Sophia of Nassau - Queen

Queen

As queen, Sophia was liberal and almost democratic in her views, in contrast to her daughter-in-law Victoria of Baden, whose militant aggression she disliked. She had a moderating effect on her husband's more conservative and pro-German ideas. It was noticed that she had a stabilising effect on him. After 1866, when her home (Nassau) was annexed by Prussia, she became an Anglophile. Acting as her husband's advisor, she is known to have used her political influence on several occasions. She was popular in Norway, where she spent all her summers between 1892 and 1904. In 1895, a dispute broke out with Norway, which wished to have its own embassies abroad. The royal family gathered by the Queen's sickbed to discuss what to do, accompanied by the German Emperor William II. William recommended military intervention, but Sophia forbade anything of the sort and told the Emperor that he did not understand the situation. In 1898, the Prime Minister (Boström) threatened to resign, and the King to abdicate, after the Norwegians began using their own flag. Sophia calmed the situation, called the minister and convinced him to stay. She is often credited with using her influence to prevent war between Sweden and Norway when their union dissolved in 1905.

She supported her son Eugén, who wanted to study art in Paris (1886), and her son Oscar when he wanted to marry the noble lady-in-waiting Ebba Munck af Fulkila (1888).

Queen Sophia was deeply religious and very active in charity work, especially health care and medicine. During her first years as queen, her husband had several affairs, notably with Magda von Dolcke and Marie Friberg. Sophia left Stockholm for the countryside several times as the new queen, She acquired a greater interest in religion through a society preacher. She attended various religious groups and services, often in the company of her sister-in-law Eugenie, and in 1878, she became a follower of the English preacher Lord Radstock, whom she had listened to when he visited Stockholm. Radstock's teachings, that one must suffer to honor God and the Savior, appealed to her. Her son Eugen said of her that human worth and justice almost had a higher standing with her than her deep piety.

In 1884, Sophia established the first school for the education of nurses after a visit to London, where she was inspired by Florence Nightingale. In 1887, she founded the hospital Sophiahemmet. She was always very interested in increasing respect for the nursing profession among doctors and had many conflicts with authorities over this. She wanted the profession of nursing to be seen as a holy task, not a profession, that the nurses be well educated in medicine, and encouraged women from the upper-classes to be nurses, all because she wanted nurses to be respected. In her nursing school, even students from the aristocracy were expected to scrub the floors.

Queen Sophia suffered from poor health and in 1887, she had an ovariotomy operation. The surgery was considered a success, but afterwards she had difficulty walking and often used a wheelchair. Despite this she continued riding. Although she was very much active as a Queen in regards to her social projects and in politics, she was hardly ever seen at mere social occasions, such as balls and similar events: when she attended the Amaranter Ball in 1885, the occasion was so rare that it caused general amazement. She often visited the country, as well as spas in Norway, Germany and Bournemouth in Great Britain. During her visit to Paris, she caused great attention while dining at a public restaurant: this was unusual for a royal woman at this time, and it was also the only time she ever did that. She was interested in literature, and her library also included English detective stories. As Queen dowager, she took to making trips abroad by car: in 1909, for example, she visited Germany by car.

Queen Sophia was a respected symbolic figure who represented the traditional Victorian virtues. She enjoyed a status similar to that of Britain's Queen Victoria. When she died in 1913, her grandson remarked : "The old time died with Grandma."