1Prince Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert of Sweden, or his original name: Couchi. Couchi was born 1747 in a Danish colony somewhere in Africa.
His parents died as a result of their home burning down when he was young, and so when he was 10 he was shipped off as a slave to Etastråtet (an old Danish title) “Reiser” who would later give him away to Queen Lovisa Ulrika of Sweden as a present.
Lovisa Ulrika decided to take this “opportunity” (ew) to test if an African could fit in among white people if he was raised like one.
Couchi lived with the royals in Sweden as an assistant to Lovisa Ulrika. She has said that she saw him as the son she never had. (Lovisa Ulrika had three sons already so I- bro) He was called “Badin” by the Swedes, as it meant “Joke, silly, weird, odd”. That is why I prefer to NOT call him that, though you will find that most people in modern day history know him for that name anyway.
He loved reading, which fitted Lovisa Ulrika quite nicely since she herself was a bit of a reader. Couchi was to a lot of support for her after her husband, the king of Sweden’s death. After Lovisa Ulrika’s death, Couchi would go on to serve Lovisa’s daughter Sofia Albertina, who seem to have been very fond of Couchi, with him even writing a poem about her on her birthday.
Though he had been lucky to not be shipped off to work as a farmer slave somewhere, it is very clear that he faced a lot of discrimination through his life. All from his name, to Gustav III calling him “Black man” instead of by his name at times, not even getting the chance of a higher status among the royals despite his hard work and love for languages, books, poetry and theater.
I call him prince because technically, he is. He was adopted by a queen, and so he deserves that title after all that he had been through. Honestly he looks like such a nice guy he’s so cheerful.
Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert Couchi. 1747-1822
The forgotten prince of Sweden.
