Louise Auguste of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Louise Auguste of Denmark, Duchess of Augustenborg or Louise Augusta, (7 July 1771 – 13 January 1843) was a Danish princess, officially daughter of King Christian VII of Denmark
and Queen Caroline Mathilde. Unofficially it is widely accepted that her natural father was Johann Friedrich Struensee
, the king’s royal physician and de facto
regent
of the country at the time of her birth. She was referred to sometimes as "la petite Struensee"; this did not, however, have any effect on her position.
She was born at Hirschholm Palace
in present day Hørsholm municipality
, Denmark
. After the arrest of Struensee and Queen Caroline Mathilde on 17 January 1772, and the subsequent execution of Struensee and the banishment and imprisonment of her mother, she was raised at the Danish court residing at Christiansborg Palace
, Copenhagen
along with her three-year old brother, Crown Prince Frederik
under the supervision of the Dowager Queen Juliane Marie
. Louise Augusta and her brother had a very close relationship their entire life, and it was on his request that she agreed to marry, despite the fact that she had no enthusiasm for the match. She was her brother's closest friend, and he developed a strong resentment toward Juliana Maria when she tried to separate them.
, hatched an ingenious plan for the young princess. 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 family, 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 offshoot House of Augustenborg
, thus discouraging the threat of a breakup of the kingdom, but also the prevention of her marriage into the Swedish
royal house.
Her future spouse was a prince with an exceptionally high dose of recent Danish ancestors, his maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother having been, respectively, born Countess of Reventlow
, Countess of Danneskiold-Samsoe and Countess of Ahlefeldt
-Langeland
. He was closely related to all important families of the then high nobility of Denmark. The binding agreements were made a year later, and in spring 1785 the 20 year old duke Frederik Christian II came to Copenhagen. The engagement was announced then, and a year later, on 27 May 1786 the 14 year old Louise Augusta was married at Christiansborg Palace
.
(Frederik Christian I, 1721–1794), when her husband inherited the estate and the Duchy. The princess was often the center of court activities, and was proclaimed the “Venus of Denmark”; she was the real female center of the Danish royal court even after her brother's marriage in 1790. After 1794 they lived during the summer on the island of Als and at Gråsten
. They lived in Denmark in the winters and in Augustenburg duringthe summers, where she held a lively court, where artists, such as the poet Jens Baggesen, were among her admirers.
They had three children:
The spouses were dissimilar: while Louise Augusta was extrovert, lively, beautiful and pleasure-loving, her spouse was unattractive, serious, interested in philosophy and politics. She was said to have many lovers, among them most notably the doctor Carl Ferdinand Suadacini, who treated her for infertility and was believed to have fathered her children, though this cannot be proven. Louise Augusta felt sympathy for the French revolution
and had therefore anti-British views from 1789 onwards.
and his small appanage around Sonderborg there on one hand and the Danish monarchy on the other. She remained loyal to the Danish Royal House arm rather, to her brother, throughout the differences, and acted as his agent on her spouse. In 1810 she worked actively to stop the Duke's attempts to be chosen as successor to the Swedish throne, which were linked with the duke's younger brother Charles August of Augustenburg becoming chosen by Swedes and then dying, after which Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
, Marshal of France
and Prince of Ponte Corvo
, got elected.
Their relationship eventually fell apart, and Frederik Christian tried to legally limit her influence over their children’s future. He died on 14 June 1814, and Louise Augusta took control of the Augustenborg estates and the children’s upbringing. The estate was turned over to the eldest son, Christian August, on his return from an extended foreign tour in 1820. From then on she resided in the Augustenborg Castle, where she established an eccentric court. In 1832 in order to give her youngest son, Frederik Emil August, better income possibilities she purchased the estate Nør and Grønwald in Dänischwold near Ekernførde Fjord in South Schleswig
. She had a close and warm relationship with her daughter and her son-in-law, but her relationship to her sons was tense.
She died at Augustenborg in 1843, when her brother's reign in Denmark had already ended and Christian VIII, her son-in-law, ascended - she thus deceased as the mother of the then Queen of Denmark.
. The first from 1784 is in The Royal Collection, London
, and the second from 1787 is in the Frederiksborg Palace Museum
. Another portrait of her by Anton Graff
is in Sønderborg Castle
.
Danish author Maria Helleberg has written a best-selling historical novel
based on the life of Louise Augusta called "Kærlighedsbarn" ("Love Child"), which inspired a special biographical exhibition on the life of the princess at Rosenborg Castle
.
Among the currently reigning monarchs of the world, only King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden is a direct descendant of Louise Auguste. Constantine II, King of the Hellenes
, was also, however he reigns no longer. Queen Sofia of Spain
, Louise's descendant, is the consort of a currently reigning monarch, and the mother of the heir-apparent Don Felipe, Prince of Asturias.
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 Queen Caroline Mathilde. Unofficially it is widely accepted 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 royal 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. She was referred to sometimes as "la petite Struensee"; this did not, however, have any effect on her position.
Early life
Hirschholm Palace
Hirschholm Palace, also known as Hørsholm Palace, was a royal palace located in present-day Hørsholm municipality just north of Copenhagen, Denmark...
in present day Hørsholm municipality
Hørsholm
Hørsholm Kommune is a municipality in the Copenhagen Capital Region in the northern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 31 km², and has a total population of 24,197...
, Denmark
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...
. After the arrest of Struensee and Queen Caroline Mathilde on 17 January 1772, and the subsequent execution of Struensee and the banishment and imprisonment of her mother, she was raised at the Danish court residing 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...
, 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...
along with her three-year old brother, Crown Prince Frederik
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...
under the supervision of the Dowager Queen Juliane Marie
Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Duchess Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , , was queen of Denmark between 1752 and 1766, second consort of king Frederick V of Denmark and Norway, mother of the prince-regent Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and herself de facto regent 1772–1784.- Early life and queen :Born...
. Louise Augusta and her brother had a very close relationship their entire life, and it was on his request that she agreed to marry, despite the fact that she had no enthusiasm for the match. She was her brother's closest friend, and he developed a strong resentment toward Juliana Maria when she tried to separate them.
Marriage
In February 1779 the nation's foremost statesman, Chief Minister Andreas Peter BernstorffAndreas 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. 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 family, 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
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 offshoot 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 discouraging the threat of a breakup of the kingdom, but also the prevention of her 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.
Her future spouse was a prince with an exceptionally high dose of recent Danish ancestors, his maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother having been, respectively, born 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 then high nobility of Denmark. The binding agreements were made a year later, and in spring 1785 the 20 year old duke Frederik Christian II came to Copenhagen. The engagement was announced then, and a year later, on 27 May 1786 the 14 year old Louise Augusta was married 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...
.
Life at the Danish court
The couple lived at the Danish court in Copenhagen for many years until the Christiansborg Palace fire of 1794 and the death of the elder Duke of AugustenborgDuke 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...
(Frederik Christian I, 1721–1794), when her husband inherited the estate and the Duchy. The princess was often the center of court activities, and was proclaimed the “Venus of Denmark”; she was the real female center of the Danish royal court even after her brother's marriage in 1790. After 1794 they 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...
. They lived in Denmark in the winters and in Augustenburg duringthe summers, where she held a lively court, where artists, such as the poet Jens Baggesen, were among her admirers.
They had three children:
- Caroline AmalieKaroline Amalia of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-AugustenburgCaroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenborg , was Queen consort of Denmark as the second spouse of King Christian VIII between 1839 and 1848.-Biography:...
(b. 28 September 1796 – d 9 March 1881), who would become Queen of Denmark as consort to Christian VIIIChristian 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... - Christian August (b. 19 July 1798 – d 11 March 1869), the Duke of Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (who was to become a pivotal figure in the Question of Schleswig-Holstein in 1850s and 1860s). In order to hold to potential Danish feelings, he was married to a Danish relative, Countess of Danneskjold-Samsoe.
- Frederik 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...
(b. 23 August 1800 – d 2 July 1865), the “Prince” of Nør (Noer)
The spouses were dissimilar: while Louise Augusta was extrovert, lively, beautiful and pleasure-loving, her spouse was unattractive, serious, interested in philosophy and politics. She was said to have many lovers, among them most notably the doctor Carl Ferdinand Suadacini, who treated her for infertility and was believed to have fathered her children, though this cannot be proven. Louise Augusta felt sympathy for the French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and had therefore anti-British views from 1789 onwards.
Later life
Over the years there developed conflict between her husband and her brother, especially over the relationship of the double-duchies of Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-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 his small appanage around Sonderborg there on one hand and the Danish monarchy on the other. She remained loyal to the Danish Royal House arm rather, to her brother, throughout the differences, and acted as his agent on her spouse. In 1810 she worked actively to stop the Duke's attempts to be chosen as successor to the Swedish throne, which were linked with the duke's younger brother Charles August of Augustenburg becoming chosen by Swedes and then dying, after which 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...
, got elected.
Their relationship eventually fell apart, and Frederik Christian tried to legally limit her influence over their children’s future. He died on 14 June 1814, and Louise Augusta took control of the Augustenborg estates and the children’s upbringing. The estate was turned over to the eldest son, Christian August, on his return from an extended foreign tour in 1820. From then on she resided in the Augustenborg Castle, where she established an eccentric court. In 1832 in order to give her youngest son, Frederik Emil August, better income possibilities she purchased the estate Nør and Grønwald in Dänischwold near Ekernførde Fjord in South 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...
. She had a close and warm relationship with her daughter and her son-in-law, but her relationship to her sons was tense.
She died at Augustenborg in 1843, when her brother's reign in Denmark had already ended and Christian VIII, her son-in-law, ascended - she thus deceased as the mother of the then Queen of Denmark.
Louise Augusta in culture and legacy
Two portraits of her were painted by Danish artist Jens JuelJens Juel (painter)
Jens Juel was a Danish painter, primarily known for his many portraits, of which the largest collection is on display at Frederiksborg Castle.-Early life and career:...
. The first from 1784 is in The Royal Collection, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and the second from 1787 is in the Frederiksborg Palace Museum
Frederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg castle is a castle in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV, and is now known as The Museum of National History. The current building replaced a previous castle erected by Frederick II, and is the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia...
. Another portrait of her by Anton Graff
Anton Graff
Anton Graff was an eminent Swiss portrait artist. Among his famous subjects were Friedrich Schiller, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Heinrich von Kleist, Frederick the Great, Johann Gottfried Herder and Christian Felix Weisse...
is in Sønderborg Castle
Sønderborg
Sønderborg Municipality , is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark partially on the Jutland peninsula and partially on the island of Als in south Denmark, at the border with Germany. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 76,236...
.
Danish author Maria Helleberg has written a best-selling historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
based on the life of Louise Augusta called "Kærlighedsbarn" ("Love Child"), which inspired a special biographical exhibition on the life of the princess at Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle is a renaissance castle located in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects...
.
Among the currently reigning monarchs of the world, only King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden is a direct descendant of Louise Auguste. Constantine II, King of the Hellenes
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
, was also, however he reigns no longer. Queen Sofia of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain
Queen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...
, Louise's descendant, is the consort of a currently reigning monarch, and the mother of the heir-apparent Don Felipe, Prince of Asturias.