Christian (Oldenburg) Konge af Danmark VII (1749 - 1808)

Born 29 Jan 1749 in København, Kobenhavn, Danmark

Ancestors

Husband of Caroline Matilda (Hannover) of Great Britain — married 8 Nov 1766 in Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark

Descendants

Died 13 Mar 1808 at age 59 in Rendsburg, Rendsburg-Eckernforde, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

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Biography

Prince Christian of Denmark, (later Christian VII) was born 29 January 1749 at Christiansborg Slot (Christiansborg Castle) in Copenhagen, the second but eldest surviving son of Frederik V, King of Denmark, and his first wife Louise, Princess of Great Britain.^[1],^[2]. The eldest son also named Christian, had died before Christian VII was born,^[1] so he was the heir to the throne of Denmark from birth.

His mother died on 19 December 1751,^[1] when Christian was not quite three years old, and his father married again just over six months later to Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. Her only child, Prince Frederik, born on 11 October 1753,^[3] was the next in line to the throne after Prince Christian.

Education

Although as a child Prince Christian showed promise of having good abilities in certain areas, including a quick grasp of new information and a good memory, there were also perhaps early signs of the mental disabilities that would manifest in his later life, and at times he needed to be treated with due care.^[4] However, his father, who didn't seem to care about his upbringing, entrusted his education to the Chief Justice, Count Reventlow, whose harsh and brutal regime was disastrous. He had a certain amount of knowledge that he thought should be imparted to Prince Christian and didn't seem to care whether they were understood, and there appeared to be little interest in imparting higher interests or refinements.^[4]

Only one of his tutors, the French-Swiss, Reverdil, sought to raise him in a more healthy way and to take on the role of a king. However he couldn't overcome the treatment Prince Christian had received at the hands of Reventlow and although Christian did learn to speak Danish, better than any Danish king had for a long time, as well as German and French he had become shy, vicious, vengeful and with little faith in other people. The talent he exhibited most strongly was for ridicule and mockery.^[4] According to Reverdil, Christian had hoped for some time before becoming king when he could "be healthy" (være rask), but his father died on 14 January 1766^[1] shortly before Christian's turned seventeen, and he succeeded as Christian VII.

Marriage

Whether because the royal family was in danger of extinction or the hope that a wife and family would steady him, a search for a suitable bride took place soon after his accession to the throne, and he was married by proxy on 1 October 1766 at St James, London,^[2] to his first cousin, Caroline Mathilde, Princess of Great Britain, the posthumous daughter of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, and sister of George III, King of Great Britain.^[1] They were married in person at Christiansborg Slot, 8 November 1766,^[2] and crowned as King and Queen of Denmark on 1 May 1767 at Christiansborg Slot chapel, by Ludvig Harboe, Bishop of Zealand (Sjælland).^[1]

However, his marriage didn't bring any peace to his life, and together with his circle of friends, including Count Holck and Lieutenant Osborn, he continued more often to roam the streets of Copenhagen, getting into brawls, frequenting brothels, and coming home drunk.^[4] They did, though, have a son and heir, named Frederik, born on 28 January 1768.^[5]

Early rule

Christian VII, when he succeeded, retained the same Council as had served his father, headed by J.H.E. Bernstorff, and though at times he could work with the Council with some clarity and sharpness, more often his growing madness took control and he would give in to hurtful and vicious behaviour.^[4]

The Council viewed Christian's desire to go on a Grand Tour of England, France and Germany (6 May 1768 to 1 January 1769) with some trepidation, but apparently his visits to various Courts was a success and the general impression was that he was much better than the rumours had made people believe.^[4] However, this appeared to be the last time he got the better of his usual behaviour.^[4]

Struensee

After his father's death, Christian became king shortly before his seventeenth birthday and was soon married to his English cousin, Princess Caroline. Christian largely ignored her, amusing himself by roaming the streets of Copenhagen, getting into brawls and frequenting brothels. He even staged mock executions of his courtiers. Upon visiting England, Christian VII was said to remark, "The last king of Denmark who entered Canterbury laid that city in ashes and massacred its inhabitants."

His German physician, Struensee, slowly gained influence as Christian's mental health steadily deteriorated. Christian suffered from hallucinations and paranoia, and often made Struensee search his bedchambers as he feared assassins might be hiding there. By 1772, Struensee was the de facto king and even the lover of Queen Caroline (her daughter Louise looked unmistakably like Struensee). Christian's stepmother, half-brother, and a group of their conspirators broke into Christian's chambers in January 1772 and forced the mad king into signing orders for the arrests of both Struensee and the queen. Struensee was horribly executed and Caroline exiled to Celle in Hanover, where she soon died. Denmark was then ruled by Christian VII's stepmother Juliana of Brunswick-Wolffenbüttel and her cronies until the 16-year-old Frederick (son of Christian and Caroline) took power in 1784. Christian VII was only rarely trotted out for public appearances.

Death

Christian VII died of a heart attack in Rendsborg after witnessing the arrival of Spanish auxiliaries, which he mistook for enemy forces.^[6] He is buried in Roskilde domkirke (cathedral) in the Frederick 5's chapel.^[7][8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Konigsfeldt, Johannes Peter Frederik, Genealogisk-historiske tabeller over de nordiske rigers kongeslægter, 2nd ed. (Kobenhavn : B. Lunos bogtrykkeri, 1856), p. 70; digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/genealogiskhist00kngoog#page/n78/mode/1up : accessed 20 January 2020).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Huberty, Michel; Alain Giraud, F & B Magdelaine, L'Allemagne dynastique, vol. 7, Oldenbourg Familles alliees H-L, pp. 201-202 (Le Perreux-sur-Marne, France: Alain Giraud, 1994).
3. ↑ Konigsfeldt, Genealogisk-historiske tabeller, p. 71
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Holm, E., 'Christian VII' in Dansk biografisk Lexikon, vol 3, ed by Carl Frederik Bricka, pp. 511-515; digital images, Projekt Runeberg (http://runeberg.org/dbl/3/0513.html : accessed 20 January 2020).
5. ↑ Konigsfeldt, Genealogisk-historiske tabeller, p. 71
6. ↑ http://www.kongernessamling.dk/en/rosenborg/person/christian-vii/
7. ↑ https://roskildedomkirke.dk/besoeg/kongegrave/frederik-5-kapel
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_VII_of_Denmark

• Wikipedia "Christian VII of Denmark [1]
• http:/da.wikipedia.org/wikiChristian_7 (in Danish)
• http:/de.wikipedia.org/wikiChristian_VII._(D%C3%A4nemark_und_Norwegen). (in German)
• Christian VII of Denmark-Norway on Find A Grave: Memorial #9472630 Retrieved 20 sep 2016.
• Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV9-1QZ2 : 26 July 2019), Christian of Denmark-Norway VII, 1808; Burial, Roskilde, , Sjælland, Denmark, Roskilde Cathedral; citing record ID 9472630, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
• Wikidata: Item Q156572
• Kiste, J. v.d.: Northern Crowns (The Kings of Modern Scandinavia), Sutton Publishing, 1996
• Ancestry Family Trees - Sälgö-1 04:07, 21 September 2016 (EDT) no sources found
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p10141.htm#c101409.1
• Denmark Baptisms, 1618-1923", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYGP-9JD : 23 June 2020), Christian, 1749.
• Denmark Marriages, 1635-1916", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FK6W-54W : 20 February 2020), Christian VII, 1766.