ABSTRACT
Following the Diet of 1769–1770, the crown prince Gustav grew in confidence and credibility. The royal 'strike' of 1768, in particular, had turned him into a serious political actor. This chapter focuses on the period 1770–1782. It tackles the issue of Louisa Ulrika's progressive loss of political influence throughout this period. It examines Louisa Ulrika's experience in the transition of both her marital and official status. While the royal family and their supporters had hoped to reform the constitution at the Diet of 1769–1770, the Estates, paralyzed, could not decide on the matter. Constitutional revisions had been amply discussed and debated within political clubs, coffee houses, masonic circles, and salons. The last Diet had flirted dangerously with a constitutional revision, unacceptable for Petersburg and embarrassing for Berlin. Frederick II was still bound to defend the integrity of the Swedish constitution through his secret agreement with Catherine II.
