Home > Christian VII of Denmark

He became king on his father’s death on January 14, 1766. All the earlier accounts agree that he had a winning personality and considerable talent, but he was badly educated, systematically terrorized by a brutal governor, Detlev Reventlow, and hopelessly debauched by corrupt pages, and grew up a semi-idiot. It is suspected that he also suffered from schizophrenia, at least in his later years.

After his marriage in 1766 to Caroline Mathilde, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, he abandoned himself to the worst excesses, especially debauchery. He publicly declared that he could not love Caroline Mathilde, because it was "unfashionable to love one's wife". He ultimately sank into a condition of mental stupor. Symptoms during this time included paranoia, self-mutilation and hallucinations. He became submissive to upstart Johann Friedrich Struensee, who rose steadily in power in the late 1760s. The neglected and lonely Caroline Mathilde drifted into an affair with Struensee.

In 1772, the king’s marriage with Caroline Mathilde was dissolved. Struensee was arrested and executed in that same year. Christian signed Struensee's arrest warrant with indifference, and under pressure from his paternal grandmother, Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach , who had led the movement to have the marriage dissolved. Caroline Mathilde, retaining her title but not her children, eventually left Denmark in exile and passed her remaining days in neighbouring Celle. She died of cancer there on May 11, 1775Events February 9 American Revolutionary War: British Parliament declares Massachusetts in rebellion March 23 American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his speech " give me liberty or give me death" in Williamsburg, Virginia. April 14 American Re.

The marriage had produced two children, the future Frederick VIKing Frederick VI of Denmark and Norway ( January 28, 1768 December 3, 1839), reigned as King of Denmark from 1808 to 1839, and as king of Norway from 1808 to 1814. He also served as Regent of Denmark from 1784 to 1808 under his father's name. His father, and Princess Louise Augusta . However, it is widely believed that Louise was the daughter of Struensee - portrait comparisons have supported this.

Christian was only nominally king from 1772 onwards. From 1772 to 1784, Denmark was ruled by Christian's stepmother Juliana, his physically disabled half-brother and Danish politician Ove Høegh-Guldberg. From 1784Events January 6 the Turks agree to Russia's annexation of the Crimea in the Treaty of Constantinople January 14 The U. Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris with England to end the American Revolutionary War February 27 Count of St Germain dies of pneumo onwards, his son Frederick served as Regent.

Christian died in 1808 at RendsburgRendsburg is a town at the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis (district) Rendsburg-Eckernfoerde. Population: 29,400. The foundation date is unknown. Rendsburg was first mentioned in 1199., SchleswigThis article is about the region of Schleswig on the German/Danish border. There is also Schleswig, Iowa in the United States of America. The region of Schleswig Slesvig in Danish) covers the area about 30 km north and 40 km south of the border between Ge.