Henriette Widerberg - Later Life

Later Life

In 1837, she was given the title of court singer. The same year, however, she was fired from the Swedish Royal Opera because of her "irregularity" and the lack of effort she had shown over the last years. She continued as a guest actor for the next few years, but soon withdrew to private life, which was dominated by economic troubles. She was a guest artist at the Opera in the 1838–39 season. Between 1842–44, she was employed at the theatre Mindre teatern, where according to Aftonbladet she performed with the same talent that had been admired before; however at the time she was heavily indebted to a nobleman and indebted her boss Lindeberg, who had placed himself as her security. The playwright August Blanche visited her in her poverty, when she and her brother Fredrik Julius Widerberg, the alcoholic former leader of a theatre troupe, were helped only by Emilie Högquist. She opened a restaurant in 1848, and in 1850–51, she published her memoirs, En skådespelerskas minnen (The memories of an actress). She was eventually given a larger pension by the Opera. She died in Stockholm.

Henriette Widerberg has often been compared with Emilie Högquist, as their personalities and life stories were very much alike, and Emilie in many ways filled the place of Henriette when she retired.