Royal marriages were one element of the political and diplomatic game. Sweden and the north German dukedom of Gottorp had shared interests that concerned Denmark. Aged 18, Hedvig Eleonora was married off to the Swedish king, Karl X Gustav, who died barely six years later. The dowager queen was involved in building construction and the arts, and Ehrenstrahl was among the people she commissioned. Gripsholm was included in Hedvig Eleonora’s life estate as one of her residences, and to provide financial security.