Frederik Christian II, Duke of Augustenborg
Encyclopedia
Frederick Christian II, Duke of Augustenborg (Augustenburg, 28 September 1765 – Augustenburg, 14 June 1814) was a Danish prince and feudal magnate. He held the island of Als and some other castles (such as Sonderborg) in Schleswig.
He was a prince with an exceptionally high dose of Danish blood in his ancestry, his maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother, and paternal great-grandmother having been born, respectively, Countess of Reventlow
, Countess of Danneskiold-Samsoe, and Countess of Ahlefeldt
-Langeland
. He was closely related to all important families of the Danish high nobility of the time. The negative side was that his ancestry was quite much "comital", instead of including royal princesses, and duchesses of petty German states, as was customary with the Oldenburg royal family. Their family was regarded as a bit lower than the Ebenbuertige small rulers of Germany thought to be the standard.
In 1786, however, the twenty-year-old hereditary prince married his distant cousin, the fourteen-year-old Louise Auguste of Denmark
and Norway (1771–1843), daughter of the late Queen Caroline Mathilde
of Denmark. Louise Auguste was born during queen's marriage with the insane King Christian VII of Denmark
and Norway, but unofficially it was widely known that her natural father was Johann Friedrich Struensee
, the king’s court physician and de facto
regent
of the country at the time of her birth. (Indeed, she was at times referred to as "la petite Struensee".)
The story of antecedents of the prince's marriage goes as follows: In February of 1779, the nation's foremost statesman, Chief Minister Count Andreas Peter Bernstorff
, hatched an ingenious plan for the young princess, something that often has been customary with a royal child suspected of not being sired by its nominal father but in its mother's illicit liaison: to marry such a child to another member of the royal house. Since a male child of hers could inherit the throne some day, it would be advantageous to arrange a marriage
early, and to marry the "half-royal" back into the extended royal house, to the Hereditary Prince of Augustenborg
. This plan not only had the positive effect of more closely connecting the Danish royal house’s two lines, the ruling House of Oldenborg
and the cadet
House of Augustenborg
, thus not only discouraging any breakup of the kingdom but also preventing Louise Auguste's marriage into the Swedish
royal house (the latter danger was rather low, however: at that time, there were Swedish princes only twenty years or more her senior, and her first cousin, the future King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
, had just been born when she already was seven).
Binding agreements were made in 1780, and in the spring of 1785 the young Frederick Christian came to Copenhagen. The engagement was announced then, and a year later, on May 27, 1786, the wedding was celebrated at Christiansborg Palace
.
The couple lived at the Castle for many years until the Christiansborg Palace fire of 1794 and the death of his father, the Duke of Augustenborg
Frederick Christian I. The prince inherited the estate and the duchy.
After 1794, the couple lived during the summer on the island of Als and at Gråsten
.
The couple had three children:
Over the years, conflict arose between Duke Frederick Christian II and Louise Auguste's brother, King Frederick VI of Denmark
, especially over the relationship of the double-duchies of Schleswig-Holstein
and the Duke's own small appanage around Sonderborg on the one hand and the Danish monarchy on the other. His wife remained loyal to the Danish royal house throughout these differences. The marriage eventually fell into acrimony and reproach, and Frederick Christian tried to legally limit Louise Auguste's influence over their children's futures.
In 1810, Frederik Christian's younger brother Charles August
was chosen by the estates of the Swedish realm as that nation's crown prince, to succeed the elderly and childless King Charles XIII
. Following Charles August's death in May 1810, Frederick Christian himself was the leading candidate to become the new heir to the Swedish throne. On August 8, 1810 we was elected crown prince by the estates. His election however, was reconsidered and withdrawn two weeks later and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
, Marshal of France
and Prince of Ponte Corvo
, was elected instead.
Frederick Charles died on June 14, 1814. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Christian August II, then but sixteen years old. Louise Auguste took control of the Augustenborg estates and the children’s upbringing. The estates were turned over to the son and heir on his return from an extended foreign tour in 1820.
Life
He was born the eldest son of Friedrich Christian I, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1721–1794), and his cousin Princess Charlotte of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (1744–1770). Until his father's death, he was styled "Hereditary Prince of Augustenborg".He was a prince with an exceptionally high dose of Danish blood in his ancestry, his maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother, and paternal great-grandmother having been born, respectively, Countess of Reventlow
Reventlow
The name Reventlow, a noble Danish surname, may refer to:* Anne Sophie Reventlow, queen consort of Denmark * Christian Detlev Reventlow Danish diplomat and military leader 1671-1738)...
, Countess of Danneskiold-Samsoe, and Countess of Ahlefeldt
Ahlefeldt
Ahlefeldt is a Danish and German family of high nobility.The earliest known ancestor is one Benedict Ahlefeldt, , whose son and grandsons served king Atterdag Valdemar IV of Denmark and received significant pawn fiefs and properties in Denmark....
-Langeland
Langeland
Langeland is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km² and, as of 1 January 2010, has a population of 13,277. The island produces grain and is known as a recreational area. A bridge connects it to Tåsinge via Siø - a small island with a...
. He was closely related to all important families of the Danish high nobility of the time. The negative side was that his ancestry was quite much "comital", instead of including royal princesses, and duchesses of petty German states, as was customary with the Oldenburg royal family. Their family was regarded as a bit lower than the Ebenbuertige small rulers of Germany thought to be the standard.
In 1786, however, the twenty-year-old hereditary prince married his distant cousin, the fourteen-year-old Louise Auguste of Denmark
Louise Auguste of Denmark
Louise Auguste of Denmark, Duchess of Augustenborg or Louise Augusta, was a Danish princess, officially daughter of King Christian VII of Denmark and Queen Caroline Mathilde...
and Norway (1771–1843), daughter of the late Queen Caroline Mathilde
Caroline Matilda of Wales
Caroline Matilda of Great Britain was Queen of Denmark and Norway from 1766 to 1772 and a member of the British Royal Family.-Early life:...
of Denmark. Louise Auguste was born during queen's marriage with the insane King Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. He was the son of Danish King Frederick V and his first consort Louisa, daughter of King George II of Great Britain....
and Norway, but unofficially it was widely known that her natural father was Johann Friedrich Struensee
Johann Friedrich Struensee
Count Johann Friedrich Struensee was a German doctor. He became royal physician to the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark and a minister in the Danish government. He rose in power to a position of “de facto” regent of the country, where he tried to carry out widespread reforms...
, the king’s court physician and de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the country at the time of her birth. (Indeed, she was at times referred to as "la petite Struensee".)
The story of antecedents of the prince's marriage goes as follows: In February of 1779, the nation's foremost statesman, Chief Minister Count Andreas Peter Bernstorff
Andreas Peter Bernstorff
Andreas Peter Bernstorff was a Danish statesman and politician. He was a Danish minister, father of Christian Günther von Bernstorff, and a guardian of civil and political liberty.-Background and early career:A. P...
, hatched an ingenious plan for the young princess, something that often has been customary with a royal child suspected of not being sired by its nominal father but in its mother's illicit liaison: to marry such a child to another member of the royal house. Since a male child of hers could inherit the throne some day, it would be advantageous to arrange a marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
early, and to marry the "half-royal" back into the extended royal house, to the Hereditary Prince of Augustenborg
Augustenborg
Augustenborg is a town with a population of 3,279 on Als Island in Sønderborg Municipality, Region of Southern Denmark in Denmark. The town lies at the head of Als Fjord. To the east is the Little Belt...
. This plan not only had the positive effect of more closely connecting the Danish royal house’s two lines, the ruling House of Oldenborg
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
and the cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
House of Augustenborg
Duke of Augustenborg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg was a branch of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg of the House of Oldenburg. The line descended from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg...
, thus not only discouraging any breakup of the kingdom but also preventing Louise Auguste's marriage into the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
royal house (the latter danger was rather low, however: at that time, there were Swedish princes only twenty years or more her senior, and her first cousin, the future King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden
Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden also Gustav Adolph was King of Sweden from 1792 until his abdication in 1809. He was the son of Gustav III of Sweden and his queen consort Sophia Magdalena, eldest daughter of Frederick V of Denmark and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. He was the last Swedish...
, had just been born when she already was seven).
Binding agreements were made in 1780, and in the spring of 1785 the young Frederick Christian came to Copenhagen. The engagement was announced then, and a year later, on May 27, 1786, the wedding was celebrated at Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
.
The couple lived at the Castle for many years until the Christiansborg Palace fire of 1794 and the death of his father, the Duke of Augustenborg
Duke of Augustenborg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg was a branch of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg of the House of Oldenburg. The line descended from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg...
Frederick Christian I. The prince inherited the estate and the duchy.
After 1794, the couple lived during the summer on the island of Als and at Gråsten
Gråsten
Gråsten , stress on last syllable) is a town with a population of 4,200 on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark by the Nybøl Nor at an inlet of the Flensburg Fjord. It belongs to the Sønderborg municipality in Region of Southern Denmark...
.
The couple had three children:
- Caroline Amalie (born September 28, 1796, at Copenhagen; died March 9, 1881), married 1815 Prince Christian Frederick of Denmark (died 1848), the future Christian VIII of DenmarkChristian VIII of DenmarkChristian VIII , was king of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, king of Norway in 1814. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born in 1786 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen...
and earlier, 1814, briefly proclaimed king of Norway before the Swedish conquest; became Queen of Denmark; she died childless in 1881, when the Queen Dowager of Denmark.
- Christian August II (born July 19, 1798, at Copenhagen; died March 11, 1869), the Duke of Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg who was to become a pivotal figure in the Question of Schleswig-Holstein in the 1850s and 1860s; so as not to offend Danish national feelings, he was married in 1820 to a Danish relative, Countess of Danneskjold-Samsoe (Lovisa-Sophie Danneskjold-Samsøe, 1797–1867), a kinswoman of the kings of Denmark, belonging to a bastard branch of House of Oldenburg; Duke Christian sold his rights to the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark in aftermath of Treaty of London but later renounced his rights to the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein in favor of his son Frederick August; he was the brother-in-law of King Christian VIII of DenmarkChristian VIII of DenmarkChristian VIII , was king of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, king of Norway in 1814. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born in 1786 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen...
, nephew of Frederick VI of DenmarkFrederick VI of DenmarkFrederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
, and father of, amongst others, Frederick August (Friedrich Christian August), Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (born 1829 at Augustenborg, he was nephew of the Danish king himself, after whose death in 1863 he claimed to succeed as Duke of Schleswig-Holstein; died in 1880, living one surviving son and a number of daughters).
- Frederick Emil AugustPrince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-AugustenburgPrince Frederick Emil August of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg , usually simply known by just his first name, Frederick, Prince of Noër, was a prince of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg and a cadet-line descendant of the Danish royal house.He was the second and...
(born August 23, 1800, at KielKielKiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
; died July 2, 1865, at BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
), the “Prince” of Nør (Noer); he was married in 1829 to Countess Henriette Danneskjold-Samsøe (1806–1858), a Danish noblewoman belonging to a bastard branch of the House of Oldenburg; in 1864, he was created Prinz von Noer ("Prince of Noer"); he was father of:- Friedrich Christian Karl August (born at Gottorp in 1830; died at Noer in 1881), who married Princess Antoinette of SaynSaynSayn was a mediæval German County located in the Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. There were two Counties of Sayn: the first County emerged in 1139. It became closely associated with the County of Sponheim early in its existence. Count Henry II was notable for being accused of...
, daughter of Ludwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-BerleburgLudwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-BerleburgPrince Ludwig Adolf Friedrich of Sayn-Wittgenstein was a Russian aristocrat of German descent...
and widow of Prince Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; and - Luise Karoline Henriette Auguste, Graefin von Noer (born at Schleswig in 1836; died in 1866).
- Friedrich Christian Karl August (born at Gottorp in 1830; died at Noer in 1881), who married Princess Antoinette of Sayn
Over the years, conflict arose between Duke Frederick Christian II and Louise Auguste's brother, King Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
, especially over the relationship of the double-duchies of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
and the Duke's own small appanage around Sonderborg on the one hand and the Danish monarchy on the other. His wife remained loyal to the Danish royal house throughout these differences. The marriage eventually fell into acrimony and reproach, and Frederick Christian tried to legally limit Louise Auguste's influence over their children's futures.
In 1810, Frederik Christian's younger brother Charles August
Charles August, Crown Prince of Sweden
Charles August was a German prince. He is best known for serving as Crown Prince of Sweden briefly in 1810, adopted by Charles XIII, before his sudden death from stroke. Earlier, he had been a general in the Royal Danish Army as well as the Danish Governor-general of Norway...
was chosen by the estates of the Swedish realm as that nation's crown prince, to succeed the elderly and childless King Charles XIII
Charles XIII of Sweden
Charles XIII & II also Carl, , was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 until his death...
. Following Charles August's death in May 1810, Frederick Christian himself was the leading candidate to become the new heir to the Swedish throne. On August 8, 1810 we was elected crown prince by the estates. His election however, was reconsidered and withdrawn two weeks later and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan was King of Sweden and King of Norway from 1818 until his death...
, Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
and Prince of Ponte Corvo
Pontecorvo
Pontecorvo is a town and comune in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. Its population is 13,400.- History :The village lies under Rocca Guglielma, a medieval fortification perched on an inaccessible spur...
, was elected instead.
Frederick Charles died on June 14, 1814. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Christian August II, then but sixteen years old. Louise Auguste took control of the Augustenborg estates and the children’s upbringing. The estates were turned over to the son and heir on his return from an extended foreign tour in 1820.
Titles and styles
- 28 September 1765 – 13 November 1794: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- 13 November 1794 – 14 June 1814: His Serene Highness The Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg