Christian VII of Denmark
| Christian VII | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Alexander Roslin, c. 1772
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| King of Denmark and Norway (more...) | |
| Reign | 14 January 1766 – 13 March 1808 |
| Coronation | 1 May 1767 Christiansborg Palace Chapel |
| Predecessor | Frederick V |
| Successor | Frederick VI |
| Born |
29 January 1749 Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen |
| Died | 13 March 1808 (aged 59) Rendsburg |
| Burial | Roskilde Cathedral |
| Consort | Caroline Matilda of Great Britain |
| Issue |
Frederick VI of Denmark Louise Auguste, Duchess of Augustenborg (presumed) |
| House | Oldenburg |
| Father | Frederick V of Denmark |
| Mother | Louise of Great Britain |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Christian VII (29 January 1749 – 13 March 1808) was a monarch of the House of Oldenburg who was King of Denmark-Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. For his motto he chose: "Gloria ex amore patriae" ("glory through love of the fatherland").
Christian VII's reign was marked by mental illness and for most of his reign Christian was only nominally king. His half-brother Frederick was designated as regent of Denmark in 1772. From 1784 until Christian VII's death in 1808, Christian's son, later Frederick VI, acted as unofficial regent.
Christian was the son of King Frederick V and his first wife Louise of Great Britain. He was born in the Queen's Bedchamber at Christiansborg Palace, the Royal residence in Copenhagen. He was baptized a few hours later the same day. His godparents were King Frederick V (his father), Queen Dowager Sophie Magdalene (his paternal grandmother), Princess Louise (his aunt) and Princess Charlotte Amalie (his grand-aunt).
A former heir to the throne, also named Christian, had died in infancy in 1747; therefore, hopes were high for the future of the new heir presumptive. Christoph Willibald Gluck, who was conductor for King Frederick V's opera troupe in Copenhagen between the years 1748-49, composed the scene La Contesa dei Numi (The Contention of the Gods), where the Olympian Gods gather at the banks of the Great Belt and discuss who in particular should protect the new prince. His mother Queen Louise died in 1751, two years after his birth. The following year his father married to Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
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