Agnes von Rosen

Agnes von Rosen, the daughter of Gustaf-Fredrik von Rosen, sometime military attaché to the Swedish embassy in London, was born on 8 September 1924.[1] Graduating in physiotherapy at Lund University, Sweden, she acted in French and Italian films and had toured in shows throughout America as a bullfighter. She was also related to the House of Bernadotte, Sweden's Royal Family.[2]

According to The Australian Women's Weekly, she became interested in bullfighting after seeing a newsreel of a woman fighting bulls on horseback when she was 12.[3] After marrying Lars Wahlquist, she moved to Mexico to pursue her dreams of becoming a bullfighter.[4] She divorced Lars in 1949. By this time, she was the mother of Christina Sabine Maud von Rosen and Johan Wahlquist.[1]

In September 1955, the 'Hell Drivers' opened their ‘Hollywood Tournament of Thrills’ at the Sydney Showground. This 'tournament' brought together some of the world's greatest stunt drivers for a night of thrills and spills during which they performed over 22 different stunts.[3] One of these stunts was done by Agnes von Rosen, who was pulled behind one of the cars as it hurtled through a wall of flames.[4]

In the late 1950s, Rosen was engaged to the actor Christopher Lee after she met him at a nightclub in Stockholm, but they broke up before the marriage was finalized.[5] Agnes von Rosen died in Mexico on 11 April 2001 aged 76.[1]