Hotties from History

When the contributors came up with a list of potential hotties, all of whom died 200 years ago for our 200th follower celebrations, it was decided that it was my responsibility to write the following entry, as I’d written a rather incomplete synopsis of this chap way back as our first honourary hotty from history post. I say post, but it was more of an intelligable attack of lust, so I feel honourbound to write a little more on him:

Hotty from History #21 - Count Axel Von Fersen the younger, (4 September 1755 - 20 June 1810)

Axel von Fersen was born in 1755 to Axel the elder and the wonderfully named Hedvig Catharina de la Gardie, a Count and Countess of Sweden. After a priveleged education in Italy and Germany, he joined the French Army and achieved success and notoriety as a gifted interpreter and diplomat in the American War of Independence.

However, it is not as a fighter he is remembered, but as a lover.

When Count Fersen first met Marie Antoinette, they were both 18, and he was already well-known amongst the french Ton for having high-profile affairs with the important and influential women of the day. He was popular amongst the gentlemen of court too, and was often good friends to the husbands of the women he was lovers of, most of whom knew quite well what was going on. Ahh, the french. From their first meeting in 1774, until the birth of Marie’s first son ten years later, Count Fersen and the Queen of France saw each other as often as they could. Ofiicial sources state their relationship was platonic, but scandalous rumours of the time and his reputation scream differently. Surely the mixture of Marie’s unconsummated marriage (7 years!) and Count Fersen’s tight white britches were a recipe for one of the most delicious affairs in French (and therefore the world’s) history?

During the French Revolution, when the royal family were under house arrest in Tuileries, Fersen visited them not once, not twice but three times in disguise, a feat which was supposedly impossible. From Brussels he planned their escape meticulously, and was it not for a stupid mistake on Louis’ part, they would all have escaped the guillotine.

In the early 19th Century, Fersen spent much of his time in his native Sweden, where he became heavily involved with politics. Prince after Prince was desposed by a neverending series of revolutions, and when Prince Carl August was assassinated, the people of Sweden believed Fersen and his sister, Countess Sophie Piper were the culprits as they were open supporters of another prince. On 20th June 1810, the young Prince’s body was brought through the streets of Stockholm and when Fersen was seen as part of the mourning procession he was attacked by the crowds. The mob tore his clothes, threw stones and eventually beat him to death; while the militia ordered to protect them watched doing nothing.

Count Fersen: more delectable than Casanova, more dashing than the Scarlet Pimpernel. We at HFH salute you.