in 1814, norway and sweden was united and shared the same royal house. during the visits of the royal family in norway, it was to have a separate norwegian court. karen wedel-jarlsberg was given the task to be the head lady in waiting of the first norwegian court since the middle ages. from 1817 onward, she was named overhoffmesterinne to the swedish-norwegian queens hedwig elizabeth charlotte of holstein-gottorp, désirée clary and josephine of leuchtenberg: first with the title hovmastarinna (court mistress) and from 1825 with the title overhoffmesterinne (chief court mistress).