Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg
| Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Jakob Binck
|
|
| Queen consort of Denmark and Norway | |
| Tenure | 1534–1559 |
| Coronation | 12 August 1537 Copenhagen Cathedral |
| Born |
9 July 1511 Lauenburg Castle, Germany |
| Died | 7 October 1571 (aged 60) Sønderborg Castle, Sønderborg, Denmark |
| Burial | Roskilde Cathedral |
| Spouse | Christian III of Denmark |
| Issue |
Anne, Electress of Saxony Frederick II Magnus, King of Livonia John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg Dorothea, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| House | House of Ascania |
| Father | Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg |
| Mother | Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (9 July 1511 – 7 October 1571), consort of Christian III from 1525 and Queen consort of Denmark and Norway. She was daughter of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine, daughter of Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her sister Catherine was the first consort of Gustav I of Sweden.
Dorothea was raised in one of the first states in Germany were the reformation was proclaimed, and was affected from Lutheranism early in life. She was married to Christian on 29 October 1525 at Lauenburg Castle. They lived at their own courts in Haderslev and Törning. She became queen in 1533, though due to the Civil War (Count's Feud) that immediately followed her husband's accession to the throne, her coronation did not take place until 1537. In 1548, she accompanied her daughter Anna to her wedding in Saxony.
Queen Dorothea was interested in politics, and although it is unclear exactly how much influence she had, she is thought to have participated in appointing and dismissing officials. She was, however, prevented from taking a formal seat in the council. She never learned to speak Danish. Her control over her ladies-in-waiting was strict. In 1540, Birgitte Gøye was freed from her engagement with her assistance, which led to a law banning arranged engagements of minors. She was widowed in 1559.
As a widow, she lived in Kolding, and she visited her children in Germany regularly once a year. She exerted a stern discipline over her children even after they had become adults, and her acts as a guardian to them were described as strict and intense. She often protected the younger children from their reigning brother, and favoured her younger son. She is thought to have been behind the fact that her oldest son married late in his reign. She opposed the match between the king and Anne of Hardenberg.
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