Princess Caroline of Denmark

Hereditary Princess of Denmark

Caroline of Denmark

Hereditary Princess of Denmark

Painting by August Schiøtt, 1854

Born| (1793-10-28)28 October 1793
Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen
Died| 31 March 1881(1881-03-31) (aged 87)
Copenhagen
Burial|

Roskilde Cathedral

Spouse|

Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark

(m. 1829; died 1863)​

House| Oldenburg
Father| Frederick VI of Denmark
Mother| Marie of Hesse-Kassel
Danish Royalty

House of Oldenburg
Main Line
Frederick VI

Children
Prince Christian
Princess Marie Louise
Hereditary Princess Caroline
Princess Louise
Prince Christian
Princess Juliana Louise
Princess Frederikke Marie
Vilhelmine Marie, Duchess of Glücksburg

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Princess Caroline of Denmark (28 October 1793 – 31 March 1881), was the eldest surviving daughter of King Frederick VI of Denmark. She was unofficially known as "Kronprinsesse Caroline" (English: Crown Princess Caroline) prior to her marriage, and later as "Arveprinsesse Caroline" (English: Hereditary Princess Caroline). She married her father's first cousin, Hereditary Prince Ferdinand, who was heir presumptive to the throne from 1848 to 1863.[1][2]

## Early life[edit]

Princess Caroline with her mother, Crown Princess Marie. Painting by Jens Juel, c. 1800.

Princess Caroline was born at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on 28 October 1793. Her parents were Crown Prince Frederick (the future King Frederick VI of Denmark) and his spouse and first cousin, Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel. Her paternal grandfather King Christian VII being mentally unstable, her father had acted as regent since 1784. Her birth was much welcomed by the public, as her siblings had died soon after their birth. Four months after her birth, on 26 February 1794, Christiansborg Palace was destroyed by fire. Subsequently, Princess Caroline moved with her parents to Amalienborg Palace where she grew up, spending the summers at Frederiksberg Palace. At the death of her grandfather Christian VII of Denmark in 1808, her father ascended as king.[3]

King Frederick VI and Queen Marie with their daughters Princess Caroline and Princess Vilhelmine Marie. Portrait by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1821.

She had a very close relationship with her father. She was given a broad, but not very thorough or deep, education. Caroline was not described as either talented or beautiful. She met Hans Christian Andersen in 1822 and was very interested in his writing and adventure. Her father had no surviving sons and Caroline and her sister Vilhelmine Marie (1808-1891), were excluded from succession to the throne as a result of Salic Law. Despite this fact, however, she was still commonly called and referred to as Crown Princess prior to her marriage, as the eldest child of her father, though she did not have the formal title.[4]

## Marriage[edit]

Princess Caroline and her husband Prince Ferdinand as Hereditary Prince, c. 1863

Several possible marriages were planned for her but without result. After her father's accession, Napoleon suggested, in 1810, a marriage with the heir to the Swedish throne, Prince Christian August of Augustenborg; her father disapproved but began negotiations, which were interrupted by the death of Christian August shortly afterward. Among the grooms suggested was also the British Prince William, Duke of Clarence. In 1812, she was engaged to her uncle Prince Christian of Hesse, but he died in 1814. Finally, on 1 August 1829 at Frederiksberg Palace she married her father's first cousin, Prince Ferdinand of Denmark (1792-1863) who was third in line to the throne. The marriage was arranged for political reasons and was childless. After her marriage, she was no longer called crown princess until her spouse became hereditary prince.[5]

In 1830, Caroline suffered terrible burn injuries in a fire, which disfigured her face; her hair ornament caught fire while she was reading in her bed, and she was severely burnt in the face and hair. The damage upon her looks was permanent, and she was later to remark, when she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, that she was sincerely grateful that she managed to acquire any friends who could stand to look at her face. She suffered a similar burn injury in 1858 when she burned her arm and shoulder so badly, that she had great pains for the rest of her life.

Between 1831 and 1839, she presided regularly at the supervision of the Aarhus troops. When her spouse was appointed General Commandant for Nørrejylland in 1839, she followed him on his inspection tour through the county's villages, and was celebrated by the public; she was a skillful rider, and when she followed her spouse on his inspections of the troops in Sjælland, she paraded herself on horse before the troops. She founded an asylum in Aarhus (1836) and became the protector of Vallø Stift in 1852.[6]

## Hereditary Princess[edit]

Sculpted bust of Hereditary Princess Caroline, by Bertel Thorvaldsen Bernstorff Mansion

After the death of her brother-in-law King Christian VIII in 1848, her husband became heir presumptive to the throne of Denmark and received the title of Hereditary Prince. Caroline now became hereditary princess again, but in contrast to the case before her marriage, she now received the title formally. She never became queen however, as Hereditary Prince Ferdinand died in 1863, shortly before his nephew King Frederick VII, and the throne passed to King Christian IX.

The spouses lived in Bernstorff Mansion (Det Bernstorffske Palæ) in Bredgade which had been renovated for them by King Frederick VI, but did not play any active role at the royal court. Caroline eventually came to live quite harmoniously with her spouse. She tolerated his adultery and money problems. After her father's death in 1839, she became distanced from court. Her spouse was given the task of escorting royal mistress Countess Danner (1815–1874) while she was estranged from the royal couple.[7]

She was described as loyal, content and punctual She was especially loyal toward Copenhagen. She and her husband were the only members of the royal family who stayed during the cholera epidemic of 1853, out of loyalty to the city.[8]

As a widow, she lived an isolated life, occupying herself by paying her husband's debts. During her final years, she became deaf. Hereditary Princess Caroline died in her residence in Copenhagen on 31 March 1881.

## Ancestry[edit]

Ancestors of Princess Caroline of Denmark

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8\. Frederick V of Denmark

|
|
|
|
|
|
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| 4\. Christian VII of Denmark|

|  |  |
| 9\. Princess Louise of Great Britain

| 2\. Frederick VI of Denmark|

|  |  |  |  |
| 10\. Frederick, Prince of Wales

| 5\. Princess Caroline Matilda of Great Britain|

|  |  |
| 11\. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha

| 1\. Princess Caroline of Denmark|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 12\. Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

| 6\. Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel|

|  |  |
| 13\. Princess Mary of Great Britain

| 3\. Princess Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel|

|  |  |  |  |
| 14\. Frederick V of Denmark (= 8)

| 7\. Princess Louise of Denmark|

|  |  |
| 15\. Princess Louise of Great Britain (= 9)

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## References[edit]

### Citations[edit]

1. ^ Kongeriget Danmark--Personalregister til Trap – Volume 1 – Page 144
2. ^ "Caroline, 1793-1881, Arveprinsesse". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
3. ^ "Caroline (1793 – 1881)". Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
4. ^ "Vilhelmine". kongernessamling.dk. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
5. ^ "Arveprins Frederik Ferdinand". aarhuswiki.dk. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
6. ^ "Vallø". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
7. ^ "Countess Danner". kongernessamling.dk. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
8. ^ "Det Bernstorffske Palæ". Bygningernes historie. Retrieved 1 November 2019.

### Bibliography[edit]

* Bo Bramsen (1969) Ferdinand og Caroline (København: Politikens förlag)
* Bramsen, Bo (1985). Ferdinand og Caroline : en beretning om prinsen, der nødig ville være konge af Danmark [Ferdinand and Caroline: an account of the prince who was reluctant to be king of Denmark] (in Danish) (4th ed.). Copenhagen: Nordiske Landes Bogforlag. ISBN 8787439220.
* Thorsøe, Alexander (1889). "Caroline". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). Dansk biografisk Lexikon, tillige omfattende Norge for tidsrummet 1537-1814 (in Danish). Vol. III (1st ed.). Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. pp. 386–388.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Caroline of Denmark.

* The Danish Monarchy

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Danish princesses

Generations are numbered from the implementation of hereditary monarchy by Frederick III in 1660.

1st generation|

* Anna Sophie, Electress of Saxony1
* Frederica Amalia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp1
* Wilhelmine Ernestine, Electress Palatine1
* Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden1

2nd generation|

* Princess Sophia1

3rd generation|

* Princess Charlotte Amalie1

4th generation|

* Louise, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen1

5th generation|

* Sophia Magdalena, Queen of Sweden1
* Wilhelmina Caroline, Electress of Hesse1
* Louise, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel1

6th generation|

* Princess Louise, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg1
* Juliana, Landgravine of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld1
* Louise, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel1

7th generation|

* Hereditary Princess Caroline of Denmark1
* Vilhelmine, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg1

8th generation|

* Alexandra, Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India4
* (Dagmar) Empress Maria Feodorovna of All the Russias4
* Thyra, Crown Princess of Hanover and Duchess of Cumberland

9th generation|

* Princess Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe
* Princess Ingeborg, Duchess of Västergötland
* Princess Thyra
* Princess Dagmar, Mrs. Castenskiold
* Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia2
* Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia2
* Princess Margaret of Bourbon-Parma

10th generation|

* Princess Feodora of Schaumburg-Lippe
* Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark
* Princess Alexandrine, Countess of Castell-Castell
* Helen, Queen Mother of Romania2
* Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta2
* Lady Katherine Brandram2
* Princess Eugénie, Duchess of Castel Duino2
* Princess Olga of Yugoslavia2
* Princess Elizabeth, Countess of Toerring-Jettenbach2
* Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent2
* Margarita, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg2
* Theodora, Margravine of Baden2
* Cecilie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine2
* Princess Sophie of Hanover2

11th generation|

* Queen Margrethe II3
* Benedikte, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg3
* Anne-Marie, Queen of the Hellenes
* Princess Elisabeth3
* Alexándra, Queen of Yugoslavia2
* Sofía, Queen of Spain2
* Princess Eiríni2

12th generation|

* Princess Alexía, Mrs. Morales2
* Princess Theodora2

13th generation|

* Princess Isabella
* Princess Josephine
* Princess Athena
* Princess Olympía2

1 Also princess of Norway
2 Also princess of Greece
3 Also princess of Iceland
4 Not Danish princess by birth, but created princess of Denmark
Princesses that lost their title are shown in italics

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* t
* e

Danish princesses by marriage

The generations are numbered from the implementation of hereditary monarchy by Frederick III in 1660.

1st generation|

* Princess Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel
* Anne of Great Britain

2nd generation|

* Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow

3rd generation|

* Princess Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

4th generation|

* Princess Louise of Great Britain

5th generation|

* Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

6th generation|

* Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel
* Duchess Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
* Princess Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
* Princess Caroline of Denmark^

7th generation|

* Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark^
* Duchess Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
* Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel

8th generation|

* Princess Louise of Sweden and Norway
* Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia
* Princess Marie of Orléans

9th generation|

* Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
* Princess Maud of Wales
* Princess Helena Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
* Princess Sophia of Prussia*
* Princess Marie Bonaparte*
* Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia*
* Princess Alice of Battenberg*
* Nonie Stewart*
* Princess Françoise of Orléans*
* Princess Margaretha of Sweden

10th generation|

* Princess Ingrid of Sweden
* Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark^
* Princess Elisabeth of Romania*
* Aspasia Manos*
* Princess Frederica of Hanover*
* Irina Ovtchinnikova*
* Anne Bowes-Lyon

11th generation|

Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark^

12th generation|

* Mary Donaldson
* Alexandra Manley§
* Marie Cavallier
* Marie-Chantal Miller*
* Tatiana Blatnik*
* Nina Flohr*

*also a princess of Greece by marriage
^also a Danish princess by birth
§title lost due to divorce and subsequent remarriage

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

*[m.]: married
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*[e]: Edit this template
*[c.]: circa