Hedvig Taube - Almost Exiled

Almost Exiled

The indignation about the fact that the king had an official mistress did not cease, and was discussed in parliament several times from 1738 forwards and greatly contributed to the impopularity of the king. In 1739, the Queen wanted Taube and her two sons expelled from the country; and they left for Hesse, but Taube stayed behind in Nyköping, where the king met her, claiming to go hunting, and she never left the country. This enraged the Queen who refused to leave her room for fourteen days, which was said to have contributed to the Queen's declining health, and Taube continued as his mistress. King Frederick, however, continued his use of prostitutes in parallel, which worsened his reputation more and more over the years, as this behaviour increased.