Helga de la Brache ; the queen of impostors

Born in Stockholm in 1817 into a modest family, Aurora Florentina Magnusson had an early desire to rise above her social standing. In the 1830s, she worked as a domestic servant. In 1838, while working for a wealthy family, she befriended the daughter of the house. The young woman became her companion and accomplice. Indeed, in the 1840s the two young women lived together and traveled between Sweden and Finland. During this period, Aurora changed her identity, becoming Helga de la Brache. In 1860, the friends returned to Stockholm and launched the swindle that would establish Helga's legend.

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