Disappearing Acts: Helga de la Brache

Episode Summary

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In the episode titled "Disappearing Acts: Helga de la Brache" from the podcast Womanica, the story of Aurora Florentina Magnusson, an ordinary Swedish maid who transformed herself into Helga de la Brache, a supposed secret daughter of the exiled Swedish king, is explored. Born in Stockholm around 1817 to a working-class family, Aurora Florentina's early life was far from royal. She worked as a maid and was known for her aspirations to rise above her social station. Her life took a dramatic turn when she and a friend, Henarika, whom she met while working for a wealthy merchant family, moved to Finland. There, Aurora Florentina reinvented herself as Helga de la Brache, weaving an elaborate backstory of being the hidden offspring of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and his estranged wife, Frederica Baden. Helga's fabricated story claimed that her royal parents reunited secretly and conceived her, but fearing for her safety and potential claim to the throne, they hid her existence. Raised in secrecy by the king's aunt and later sent to an asylum, Helga's tales of royalty were dismissed as delusions. However, upon returning to Stockholm in the 1860s with Henrika, Helga managed to convince several wealthy benefactors and even the Swedish government to support her financially, granting her a pension as a member of the former royal family. Despite the far-fetched nature of her claims, many believed Helga, partly because she appeared naive and mentally stable, not capable of orchestrating such a deceit. Her story, however, began to unravel in 1870 after a donor published an essay questioning her royal lineage, leading to an investigation that exposed her true identity as Aurora Florentina. The revelation shocked the public, and Helga faced a trial that resulted in heavy fines and the loss of her pension. She and Henrika then retreated from public life, moving to a smaller village where they lived until Helga's death in 1885. Even on her deathbed, Helga insisted she was the Swedish Princess Helga de la Brache. This episode of Womanica delves into the intriguing story of a woman who used her obscurity as a tool to craft a new, noble identity, highlighting the lengths to which some will go to escape their past and redefine their future.

Episode Show Notes

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Helga de la Brache (c.1817-1885) was the secret daughter of exiled King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden. At least, that’s what she told people to earn their sympathies and money. But before there was Helga, there was Aurora Florentina Magnusson, a working class maid who transformed herself into a lost princess.

Episode Transcript

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SPEAKER_02: I am so excited about this podcast, The Bright Side.You guys are giving people a chance to shine a light on their lives, shine a light on a little advice that they want to share. SPEAKER_05: Listen to The Bright Side on America's number one podcast network, iHeart.Open your free iHeart app and search The Bright Side. SPEAKER_06: I'm Johnny B. Goode, the host of the podcast Creating a Con, The Story of Bitcoin.This podcast dives deep into the story of Ray Trapani and his company, Centratech.I'll explore how 320-somethings built a company out of lies, deceit, and greed.I've been saying since a very young age that I was going to be a millionaire. SPEAKER_07: If someone's like, oh, what's your best way of making money?I'm like, oh, we should start some sort of scheme. SPEAKER_06: Listen to Creating a Con, the story of Bitcoin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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SPEAKER_00: Hello.From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.Historically, women have been told to make themselves smaller, to diminish themselves.Some have used that idea to their advantage, disappearing into new identities.For others, a disappearance was the end to their stories, but the beginning of a new chapter of their legacies.This month, we're telling the stories of these women.We're talking about Disappearing Act. Sometimes the disappearance itself goes unnoticed.When Aurora Florentina Magnusson, an ordinary Swedish maid, faded out of existence in the mid-19th century, no one paid attention.But at the same time, someone new appeared. A woman claiming to be the secret daughter of the exiled Swedish king.Aurora Florentina's ability to be overlooked became her best weapon. allowing her to adopt a fake royal identity and a new name.Please welcome Helga de la Brache.Most of what we know about Helga comes from a biography written about her in Swedish in the 20th century.And even then, it's hard to tell fact from fiction.Before she was Helga, the lost Swedish princess, Aurora Florentina was anything but royal. The information we have on her tells us she was born in Stockholm, Sweden around 1817 to a working-class family.She was one of many children raised by a single mother and received little schooling.As a young adult, Aurora Florentina worked as a maid for a bookkeeper and his family. According to some sources, Aurora Florentina always seemed hungry to rise above her social station.In 1838, she started working for a wealthy merchant family, the Aspigrins. She helped the ladies of the family prepare for balls, learning the ins and outs of upper-class life.Eventually, she won over one of her employer's daughters, Henarika, by complaining about her financial struggles.Henarika took pity on her and showered Aurora Florentina with gifts.The two young women developed a devoted friendship, so devoted that Henarika left her wealthy family in 1844 to relocate to Finland with Aurora Florentina. That's where Aurora Florentina began her transformation into long-lost royalty, into Helga de la Brache.Her new name came with an elaborate and completely fabricated origin story.Helga claimed to be the secret daughter of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden.This particular king had not been a popular ruler and had been living in exile since his 1809 deposition. The former king had divorced his wife, Frederica Baden, in 1812. But Helga concocted a story.The estranged couple had reunited in secret in a convent in Germany, where she was conceived.Once Helga was born, the ex-royals hid her existence, worried she'd be seen as a claimant to the Swedish throne.They sent her away to be raised in secret by the king's aunt, Princess Sophia Albertine.Once she died, Helga was sent to an asylum. There, her stories of belonging to Swedish royalty were interpreted as the ravings of a lunatic.Helga and Henrika returned to Stockholm in the 1860s to spread her false origin story.They won the sympathies of several wealthy benefactors who supported Helga financially.Helga even successfully petitioned the Swedish government to give her a pension as a member of the former royal family. Helga's story may seem far-fetched, and there were some politicians who cast doubt on her claims.But a lot of people believed her.It was hard for the press to fact-check Helga's tale.Plus, she was convincing.She came across as naive, unable to pull off such an elaborate scam, and mentally stable enough that she wasn't just a delusional madwoman.To many, Helga seemed like she really could be a lost princess. And it didn't hurt that she'd apparently developed a knack for fainting whenever anyone started asking too many questions.Helga and Henerike kept their scheme going for almost a decade.But Helga's story unraveled in 1870, when one of her donors published an essay that cast doubts on her claim to royalty.The piece prompted further investigation, which led to the discovery that Helga was really Aurora Florentina all along. The revelation was met with shock and outrage.Helga went on public trial, and the legal proceedings garnered national press attention.She was eventually sentenced to heavy fines and lost her government pension.Helga and Henerike remained companions, relocating to a smaller village together.They avoided public life.Helga died in 1885. According to one witness account, even on her deathbed, she continued to insist that she was Swedish Princess Helga de la Brache.All month, we're talking about disappearing acts.For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Womanica Podcast.Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow. SPEAKER_02: Bring a little optimism into your life with The Bright Side, a new kind of daily podcast from Hello Sunshine, hosted by me, Danielle Robay.And me, Simone Boyce. SPEAKER_01: Every weekday, we're bringing you conversations about culture, the latest trends, inspiration, and so much more. SPEAKER_03: I am so excited about this podcast, The Bright Side.You guys are giving people a chance to shine a light on their lives, shine a light on a little advice that they want to share. SPEAKER_05: Listen to The Bright Side on America's number one podcast network, iHeart.Open your free iHeart app and search The Bright Side. SPEAKER_06: I'm Johnny B. Goode, the host of the podcast Creating a Con, The Story of Bitcoin.This podcast dives deep into the story of Ray Trapani and his company, Centratech.I'll explore how 320-somethings built a company out of lies, deceit, and greed.I've been saying since a very young age that I was going to be a millionaire. SPEAKER_07: If someone's like, oh, what's your best way of making money?I'm like, oh, we should start some sort of scheme. SPEAKER_06: Listen to Creating a Con, the story of Bitcoin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. SPEAKER_08: Imagine you're a fly on the wall at a dinner between the mafia, the CIA, and the KGB. That's where my new podcast begins.This is Neil Strauss, host of To Live and Die in LA.And I wanted to quickly tell you about an intense new series about a dangerous spy taught to seduce men for their secrets and sometimes their lives.From Tenderfoot TV, this is To Die For.To Die For is available now.Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. SPEAKER_04: Abusers in Hollywood are as old as the Hollywood sign itself.And while fame is the ultimate prize in Tinseltown, underneath it lies a shroud of mystery.Binge this season of Variety Confidential from Variety, Hollywood's number one entertainment news source and iHeart podcasts.Six episodes are waiting for you right now to dive into the secret history of the casting couch to explore the scandalous history of Hollywood's casting process.Listen to Variety Confidential on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you.