

When the office was vacant the tasks were taken over by the second in command, the kammarfrøken. This was also the case when the office of hofmesterinde to the queen was left vacant in 1808–23 and 1839–45, and was handled by Friederiche Amalie Marie Hedevig von der Manfe and Marie Ernestine Wilhelmine von Walterstorf respectively.[5]

Christina of Saxony, 1481–1513

Isabella of Austria, 1515–1523

Sophie of Pomerania, 1523–1533

Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, 1534–1571

  • 1557–1558: Fru Kirstine.[6]
  • 1558– : Anne Albertsdatter Glob-Urne.[7]

Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, 1572–1631

Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, 1597–1612

Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1648–1685

  • Lucie von Løschebrand
  • 1657–1685: Maria Elisabeth von Haxthausen

Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, 1670–1714

Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, 1699–1721

  • 1699–1716: Abel Cathrine Buchwald

Anne Sophie Reventlow, 1721–1743

  • Fru von Grabow[9]

Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, 1721–1770

  • Beate Henriette af Reuss-Lobenstein

Louise of Great Britain, 1746–1751

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, 1752–1796

Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, 1766–1775

Marie of Hesse-Kassel, 1808–1852

  • 1808–1823: Vacant[5]
  • 1823–1839: Lucie Charlotte Sehestedt Juul
  • 1839–1852: Vacant[5]

Caroline Amalie of Augustenburg, 1839–1881

Louise of Hesse-Kassel, 1863–1898

Louise of Sweden, 1906–1926

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1912–1952

  • 1912–1935: Louise Grevenkop-Castenskiold
  • 1935–1952: Inger Wedell

Chief court mistresses of Germany

The Austrian court model was the role model for the princely courts in Germany,[1] and the post of Obersthofmeisterin, or only hofmeisterin, existed in the princely (and later royal) German courts as well.

The German court model in turn became the role model of the early modern Scandinavian courts of Denmark and Sweden.[2]

Chief court mistress to the queens of Prussia and empresses of Germany

Sophia Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1708–1713

  • Countess von Wittgenstein Valendar[10]

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, 1713–1757

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern, 1740–1797

Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1786–1805

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1797–1810

Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, 1840–1873

  • Wilhelmine van Reede-Ginkel

Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, 1861–1891

Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, 1888–1918

  • Therese von Brockdorff

Chief court mistresses of the Netherlands

In the 16th-century, the principal lady-in-waiting in the courts of the Habsburg governors of the Netherlands, Margaret of Austria and Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands), was named hofmesterees ('Court mistress') or dame d'honneur.[14]

The principal female office holder in the royal court of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 19th century was named Grootmeesteres ('Grand Mistress').[15][16]

Wilhelmine of Prussia, Queen of the Netherlands, 1815–1837

  • 1818–1824: Agneta Margaretha Catharina Fagel-Boreel
  • 1823–1837: Sophie Wilhelmina barones van Heeckeren van Kell (1772–1847)

Anna Pavlovna of Russia, 1840–1865

  • 1840–1844: Sophie Wilhelmina barones van Heeckeren van Kell (1772–1847)
  • 1844–1850: Rose Amour Caroline Aya Gislène(Zézette) Falck, geb. barones De Roisin (1792-1850)
  • 1850–1852: Johanna Philippina Hermanna barones van Knobelsdorff (1772–1860)

Sophie of Württemberg, 1849–1877

  • 1849–1858: Anna Maria Margaretha Deutz van Assendelft – Rendorp (1797–1858)
  • 1858–1878: Alida van der Oudermeulen barones van Wickevoort Crommelin (1806–1883)

Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, 1879–1934

  • 1879–1894: Leopoldine Marie gravin van Limburg Stirum (1817–1894)
  • 1894–1909: Wilhelmina Elizabeth Charlotta gravin Van Lynden van Sandenburg (1869–1930)

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, 1890–1962

  • 1909–1938: Agneta Hendrika Groeninx van Zoelen-Van de Poll (1857–1933)
  • 1924–1938: Gerarda Cornelia barones van Nagell (1878–1946)
  • 1938–1954: Cornelie Marie, barones van Tuyll van Serooskerken

Juliana of the Netherlands, 1948–2004

  • 1954–1957: Adolphine Agneta barones Van Heeckeren van Molecaten-Groeninx van Zoelen (1885–1967)

Chief court mistresses of Norway

During the union of Sweden-Norway in 1814–1905, Sweden and Norway shared the same royal family. At that time, there were two Chief Court Mistress for the same queen: one as Queen of Sweden at the Swedish royal court when she lived in Sweden, and a separate Chief Court Mistress as Queen of Norway at the Norwegian royal court, who served in her post during the visits of the Swedish-Norwegian royal family to Norway.

Presently, the overhoffmesterinne in Norway acts as a vice hostess at the Norwegian royal court when the queen and the other female members of the royal family are absent.

Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, 1814–1818

Désirée Clary, 1823–1861

Josephine of Leuchtenberg, 1844–1876

Louise of the Netherlands, 1859–1871

Sophia of Nassau, 1872–1905

Maud of Wales, 1905–1938

Chief court mistresses of Russia

In 1722, the Russian Imperial court was reorganized in accordance with the reforms of Peter the Great to Westernize Russia, and the old court offices of the Tsarina was replaced with court offices inspired by the German model. Accordingly, the new principal lady in waiting of the Russian empress was named Ober-Hofmeisterin.

Catherine I of Russia, 1713–1725

Anna of Russia, 1730–1740

Elizabeth of Russia, 1741–1762

Catherine II of Russia, 1762–1796

Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg), 1796–1828

Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden), 1801–1826

Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia), 1825–1860

Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse and by Rhine), 1855–1880

Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark), 1881–1917

Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse), 1894–1917

Chief court mistresses of Sweden

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Maria Sofia De la Gardie
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Charlotta Fredrika Sparre
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Ulrica Strömfelt
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Charlotta Aurora De Geer
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Wilhelmina Bonde

In Sweden, the Chief Court Mistress is the second highest-ranking official of the royal household, preceded only by the Marshal of the Realm. She ranks immediately below the members of the royal family, the speaker of the Parliament and the prime minister, and has precedence over former speakers of the Parliament and former prime ministers. The incumbent is Kirstine von Blixen-Finecke, who has served from 2016.

The title and position have changed over time. Before the reign of Queen Christina (1632–1654), the title was generally referred to as hovmästarinna (Court Mistress), but during and after the reign of Christina, it became the custom to have two such Court mistresses subordinate to one överhovmästarinna (Chief Court Mistress).[26] Only the Queen and the Queen Dowager had a Chief Court Mistress called överhovmästarinna (the Chief Court Mistress) while the equivalent at the courts of other female members of the royal house was called hovmästarinna (Court Mistress).

The position was the highest a female courtier could have in the Swedish royal court, and the överhovmästarinna was ranked an Excellency, something unusual for a woman in the 17th century, which placed her immediately after the female members of the royal house in rank. Her role was to uphold etiquette at court, and receive and carry out the instructions of the Queen in the management of the court. She managed the employment of new members to the court of the Queen, and every meeting and letter to the Queen passed through her.[26] She also managed the ceremony of the court presentation, in which nobles were presented to the royal family and thus allowed to show themselves officially at court.[27] She could also represent the Queen on some occasions at court ceremonies and parties as hostess.

Catherine Stenbock, 1552–1621

Karin Månsdotter, 1567–1568

Catherine Jagellon, 1568–1583

Gunilla Bielke, 1585–1597

  • 1587–1592: Kerstin Oxenstierna

Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, 1604–1625

  • 1604–1608: Carin Ulfsdotter Snakeborg
  • 1608–1612: Gunilla Jönsdotter Struss
  • 1612–1619: Carin Kyle

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, 1620–1655

  • 1620–1623: Hebbla Eriksdotter Stålarm
  • Catharina von Schnideck
  • Regina Catharina von Windisch-Grätz
  • 1628–1633: Brita Gylta
  • 1633–1634: Ebba Leijonhufvud
  • 1634–1639: Elisabeth Gyllenstierna
  • 1639–1640: Christina Posse
  • 1640–1649: Vacant
  • 1649–1655: Görvel Posse

Christina, Queen of Sweden, 1632–1654

During the reign of Christina, the office was often shared by several people.

Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, 1654–1715

  • 1655–1660: Elisabet Carlsdotter Gyllenhielm
  • 1660–1664: Görwel Bååt
  • 1664–1671: Görvel Posse
  • 1671–1686: Occa Maria Johanna von Riperda
  • 1686–1715: Märta Berendes (equivalent position at the court of the princesses in 1687–1717)

Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, 1680–1693

Ulrika Eleonora 1718–1741

  • 1717–1736: Katarina Ebba Horn af Åminne
  • 1736–1741: Hedvig Elisabet Strömfelt (equivalent position to the Crown princess in 1744–1751)

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, 1751–1782

Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, 1771–1813

Frederica of Baden, 1797–1809

Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, 1809–1818

Désirée Clary, 1823–1861

Josephine of Leuchtenberg, 1844–1876

Louise of the Netherlands, 1859–1872

Sophia of Nassau, 1872–1907

Victoria of Baden, 1907–1931

  • 1907–1908: Vacant
  • 1908–1931: Augusta Lewenhaupt

See also

References

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