| Charlotte of Denmark | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byAugust Schiøtt,c. 1830–39 | |
| Born | (1789-10-30)30 October 1789 Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen |
| Died | 28 March 1864(1864-03-28) (aged 74) Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Caroline Frederica Marie Luise Charlotte, Princess of Anhalt-Dessau Louise, Queen of Denmark Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse Auguste Sophie Sophie Wilhelmine |
| House | Oldenburg |
| Father | Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark |
| Mother | Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark (Danish:Charlotte af Danmark; 30 October 1789 – 28 March 1864) was a Danish princess, and a princess of Hesse-Kassel by marriage toPrince William of Hesse-Kassel.
Princess Charlotte was a significant figure in her time. She was one of the leading ladies in the country, and when her brotherChristian VIII became king in 1839, she was close to the throne. She played an important role in the succession crisis in Denmark in the first half of the 19th century.
Princess Charlotte was born on 30 October 1789 atChristiansborg Palace, the principal residence of theDanish Monarchy in centralCopenhagen.[1] She was a daughter toFrederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway, andSophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.[1] Her father was a younger son of KingFrederick V of Denmark and Norway, while her mother was a daughter ofDuke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At birth she had two older siblings, Prince Christian Frederick (who later becameKing of Norway in 1814 and wasKing of Denmark asChristian VIII from 1839) andPrincess Juliane Sophie. She later had a younger brother,Prince Frederick Ferdinand.
When Princess Charlotte was born, her uncleChristian VII was the monarch ofDenmark-Norway. Due to the king's mental illness, however, the real ruler was her cousin, Crown Prince Frederick (laterKing Frederick VI). Charlotte's family had a strained relationship with Crown Prince Frederick and his family due to the power struggles that the king's mental condition had created, but gradually the relationship between the two branches of the royal family was normalized.
Princess Charlotte spent the first years of her life at the large and magnificentbaroque palace of Christiansborg. As a summer residence, the family ownedSorgenfri Palace, located on the shores of the small riverMølleåen inKongens Lyngby north of Copenhagen.
The year 1794 was an eventful year for the young princess and her family. In February 1794, a fire destroyed Christiansborg Palace, and the family was forced to move toLevetzau's Palace, arococo palace which forms part of theAmalienborg Palace complex in the district ofFrederiksstaden in central Copenhagen. And in November 1794, when Princess Charlotte was five years old, her mother, who was in poor health, died at the age of just 36.
Princess Charlotte wasconfirmed on 22 May 1803 in the chapel ofFrederiksberg Palace along with her brother Prince Christian Frederik and sister Princess Juliane Sophie.[2]
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On 10 November 1810 inAmalienborg Palace, she marriedPrince William of Hesse-Kassel. Her spouse was in Danish service from his youth, and the family lived in Denmark. The couple initially settled onSankt Annæ Plads in central Copenhagen in what was called thePrince William Mansion. Later, the couple moved into theBrockdorff's Palace at Amalienborg. As their country residence they receivedCharlottenlund Palace, located on the shores of theØresund Strait 10 kilometers north ofCopenhagen.
Princess Charlotte was described as wise, practical and thrifty, keeping the finances of her household under strict control.[3] She had some interest in art and poetry, and reportedly felt herself to be a Danish patriot.[4] Charlotte played some part in the succession crisis which occurred because her half first cousin, KingFrederick VI of Denmark, lacked a male heir. She supported the solution that her branch of the family should succeed to the throne, and because of this, she opposed theSchleswig–Holstein indepdence movement.[5]
In 1839, her brotherChristian VIII of Denmark succeeded their cousin on the throne, and during his reign, Charlotte had an important position at the Danish royal court in Copenhagen because her brother favored that her line of the family should succeed to the throne after his male line had died out.[6]
In 1848, her brother died and was succeeded by his childless son, her nephew, kingFrederick VII of Denmark. In 1850, the Danish government was pressured by Russia to choose Prince Christian of Glücksburg, a junior member of the Danish royal family and Charlotte's own son-in-law, as heir to the throne. Prince Christian's older brotherthe Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg had displayed anti-Danish sentiment during the recentFirst Schleswig War, and when gehejmeråd F.C. Dankwart, on behalf of the government, issued the demand that she should renounce her, her son's, and eldest daughter's right to the throne in favor of her second daughter and her husband, she replied: "It is impossible: the Danish people would under no circumstance accept as King a Prince from a house that has made war against Denmark, and that is so hostile toward us".[7] In exchange, she demanded that the House of Oldenburg purchase theElectorate of Hesse and declare it a kingdom, so that her son Frederick could "Switch one Kingdom for another".[8] On 18 July 1851, after having been persuaded that her terms were impossible and that Christian of Glücksburg in fact had good support for his claim, Charlotte agreed to renounce her, her son Frederick's, and her eldest daughter Marie Louise Charlotte's claims to the throne in favour of her second daughter Louise, who in turn renounced her own claim in favor of her spouse, Christian.[9]
Charlotte died inChristiansborg Palace in 1864.
Media related toPrincess Louise Charlotte of Denmark at Wikimedia Commons
Generations are numbered from the implementation of hereditary monarchy byFrederick III in 1660. | ||
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1 Also princess of Norway 2 Also princess of Greece 3 Also princess of Iceland 4 Not Danish princess by birth, but created princess of Denmark Princesses that lost their title are shown in italics | ||
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