Elizabeth of Denmark, Duchess of Brunswick
| Elisabeth of Denmark | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | |
| Born |
25 August 1573 Koldinghus Castle, Kolding, Kingdom of Denmark |
| Died | 19 July 1626 (aged 52) Braunschweig, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |
| Spouse | Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Issue |
Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Sophia, Princess of Nassau-Dietz Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Hedwig, Duchess of Pomerania Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Heinrich Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Christian the Younger of Brunswick Rudolph of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Heinrich Karl of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Anna Augusta, Countess of Nassau-Dillenburg |
| House | Oldenburg |
| Father | Frederick II of Denmark |
| Mother | Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Elisabeth of Denmark (25 August 1573 – 19 July 1626) was duchess consort of Brunswick-Lüneburg as married to Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg. She was regent of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1616-1622.
She was the eldest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and his spouse Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. First raised with her maternal grand parents, she returned to Denmark in 1579.
Scottish ambassadors had at first concentrated their suit on Elisabeth as a prospective wife for King James VI of Scotland, but King Frederick betrothed Elisabeth to the Duke of Brunswick, promising the Scots instead that "for the second daughter Anna, if the King did like her, he should have her".
She was married in 1590 to Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg. When her future spouse first arrived for the wedding in 1590, he disguised himself as a jeweler; he presented her with jewelry, and stated that prize was her body. As a result, he was thrown in jail until he could prove his identity and explain that it had been a joke. As duchess, she remained in close correspondence with her brother, the Danish monarch.
After the death of her husband in 1613, she reigned in her dowry. In 1616, she removed her son, Friederich Ulrich, from the government with the support of her brother, Christian IV of Denmark, because of his alcoholism. She resumed the regency, and she remained in charge for the next six years, assisted by Anton von Streithorst. She received a visit from her brother Christian in 1616.
In 1617, she founded the Retreat for the Poor with a chapel, Elisabeth Stift. During the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) the castle was raided and was not repaired until 1654.
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