At an early age, Carl Borgenstierna became a page at court and thus a friend of the royal princes. Borgenstierna, who joined the Freemasons, was sent on a secret mission to Florence in 1780, to investigate the rumour that Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, was the order’s highest-ranking commander. He concluded that it was unfounded. Borgenstierna was considered a man of mediocre talent, but thanks to royal favour he became both a major general and governor of Gripsholm Castle.