Sigrid Sparre

Who was Sigrid Sparre?

Sigrid Sparre was a Swedish lady in waiting and noblewoman, known for her relationship with Charles XV of Sweden.

Sigrid Sparre was the daughter of General-major Baron Sixten David Sparre and Sofia Amalia Eleonora Lewenhaupt, and the cousin of governor Knut Sparre.

She was the lady in waiting of queen Josephine of Sweden in 1844–1850 and became known for her love affair with Crown prince Charles. The queen gave her Catholic confessor, Studach, the task to provide evidence of the affair by catching the couple together. This was achieved on Tullgarn Palace in 1850, after which Sparre lost her position and was forced to leave court, despite the protests of Charles. This forced separation from Sparre caused severe and lasting damage in the relationship between Charles and his mother.

Sigrid Sparre married Fredrik Thure Cederström in 1852. Charles described Sigrid as his only "true love". He married Louise of the Netherlands in 1850, and entered in a relationship with the relative of Sigrid, the lady-in-waiting Josephine Sparre, the same year.