Anne Sophie Reventlow

Anne Sophie von Reventlow (; 16 April 1693 – 7 January 1743) was Queen of Denmark and Norway from 1721 to 1730 as the second wife of Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway.

Early life Born in Clausholm castle, into an ancient House of Reventlow, a Dano-German noble family originated in the County of Holstein, Countess Anna Sophie von Reventlow was the youngest daughter of Count Conrad von Reventlow, who served as Grand Chancellor of Denmark, by his second wife, Sophie Amalie von Hahn (1664-1722). About Anna Sophie's childhood nothing is known apart from the fact that her upbringing was educationally inadequate: Answered letters show that she made clumsy use of Danish, French and German. She was described as beautiful and lively, with "black, fiery eyes."

Spouse by bigamy

In 1711 the King encountered Anne Sophie at a masquerade ball in Koldinghus, where the royal family resided that season. He wanted her to become his mistress, which her mother refused to allow. The king abducted her on 26 June 1712 from her parents' estate, Clausholm, with the apparent support of her half-sister Christine Sophie and her husband Count Ulrik Adolph Holstein of Holsteinborg. The King took her to Skanderborg castle, where they were married morganatically in a wedding ceremony conducted by Thomas Clausen.

The King's wife was still alive, which made the wedding bigamy. However, he had committed bigamy once before, with Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg. The church authorities had not forbidden the king to engage in polygamy, as there were doctrines based on the biblical era polygamy of Hebrew patriarchs.

The king installed Reventlow in a house on Bag Børsen (present day Slotsholmsgade 8), close to Christiansborg Palace, in Copenhagen. She was given the title Duchess of Schleswig. In 1713, she was granted Vallø as a fief. Her mother, however, did not support the marriage and did not reconcile with her daughter until 1718.

Anna Sophie was supported by her sister Ulrike Eleonora and her brother-in-law, Count Ferdinand Anton of Danneskjöld-Laurvig (1688-1754), whom she often visited. As the king preferred to spend time in the house of Anna Sophie rather than with the reclusive queen, her home gradually became well frequented by the members of nobility who sought the king's favor.

Crown Prince Christian, who had been close to his mother, detested Anne Sophie and blamed her for his mother's suffering due to the king's neglect of her, although he did follow his father's demand that he treat Anne Sophie with at least outwardly respect for her position as queen and his stepmother. After her coronation, the king dismissed several of his previous officials and replaced them with relatives of Anne Sophie, notably her brother-in-law Ulrik Adolf Holstein, who was named Grand Chancellor, and a number of followers belonging to newly ennobled families from Germany. Her personal guilt is uncertain, since Anne Sophie herself was not given any punishment and the documents of the investigation was destroyed.

Issue Anne Sophie Reventlow and King Frederick IV had six children, all of whom died in infancy: Fredericka Sophie Reventlow (born bef. 1721 – died in infancy); died before the official wedding of their parents. Fredericka Conradine Reventlow (born bef. 1721 – died in infancy); died before the official wedding of their parents. Princess Christiana Amalia (23 October 1723 – 7 January 1724). Prince Frederick Christian (1 June 1726 – 15 May 1727). Prince Charles (16 February 1728 – 8 July 1729).

Ancestry