Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
| Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | |
|---|---|
| Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway | |
Portrait by Georg David Matthieu, c. 1774.
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| Born |
24 August 1758 Schwerin |
| Died | 29 November 1794 (aged 36) Sorgenfri Palace near Copenhagen |
| Spouse | Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway |
| Issue |
Christian VIII of Denmark Juliane Sophie, Landgravine of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld Louise Charlotte, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark |
| House | Mecklenburg |
| Father | Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Mother | Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (24 August 1758 – 29 November 1794) was a Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and by marriage Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway.
Born in Schwerin, she was the only daughter of Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, second son of Christian Louis II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Her only sibling was Frederick, who was about two years older.
On 21 October 1774 in Copenhagen, she married Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway, the son of King Frederick V of Denmark and his second wife Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who was the regent in Denmark between 1772 and 1784. She was sixteen years old when she was married.
Sophia Frederica, known as Sofie Frederikke af Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Denmark, was described as jolly, charming and intelligent. She had a hard time in the beginning adapting to her new, stiffer environment, but became quite popular. During the first ten years of her marriage (1774-1784), she gave birth to three daughters, the eldest two were stillborn and the third lived only five months; it was only in 1786 when she had the first of her living children, the future King Christian VIII.
It is said she was disappointed when she met her husband for the first time, but they came to be fond of each other, although they both supposedly took lovers; her husband had a mistress, her companion Caja Hviid, while the father of Sophia Frederica's children was rumored to be her husband's adjutant, Frederik von Blücher. It was said that the harmony of their marriage was based on mutual understanding. The harmonious friendship between the spouses created a fear that Sophia Frederica's influence over her husband would lead to her interfering in politics.
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