Princess Eugenie of Sweden

Princess Eugenie of Sweden ( _sv. Charlotta Eugenia Augusta Amalia Albertina; b. 24 April 1830 Stockholm Palace-d. 23 April 1889 in Stockholm), was a member of the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte and an amateur artist. Her artist name and signature Pseudonym was: E******

Biography

Eugénie was born to King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg. She was born with weak health, and it was therefore decided early that she should not marry. She herself was to say that this gave her the opportunity to live an independent life. When unmarried adult women in Sweden were granted legal majority in 1858 (in the beginning only if they applied for it), she was perhaps the first woman in Sweden to ask, and be granted, to be legally independent.

Eugenie was interested in painting, sculpting and composing. She composed, wrote poems, sculpted and painted the everyday life of the royal court. One of her friends was the writer Lina Sandell. Her own poor health made her interested in medicine, and she founded Eugeniahemmet, a hospital for sick children.

References

* Österberg, Carin et al., "Svenska kvinnor: föregångare, nyskapare". Lund: Signum 1990. (ISBN 91-87896-03-6)