Abstract
This article analyses the everyday urban sociability of Duchess Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte, sister-in-law to Gustav III of Sweden. It is a detailed account of social practice through a wide array of the Duchess's papers, namely her political journal and letters, informal notes to friends and household accounts. The study also includes royal theatre box subscription lists as a way to identify the composition of the theatre audience. The claim of this article is that the Swedish royal family maintained its authority in a period of political challenge, by maintaining an urban presence. Through a carefully ritualised sociability, the court preserved social exclusivity by means of urban encounters, such as daily walks in the gardens, weekly appearances at the royal theatres and balls at the Stock Exchange.
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