Gyldenløve is the name of two important noble families in Danish

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 and Norwegian

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...

 history. The first Gyldenløve family belonged to the Norwegian high nobility

Norwegian nobility

Norwegian nobility are persons and families who in early times belonged to the supreme social, political, and military class and who later were members of the institutionalised nobility in the Kingdom of Norway. It has its historical roots in the group of chieftains and warriors which evolved...

. One century later, Gyldenløve became the name given to recognised illegitimate children of the Dano-Norwegian king.

Gyldenløve of Austrått

Gyldenløve was one of the most important families in Norway's social and political life. The family's most prominent member was Nils Henriksson (died 1523), Lord High Steward of Norway, who was married with the famed lady Ingegjerd Ottesdotter Rømer, heiress of Austrått

Austrått

thumb|The manor’s entry portal with the coat of arms carved in [[soapstone]].Austrått or Austrått Manor is a manor in Ørland municipality, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. Since the 10th century Austrått has been the residence for many noblemen, noblewomen and officials who played a significant role in...

. The couple had only surviving daughters. All other agnatic lines of the old family are presumed extinct already before them. The last male was Nils Henriksson's illegitimate child Henrik Nilsson Gyldenløve.

Like other noble families, Gyldenløve did originally not have a family name. However, based on the family's coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

, which shows a lion believed to represent their verified royal descent (House of Sverre

House of Sverre

The House of Sverre was a royal house or dynasty which ruled, at various times in history, the Kingdom of Norway, and hereunder the kingdom's realms, and the Kingdom of Scotland. The house was founded with King Sverre Sigurdsson...

), some of the last generations' members used the name Gyldenløve. The same is customary among modern historicians and genealogists today, in order to identify the family and members of it.

Illegitimate children of Dano-Norwegian kings

The name Gyldenløve was given to the illegitimate sons of the following Dano-Norwegian kings:

• Christian IV (1588–1648)
• Frederick III
  Frederick III of Denmark
  Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
  
   (1648–1670)
• Christian V
  Christian V of Denmark
  Christian V , was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 to 1699, the son of Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
  
   (1670–1699)

Christian IV had many illegitimate children by various mistresses. Three of his illegitimate sons were officially recognised and received the name Gyldenløve:

• Christian Ulrik
  Christian Ulrik Gyldenløve
  Christian Ulrik Gyldenløve was a Danish diplomat and military officer. He was one of three acknowledged illegitimate sons of Christian IV of Denmark— the only one by Kirsten Madsdatter. He died in a fight with troops from the Netherlands at the churchyard of Meinerzhagen and was buried in...
  
   (1611–1640) by Kirsten Madsdatter
  Kirsten Madsdatter
  Kirsten Madsdatter was King Christian IV of Denmark's lover, and the mother of one of his three acknowledged, illegitimate sons, Christian Ulrik Gyldenløve....
  
  
• Hans Ulrik
  Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve
  Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve was a Danish diplomat. He was one of three acknowledged, illegitimate sons of King Christian IV of Denmark— the only one by Karen Andersdatter.He married Regitze Grubbe on October 10, 1641 and died January 1645.-See also:...
  
   (1615–1645) by Karen Andersdatter
  Karen Andersdatter
  Karen Andersdatter was a Danish county administrator, a lover of King Christian IV of Denmark from 1613 until 1615/16, and the mother of one of his three acknowledged, illegitimate sons, Hans Ulrik Gyldenløve.- Biography :...
  
  
• Ulrik Christian
  Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve (1630-1658)
  Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve was an illegitimate child of Christian IV of Denmark and his chambermaid and mistress Vibeke Kruse....
  
   (1630–1658) by Vibeke Kruse
  Vibeke Kruse
  Vibeke Kruse was the official mistress of King Christian IV of Denmark between 1629 and 1648 and the mother of one of his three acknowledged, illegitimate sons, Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve. She was described as influential.- Biography :...
  
  

Frederick III of Denmark fathered Ulrik Frederick (1638–1704) by Margrethe Pape; he was also acknowledged and received the name Gyldenløve. He earned big respect from Norwegians when serving as Statholder there.

Christian V of Denmark fathered five children with Sophie Amalie Moth

Sophie Amalie Moth

Sophie Amalie Moth, Countess of Samsø was Christian V of Denmark’s acknowledged official lover. She was the first officially acknowledged royal mistress in Denmark.-Biography:...

:

• Christiane Gyldenløve (1672–1689)
• Christian Gyldenløve
  Christian Gyldenløve
  Christian Gyldenløve was one of five illegitimate children fathered by Christian V of Denmark with Sophie Amalie Moth. The others, all named Gyldenløve, were:* Christiane Gyldenløve * Sophie Christiane Gyldenløve...
  
   (1674–1703)
• Sophie Christiane Gyldenløve (1675–1684)
• Anna Christiane Gyldenløve (1676–1689)
• Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve (1678–1719), Count of Samsø. (Not to be confused with the son of Christian IV.)

Literature and sources

• Gjerset, Knut. The History of the Norwegian People MacMillan, 1915.
• Larson, Karen. A History of Norway Princeton University Press, 1948.