Emerentia von Düben

Emerentia von Düben (24 May 1669 – 22 March 1743) also called Menza, was a Swedish lady-in-waiting, the favourite of Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden.

Emerentia von Düben stood by Ulrika's side her entire life as her support and adviser and enjoyed great influence: "For better and for worse nurturing, serving, accompanying and comforting".

The common belief at court was that the way to Ulrika Eleonora went through Menza, and she received large sums of money from foreign diplomats and supplicants to use her influence.

In 1732, Emerentia von Düben convinced the queen not to display her displeasure over the affair between King Frederick and Hedvig Taube in public.

Menza received a large inheritance from the queen in 1741, and at her own death in 1743, left a fortune of $200,000, the yearly wage of 877 chamber maids (the position in which she had started) put together.