Princess Charlotte Amalie of Denmark

Charlotte Amalie of Denmark

Charlotte Amalie of Danmark (6 October 1706 – 28 October 1782) was a Danish princess, issue of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.

Charlotte Amalie was never married and spent her entire life in Denmark, were she lived an active court-life. In contrast to her brother and sister-in-law, she had a good relationship with her stepmother, Anna Sophie Reventlow, with whom she lived closely, and tried to prevent the worst hostility toward her at court when Anna Sophie became queen (1721). On 8 April 1771, she was ordered to leave court, and she spent the rest of her life with the queen dowager Juliana Maria, which ment that she in practice continued to spend a lot of her time at court with the queen dowager. As she had the habit of preferring black wigs and had ordered her own staff to wear them also, her court was known as "the court of the black wigs". In 1778, it was reported that she no longer showed herself to the public, as she had become senile.

Charlottenlund Palace, where she spent her summers, was built and named after her in 1731-1733. She is known as the benefactor of the writer Charlotte Baden (1740–1824), who as the niece of one of her first lady in waiting Anna Sophie von den Osten was raised a her court and who she provided with an education and awarded an allowance. In her will, she created a foundation to benefit poor girls from all classes. Charlottenlund is named after her.

Ancestry

References

• http://runeberg.org/dbl/3/0443.html
• http://www.ses.dk/en/SlotteOgHaver/Slotte/CharlottenlundSlotOgSlotshave/CharlottenlundSlot.aspx
• http://www.kvinfo.dk/side/597/bio/1/origin/170/
• Carl Carlson Bonde (1908) (in Swedish). Hedvig Elisabeth Charlottas dagbok I 1775-1782 (The diaries of Hedvig Elizabeth Charlotte I). P.A. Norstedt & Söners förlag. p. 130. ISBN 412070.