Princess Louise of Denmark

Princess Louise of Denmark and Norway (; 30 January 175012 January 1831) was born to Frederick V of Denmark and Louise of Great Britain. Her eldest daughter, Marie of Hesse-Kassel, was the wife of Frederick VI of Denmark. Through her youngest daughter, Louise Caroline, she was also the maternal grandmother of Christian IX of Denmark.

Early life

Princess Louise was born on 30 January 1750 at Christiansborg Palace, the principal residence of the Danish Monarchy in central Copenhagen. She was a daughter to Frederick V, King of Denmark and Norway, and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. At birth, Louise had two older sisters, Princess Sophia Magdalena and Princess Wilhelmina Caroline, and an older brother Crown Prince Christian. In 1751, one year after Louise's birth, her mother Queen Louise died during her sixth pregnancy, just aged 27 years. The following year her father remarried to Duchess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who gave birth to Louise's half-brother, Prince Frederick in 1753.

Princess Louise was considered the most beautiful and spirited of Frederick V's children, but also the most reserved. She was Christian VII's favorite sister, and he was already from childhood strongly attached to his "Louison," as he called her.

Marriage and issue

In 1756, Queen Louise's sister, Mary, who was estranged from her husband, Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Kassel, moved to Denmark to take care of her deceased sister's children. She brought her three sons with her, who were brought up at the Danish court with their Danish cousins. On 30 August 1766 at the Christiansborg Palace Chapel, Louise married the second eldest of them, Landgrave Charles of Hesse-Kassel. The marriage took place with her brother King Christian VII's consent, despite advice given against it, due to many accusations of debauchery by Landgrave Charles and the poor influence he had on the King. This, however, did not last, as Christian VII's warm feelings for him soon evaporated, and in the spring 1767, the couple left Copenhagen to live in Hanau.

She had six children with Charles of Hesse-Kassel: Marie Sophie, Princess of Hesse (20 October 1767 – 21 March 1852), married on 31 July 1790 to the future King Frederik VI of Denmark and Norway Wilhelm, Prince of Hesse (15 January 1769 – 14 July 1772) Prince Frederik of Hesse (24 May 1771 – 24 February 1845) Juliane, Princess of Hesse (19 January 1773 – 11 March 1860), Protestant Abbess of Itzehoe Prince Christian of Hesse (14 August 1776 – 14 November 1814) Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867), married on 28 January 1810 to Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Later life She would have her first child in Hanau, Marie Sophie, Princess of Hesse on 20 October 1767 and then her second, Wilhelm, Prince of Hesse on 20 January 1769. The family would then move to Gottorp Castle after her spouse was appointed governor of Schleswig Holstein. In 1770, King Christian VII gave his sister a parish and land in Güby, Schleswig-Holstein, which was named Louisenlund in her honour. In the summer of 1770, Louise and Charles hosted the king and queen during their tour of the Duchies on their way to the German border. During their stay, rumors circulated about the affair between the queen and Struensee because of their manner, and it was observed that the queen was anxious not to be near Struensee in the presence of Louise. Louise did not initially accompany him there, but when he returned to Denmark in April 1773, she returned with him to Norway in June. They were very well received in Christiania, and upon their arrival in Trondhjem, one aristocrat, Nordahl Brun, welcomed them as the "heavenly couple", and greeted Louise with a poem. boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; 1= 1. Louise of Denmark 2= 2. Frederick V of Denmark 3= 3. Louise of Great Britain 4= 4. Christian VI of Denmark 5= 5. Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 6= 6. George II of Great Britain 7= 7. Caroline of Ansbach 8= 8. Frederick IV of Denmark 9= 9. Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 10= 10. Christian Henry, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 11= 11. Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein 12= 12. George I of Great Britain 13= 13. Sophia Dorothea of Celle 14= 14. John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach 15= 15. Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach