Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Encyclopedia
Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (28 November 1700 – 27 May 1770) was queen-consort of Denmark
and Norway
as the wife of King Christian VI of Denmark
and Norway.
by his wife, Countess Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein
. She was the lady-in-waiting
to the Queen of Poland, Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
, where Christian came to chose his spouse. On 7 August 1721, she was married to Prince Christian. As Crown Princess, she lived discreetly with her spouse: the couple was in opposition to the second marriage of the King. She is often considered to have been behind the fact that her spouse broke his promise to respect and protect the rights of his father's widow, Anne Sophie Reventlow
.
She became queen of Denmark in 1730. The royal couple's life together was harmonious and her spouse respected and trusted her, but Sophia Magdalene was unpopular. She was accused of creating a certain closedness around the Court and the royal family. She was seen as haughty, arrogant and proud. Her background in a religious environment, marked by Pietism
, strongly influenced the introduction of the subdued life at the Court. However, although her court was strict, it was also very luxurious. She was interested in luxury, pomp, fashion and jewelry and spent large sums of money on luxury during a time of poverty in the country. She made the most of her position as Queen in etiquette and ceremonial matters. Later, she was criticized also for never having discarded her Germanness, even though German
culture and language had been dominant at the Court before her time. She did in fact never learn Danish. Her German entourage was given important positions at court and was favoured over Danes. Her sister, Sophie Caroline of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
, lived at the Danish court from 1740, and it was rumoured that she was the mistress of her husband.
In 1732, she founded the order Ordre de l'Union Parfaite
, which was to be given only to women who lived in happy marriages. In 1737, she founded Vallö Abbey, a Protestant convent for unmarried noblewomen.
Sophia Magdalene was behind the making of a new Danish queen's crown when she refused to wear the same one that the hated Queen Anna Sophie had worn. Queen Sophia Magdelene established the collection of crown jewels when she bequeathed a large part of her jewellery for that purpose. She had Hirschholm Palace
built and lived there after being widowed in 1746.
During the reign of her grandson, she got more attention, as she was on much better terms with her grandchildren than with her children. During Christian's visits to her as a child, she spoilt him so much that he was considered impossible to deal with and more rebellious than ever. During Christian's reign, Moltke was disfavoured and Danneskjöld was favoured on her advice. She spent her later years in bad health, or, as it was said, in hypocondria.
She died in Christiansborg Palace
and was buried in Roskilde Cathedral
.
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 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...
as the wife of King Christian VI of Denmark
Christian VI of Denmark
Christian VI was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746.He was the son of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He married Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and fathered Frederick V.-The reign and personality of Christian VI:To posterity Christian...
and Norway.
Background
She was born in Castle Schonberg, to Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-KulmbachChristian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach
Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach , was a German prince and member of the House of Hohenzollern and nominal Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach.-Family:...
by his wife, Countess Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein
Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein
Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein was a Countess of Wolfstein and Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach by marriage.- Life :...
. She was the lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to the Queen of Poland, Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Electress of Saxony from 1694 to 1727 and titular Queen of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1697 to 1727 as the wife of Augustus II the Strong. Not once throughout the whole of her thirty-year queenship did she set foot in Poland, instead...
, where Christian came to chose his spouse. On 7 August 1721, she was married to Prince Christian. As Crown Princess, she lived discreetly with her spouse: the couple was in opposition to the second marriage of the King. She is often considered to have been behind the fact that her spouse broke his promise to respect and protect the rights of his father's widow, Anne Sophie Reventlow
Anne Sophie Reventlow
Anne Sophie Reventlow was a Danish noble, royal mistress, spouse by bigamy and, later, queen consort of Denmark and Norway 1721–30, the second spouse of king Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway....
.
Queen
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
, strongly influenced the introduction of the subdued life at the Court. However, although her court was strict, it was also very luxurious. She was interested in luxury, pomp, fashion and jewelry and spent large sums of money on luxury during a time of poverty in the country. She made the most of her position as Queen in etiquette and ceremonial matters. Later, she was criticized also for never having discarded her Germanness, even though German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
culture and language had been dominant at the Court before her time. She did in fact never learn Danish. Her German entourage was given important positions at court and was favoured over Danes. Her sister, Sophie Caroline of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Sophie Caroline of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
- References :* http://runeberg.org/dbl/16/0174.html...
, lived at the Danish court from 1740, and it was rumoured that she was the mistress of her husband.
In 1732, she founded the order Ordre de l'Union Parfaite
Ordre de l'Union Parfaite
The Ordre de l'Union Parfaite was created by Queen consort Sophie Magdalene of Denmark and Norway on August 7, 1732, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her happy marriage with King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway. Given to both men and women, L'Union Parfaite was the first Dano-Norwegian order...
, which was to be given only to women who lived in happy marriages. In 1737, she founded Vallö Abbey, a Protestant convent for unmarried noblewomen.
Sophia Magdalene was behind the making of a new Danish queen's crown when she refused to wear the same one that the hated Queen Anna Sophie had worn. Queen Sophia Magdelene established the collection of crown jewels when she bequeathed a large part of her jewellery for that purpose. She had Hirschholm Palace
Hirschholm Palace
Hirschholm Palace, also known as Hørsholm Palace, was a royal palace located in present-day Hørsholm municipality just north of Copenhagen, Denmark...
built and lived there after being widowed in 1746.
Later life
As a Queen Dowager, she lived a discreet life under the reign of her son, with whom she was too different in character to get along. She disliked his favourite, Moltke, whom she blamed for the distance between them.During the reign of her grandson, she got more attention, as she was on much better terms with her grandchildren than with her children. During Christian's visits to her as a child, she spoilt him so much that he was considered impossible to deal with and more rebellious than ever. During Christian's reign, Moltke was disfavoured and Danneskjöld was favoured on her advice. She spent her later years in bad health, or, as it was said, in hypocondria.
She died in 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...
and was buried in Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
.