Christiane Sehested
Encyclopedia
Christiane Christiansdatter Sehested (15 July 1626–1670) was the daughter of king Christian IV of Denmark
and his morganatic
spouse, Kirsten Munk
. She shared the title Countess of Schleswig
-Holstein
with her mother and siblings. She was the twin
of her sister Hedevig Ulfeldt
.
Christiane was engaged by her father with the noble Hannibal Sehested
, viceroy of Norway
, in 1636. She was married under great festivities in Copenhagen
in 1642. She left for Norway with her spouse and lived with him in Akershus fortress
in Oslo
. Her father died in 1648. In 1651, her husband lost his position, and she was called to Copenhagen to sign a statement in which her spouse was deprived of his Norwegian estates. She also lost her status as countess. Her relationhsip with Sehested, and her siblings was not close, and in 1651-58, she lived alone in poverty in Hamburg
. She returned to Denmark in 1658 to side with the invading Swedes with her spouse to avenge the loss of her status; they joined the Swedish camp outside the sieged Danish capital. In 1660, Sehested regained the trust of the court, and in 1662, she was given back her personal status as countess. In 1666, she was widowed and retired to her estates.
She is known to have written a band of the songs of Folklore
.
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
and his morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
spouse, Kirsten Munk
Kirsten Munk
Kirsten Munk was a Danish noble, the second spouse of King Christian IV of Denmark, and mother to twelve of his children.- Early life and Morganatic marriage:...
. She shared the title Countess of Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
-Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
with her mother and siblings. She was the twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
of her sister Hedevig Ulfeldt
Hedevig Ulfeldt
Hedwig of Schleswig-Holstein was the daughter of king Christian IV of Denmark and Kirsten Munk. She was the twin of her sister Christiane Sehested. She shared the title Countess of Schleswig-Holstein with her mother and siblings.As with her siblings, she was raised by her grandmother Ellen Marsvin...
.
Christiane was engaged by her father with the noble Hannibal Sehested
Hannibal Sehested (governor)
Hannibal Sehested was a Danish statesman and Governor of Norway.He was born at Arensborg Castle on Øsel, Son of Claus Maltesen Sehested. After being educated abroad, he returned to Denmark in 1632 and was attached to the court of King Christian IV...
, viceroy of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, in 1636. She was married under great festivities in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1642. She left for Norway with her spouse and lived with him in Akershus fortress
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. Her father died in 1648. In 1651, her husband lost his position, and she was called to Copenhagen to sign a statement in which her spouse was deprived of his Norwegian estates. She also lost her status as countess. Her relationhsip with Sehested, and her siblings was not close, and in 1651-58, she lived alone in poverty in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. She returned to Denmark in 1658 to side with the invading Swedes with her spouse to avenge the loss of her status; they joined the Swedish camp outside the sieged Danish capital. In 1660, Sehested regained the trust of the court, and in 1662, she was given back her personal status as countess. In 1666, she was widowed and retired to her estates.
She is known to have written a band of the songs of Folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.