Caroline Amalie of Augustenburg
| Caroline Amalie of Augustenburg | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Louis Aumont, 1830
|
|
| Queen consort of Denmark | |
| Tenure | 13 December 1839 – 20 January 1848 |
| Coronation | 28 June 1840 Frederiksborg Palace Chapel |
| Born |
28 June 1796 Copenhagen |
| Died | 9 March 1881 (aged 84) Copenhagen |
| Burial | Roskilde Cathedral |
| Spouse | Christian VIII of Denmark |
| House | Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg |
| Father | Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg |
| Mother | Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (28 June 1796 – 9 March 1881) was queen consort of Denmark as the second spouse of King Christian VIII between 1839 and 1848.
Caroline Amalie was the daughter of Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, and Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark, the only daughter of Christian VII and his British wife, Queen Caroline Matilde, whom she was named after. She was born in Copenhagen and lived there until 1807, when she moved with her family to Augustenborg. She was given a conventional education for an upper class female of her time. In the conflict between her parents, who disagreed politically and personally, she sided with her mother, who retained a close relationship with her brother, the king of Denmark, and the Danish court. It was her mother who introduced her to the heir apparent to the Danish throne, the future Christian VIII, and encouraged them to marry. Reportedly, Caroline Amalie fell in love with Christian, who found her attractive.
Christian had divorced his first spouse Charlotte Fredericka of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1810 on grounds of adultery. In 1814, he had just returned to Denmark after his abdication of the Norwegian throne. The same year, Christian and Caroline Amalie were engaged. The wedding took place in 1815. Between 1816 and 1817, the couple lived in Odense, where Christian served as Governor of Fionia. Between 1818 and 1822, they undertook numerous trips through Europe together. They visited various resorts in an attempt to cure their inability to have issue. She produced no issue. Christian devoted himself to the sciences, mineralogy and geology in particular. While Christian became celebrated for his scientific interests, Caroline Amalie was a composer who wrote numerous piano pieces. The personal relationship between Caroline Amalie and Christian were described as harmonious and as an image of the contemporary ideal of marriage. Her acceptance of her spouse's infidelity was regarded as something suitable and appropriate within contemporary gender roles. Her amiable personality made her respected and well liked by the rest of the royal house, and she is described as a good stepmother of her stepson Frederick.
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