Hans Axel von Fersen (Swedish: [hɑːns ˈǎksɛl fɔn ˈfæ̌ʂːɛn]; 4 September 1755 – 20 June 1810), also known as Axel von Fersen the Younger and as Axel de Fersen in France, was a Swedish count, military officer, courtier, ambassador, Marshal and Lord of the Realm. He gained international renown for his close association with Queen Marie Antoinette of France and his prominent involvement in the French Revolution.
Born into one of Sweden’s wealthiest and most influential noble families, von Fersen was raised in an environment shaped by French culture and courtly traditions. He received a thorough military education, travelled extensively throughout Europe, and served as an aide-de-camp in the French Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is most widely remembered for his close and often debated relationship with Marie Antoinette, which some historians believe developed into a romantic affair. Von Fersen became a trusted confidant of the French royal family and played a pivotal role in organizing and executing their ill-fated flight to Varennes in June 1791.
Following the outbreak of the French Revolution and the execution of the royal family, von Fersen continued to act as a diplomat on behalf of Kings Gustav III and Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, working to preserve ties with the French monarchy and support its restoration. Returning to Sweden in the 1790s, he held several high-ranking positions, including Marshal of the Realm and Chancellor of Uppsala University. His life came to a violent end in June 1810, when he was killed by a lynch mob in Stockholm amid false rumors implicating him in the sudden death of Charles August, Crown Prince of Sweden. Subsequent investigations cleared him of all suspicion, and he was buried with honor. Von Fersen's life—particularly his ties to Marie Antoinette—has been widely portrayed in historical and fictional works, including films, television series, and stage productions.
Axel von Fersen was born in 1755 to Field Marshal Axel von Fersen the Elder and countess Hedvig Catharina De la Gardie. He was nephew of Eva Ekeblad and grandson of General Hans Reinhold Fersen. Axel was the second of four children; he had two sisters, Hedvig Eleonora and Eva Sophie, and one brother, Fabian Reinhold. Two female cousins, Ulrika von Fersen and Christina Augusta von Fersen, were Swedish ladies-in-waiting and leading socialites of the Gustavian age.
Von Fersen's ancestors came from Estonia to Sweden at the time of the Thirty Years' War, which took place from 1618 to 1648. The family made their name during the reigns of Christina (queen regnant), Charles X Gustav, and Charles XI. In 1735, the von Fersen family purchased Steninge Palace, which overlooks Mälaren, a lake outside Stockholm. Von Fersen's father, the de facto parliamentary leader of the Hats party, was the most politically influential man in Sweden at that time and also one of the richest in the realm.
The younger Axel was influenced by French culture, owing in part to his father's services to Louis XV. Under his childhood tutor, von Fersen learned several languages including French, Latin, English, German and Italian. His later education was primarily military.
On 3 July 1770, von Fersen made his first journey abroad with the intention of seeing the world and finishing his studies at military academies, including Brunswick, Turin, Strasbourg and Lüneburg. In October 1771, he passed through Switzerland and in Ferney, he met the philosopher, Voltaire.
In November 1772, von Fersen continued on to Turin, Italy, where he paid a visit to King Charles Emmanuel III. In January 1774 his travels took him to France where he paid court to the reigning monarch, Louis XV, and his mistress, Madame du Barry. While at Versailles he attended the ceremony of the Order of the Holy Spirit. A little over a week later, von Fersen met Marie Antoinette, then Dauphine, for the first time:
The Dauphine talked to me for a long time without me knowing who she was; at last when she was recognised, everybody pressed round her and she retired into a box at three o'clock: I left the ball.
Von Fersen allegedly replaced his father in 1774 as the lover of Ewa Löwen.
Von Fersen continued the Grand Tour by travelling to England where he stayed for roughly four months and met King George III and Queen Charlotte. By the beginning of 1775, von Fersen had returned to Sweden, where he remained for approximately three years, serving under his king, Gustavus III.
In the late summer of 1778, von Fersen traveled to Normandy with his friend, the Baron de Stedingk, to see a large army camp that was training under the command of the Duke of Broglie. Besides military matters, they were treated to dinner and dances attended by the officers and their wives. Von Fersen later paid his respects to the French royal family for the first time since his grand tour more than three years earlier:
26 August: "Last Tuesday I went to Versailles to be presented to the royal family. The charming queen said when she saw me, 'Ah! Here is an old acquaintance.' The rest of the family did not say a word to me."
8 September: "The queen, who is the prettiest and most amiable princess that I know, has had the kindness to inquire about me often; she asked Creutz why I did not go to her card parties on Sundays; and hearing that I did go one Sunday when there was none, she sent me a sort of excuse. Her pregnancy advances and is quite visible."
19 November: The queen treats me with great kindness; I often pay her my court at her card games, and each time she makes to me little speeches that are full of good-will. As someone had told her of my Swedish uniform, she wished to see me in it; I am to go Thursday thus dressed, not to Court, but to the queen's apartments. She is the most amiable princess that I know."
Marie Antoinette's personal property, the Petit Trianon, was on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. In contrast to Versailles, the dress and manners at the Petit Trianon were simple and down-to-earth; her guests were personally invited and treated equally, as friends. However, the private festivities often caused jealousy among those who were excluded from them.
The American Revolutionary War
In the 1770s, the American Revolutionary War began. France had officially declared war against her "natural enemy" (Great Britain) in February 1778, but it was not until 1780 that French troops were sent to America.