Karen Wedel-Jarlsberg

Countess Christiane Andrea "Karen" Wedel-Jarlsberg (née Anker; 2 November 1789 – 19 June 1849) was a Norwegian noblewoman and lady-in-waiting.

Wedel-Jarlsberg was born on 2 November 1789, in Christiania (now Oslo), the only surviving child and heir of landowner and prime minister Peder Anker and Anna Elisabeth Cold (1749–1803).

Karen Wedel-Jarlsberg was given the task to be the head lady in waiting of the first Norwegian court since the Middle Ages.

[1] From 1817 onward, she served as principal lady-in-waiting to three Swedish-Norwegian queens in succession: Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, Désirée Clary and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, first with the title hovmastarinna ('Court mistress') and from 1825 as overhoffmesterinne ('Chief court mistress').

[2] Initially, her office was purely honorary, as queen Charlotte never visited Norway.