Henrik Jakob von Düben

Early life Born in Stockholm, Sweden, into the Düben family renowned for its contributions to classical music, he held the title of Freiherr, and was a half-brother of Joachim von Düben the Younger, the President of the Privy Council of Sweden.

Henrik Jakob von Düben was baptised on May 31, 1733, and entered the world as the son of the composer Anders von Düben the Younger In 1768, he also sought to persuade Swedish citizens in Poland, including the portraitist Per Krafft the Elder, to return to Sweden.

Court career In the 1750s, Düben arrived at the court of Adolf Frederick and Lovisa Ulrika, initially serving as the Master of Ceremonies. Gustav III appointed him as the Master of Ceremonies of the Court in 1779, a role he, however, relinquished in October 1781.

Other efforts Düben was elected as an auditor by the Riksdag of the Estates in the Swedish National Debt Office, including war financing.

Family

Düben married Julie af Petersens (1765–1791) in 1781, she was a daughter of Herman Petersen and Charlotta Bedoire. They had four children, including Anders Gustaf von Düben, who received an exile sentence.

In 1795, Düben married Gustafva Charlotta von Düben, his cousin's son's daughter. They had one child, Joacim Ulric von Düben.

Düben maintained a close connection with Élisabeth Soligny, a French ballet dancer, leading to an extramarital affair and the birth of an illegitimate child.

Appointments