Frederick V of Denmark

Frederick V
Chief Ministers		See list Johan Ludvig Holstein Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff
Born	(1723-03-31)31 March 1723 Copenhagen Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	14 January 1766(1766-01-14) (aged 42) Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark
Burial	Roskilde Cathedral
Spouses	Louise of Great Britain ​ ​ (m. 1743; died 1751)​ Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel ​ ​ (m. 1752)​
Lutheran
Signature

Frederick V (Danish and Norwegian: Frederik V; 31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 6 August 1746 until his death in 1766. A member of the House of Oldenburg, he was the son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.

Although the personal influence of Frederick was limited, his reign was marked by the progress of commerce and trade, and art and science prospered under his reign. Unlike his parents who were deeply devoted to Pietism, Frederick grew into a hedonist. As regent, he took part in the conduct of government by attending council meetings, but he was afflicted by alcoholism and most of his rule was dominated by able ministers who were influenced by the ideas of the Age of Enlightenment. His ministers marked his reign by the progress of commerce and the emerging industry. They also avoided involving Denmark-Norway in the European wars of his time. Although Frederick V wasn't personally interested in cultural affairs, his first wife was, and the public entertainment and freedom of expression that had been banned during his father's reign was again permitted.

Early years

Birth and family

Prince Frederick was born between 10 and 11 in the evening on 31 March 1723.^[1]He was the grandson of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway and the only son of Crown Prince Christian and Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.^[2] Frederick was the last Danish prince to be born in the then antiquated and overextended Copenhagen Castle,^[3] which dated from the late 14th century, and had assumed a monstrous appearance and started to crumble under its own weight after several extensions. Demolition of the castle began in 1731 to make way for a more adequate royal residence, the vast Baroque style Christiansborg Palace, from where Frederick would eventually reign. The young prince was baptized the following day in the Crown Princess's Bedchamber by the royal confessor Christen Lemvig, and was named after his grandfather, King Frederick IV.^[4]

As the Crown Prince's only son, Frederick was destined to rule from birth. A younger sister died in infancy in 1724, and his only surviving sister, Princess Louise, was born in 1726. On 12 October 1730, King Frederick IV died and Frederick's father ascended the throne as King Christian VI. Frederick himself became Crown Prince at the age of seven.

Upbringing and education

Christian VI and Queen Sophie Magdalene were deeply devoted to

Prince Frederick proved himself from an early age to have a completely different nature from his strict and somewhat gloomy parents.^[6] He was gentle and kind in nature, cheerful and accessible to everyone, and wanted to see his subjects happy.^[6] Unlike his secluded parents, who were rarely seen outside their palaces, he enjoyed spending time in public with people from all walks of life.^[10] Despite his upbringing in a strictly pietistic home, he was not himself gripped by pietism.^[6] Although certainly not unfamiliar with religious sentiments, Frederick grew into a hedonist who enjoyed the pleasures of life such as deer stalking, wine and women.^[6]

This hedonism, however, evolved to

Of the outmost importance for the future of the Crown Prince and his realm, was the 1730 appointment as his

Crown Prince Frederick's propensity for debauchery accelerated his marriage negotiations in the hope that marriage would suppress the frequent drinking and debauched behaviour of the Crown Prince.[12] In 1743, a dynastic marriage was negotiated between him and Princess Louise of Great Britain, the youngest daughter of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. The marriage was proposed by Great Britain from political reasons. At the time of the marriage, both France and Great Britain wished to make an alliance with Denmark-Norway, and being protestant Great Britain had the advantage of being able to make a marriage alliance.^[15] The Danish government was in favor of the proposal, while Frederick's father, King Christian VI, was initially reluctant. But he was convinced, as he hoped the marriage would lead to British support for his son's claim to the throne of Sweden.^[16] As for the Crown Prince, after having been presented with a portrait of the princess and finding her exterior appealing, and having been told of her amiability, he declared himself willing to marry Louise, all the more so as he too could see that the political circumstances made the marriage desirable.^[15]

Thus, the marriage negotiations began during the year of 1743, and were successfully concluded within a few months on 14 September.

Louise quickly became popular both at the royal court and among the general population, due to her natural and straightforward behavior, and her popularity also contributed to that of her husband.[12] Although the marriage was arranged, the couple got along quite well, and at least during the first years, their relationship was apparently amicable. The couple had five children, of whom the eldest son, the heir to the throne Crown Prince Christian, did not survive infancy. However, Louise only partially succeeded in taming her husband's licentious behavior, and not even in the first period of the marriage did he manage to stay away from the orgies to which he had become accustomed, and continued his debauched lifestyle.^[18] Although Frederick came to feel high regard for his wife and always treated her with kindness, he reportedly was not in love with her. He continued to enjoy random liaisons with others, and during the years 1746–51, the king had a favorite mistress named Madam Hansen with whom he also had five children.^[12] However, Frederick felt comfortable with Louise, and she pretended not to notice his adultery.

After the wedding, the newlyweds initially took up residence at Charlottenborg Palace^[a], a Baroque style residence of the Danish royal family located at Copenhagen's largest square, Kongens Nytorv. They lived there until, in 1745, they could move into the completed Prince's Mansion^[b], a city mansion located just across the Frederiksholm's Canal from Christiansborg Palace, which was remodeled for them by the Danish architect and royal building master Nicolai Eigtved in the new Rococo style. Their home quickly became the setting for a lively and entertaining court which differed greatly from the rigid and heavy etiquette that prevailed at his parent's court at Christiansborg Palace.

Freemasonry

The Norwegian Masonic historian Karl Ludvig Tørrisen Bugge claimed Frederick V as crown prince was included in the Copenhagen Masonic Lodge St. Martin. This was probably June 1744, and inspired by the Prussian king Frederick the Great who was also included in a masonic lodge in his youth. They both had fathers who were violently opposed to the Masons, but unlike the Prussian king, Frederick V never published his membership of the lodge.^[19]

Reign

Accession

On 6 August 1746—the day before his parents' silver marriage festivities—his father died at the age of 46 at

Frederick V's accession to the throne brought about a great change in life at the Danish court, which now became far more festive and acquired a more easy-going tone than under his strictly religious parents.^[12] What Frederick and Louise on a small scale had begun at Charlottenborg and the Prince's Mansion, they now continued at a large scale at Christiansborg. As secluded as his parents had kept themselves from the people, just as strongly Frederick V seemed to want to meet the people, and it has been told how he and the queen enjoyed socializing with the citizens of Copenhagen and visiting the peasants in their farms.^[21] Almost as a sign of the new times, the heavy iron chains that had previously surrounded Christiansborg to keep the people at distance disappeared, court life regained its luster, and the palace's halls and salons once again became the setting for balls and social gatherings.^[12] Also commoners were now invited to court events, including the Dano-Norwegian writer Ludvig Holberg, who has described vividly how comfortable he feels at the court of Frederick V.^[22]

Rule

The personal influence of Frederick was limited, making him one of absolute rulers who least made for the state's strength. When he became king, his alcoholism had developed in such a way that he was hardly able to lead a government alone and was completely dependant on his advisers. Just after his accession he appointed

In the same period the Royal Frederiks Hospital and the Royal Orphanage (Det kgl. Opfostringshus) was created, a school intended for poor boys that still exists today, opened in Christianshavn on 1 October 1753. On 29 June 1753 Frederick V created Denmark's first lottery, called the Royal Copenhagen Lottery—a lottery that exists to this day as Klasselotteriet.

Art and science prospered under his reign, and although he wasn't personally interested in cultural affairs, the public entertainment,

Queen Louise died suddenly on 19 December 1751 at Christiansborg Palace, predeceasing her husband by fourteen years and causing great impact on the royal family and the court's life, where she was adored. She was buried with great pomp at Roskilde Cathedral. At the time of her death, she was pregnant with her sixth child, who also died.

The government thought it best for the king to remarry as soon as possible, in an attempt to stabilize his behavior. The king himself was initially unwilling to remarry a foreign princess, unless it was with an English princess, none of whom were available at the time. Reportedly, the king had a wish to marry Moltke's own daughter, maid-of-honor

Their only child, Hereditary Prince Frederick, was born in 1753. He was, in his turn, father of King Christian VIII of Denmark and grandfather of Louise of Hesse, the future queen of Denmark. Juliane Marie died in 1796, having been regent for her son Prince Frederick.

Death and burial

Over the years, the king's heavy drinking and indulgent lifestyle had taken their toll on his health, especially since his constitution was not too robust to begin with.^[23] The king became increasingly melancholic, and neglected himself and the affairs of state. In the last years, his drinking increased even more, and he was rarely sober. Twice he broke his leg in drunken accidents, with subsequent long convalescences which greatly weakened him.^[9] According to Dorothea Biehl's statements the king was often seen in a condition "where his arm was not strong enough to bring his hat on his head again without Moltke's help."^[12] In the end he was completely broken down as a result of drinking and debauchery. On 14 January 1766 at Christiansborg Palace, the king died of edema at the age of forty-two, after a twenty-year reign.^[3][24] He had been a pleasant change compared to the pious Christian VI's autocracy, and when Frederick died there were many who mourned. His last words were reportedly: "It is a great consolation to me in my last hour that I have never wilfully offended anyone, and that there is not a drop of blood on my hands."^[25]

After

On 1 August 1771, five years after the king's death, an equestrian statue of Frederick V dressed in the garb of a Roman emperor by the French sculptor Jacques François Joseph Saly was unveiled in Amalienborg Square in Copenhagen.

Places named after Frederick V

• The town of Frederiksværk on the island of Zealand, Denmark
• The town of Frederiksted on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
• The district Frederiksstaden in central Copenhagen, Denmark
• The city of Serampore in the Indian state of West Bengal was known under the name Frederiksnagore from 1755 to 1845 when it was part of Danish India
• The city of Paamiut in Greenland was formerly known as Frederikshaab
• The former naval base Fredriksvern in Norway

Succession crisis

Within one hundred years of his time, Denmark faced the crisis of his male issue (the main branch of the Royal House) becoming extinct. This created a succession crisis beginning from his grandson's reign that affected both Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein. Finally, his great-grandson through the female line, Christian IX of Denmark, who was married to his great-granddaughter Louise of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), became the designated heir.

2021 bust controversy

In February 2021, Frederick V came suddenly to the focus of a historical-political controversy when a group of radical artists removed a bust of the King and sunk it in Copenhagen Harbor, in protest of Denmark's role in the Atlantic slave trade during his reign.^[26]

Cultural depictions

Literature

Frederick V appears in the early part of The Visit of the Royal Physician (Swedish: Livläkarens besök), a 1999 historical novel by Per Olov Enquist, which mainly deals with his son Christian VII. As depicted in the book, Frederick's contemptuous and overbearing attitude to his son had a significant part in causing the mental instability which characterized Christian's life and reign.

Issue

His officially recognized children by Else Hansen:

• Frederikke Margarethe de Hansen, Countess of Destinon (1747–1802)
• Frederikke Catherine de Hansen, Countess of Lützau (1748–1822)
• Anna Marie de Hansen, Mrs. Fehmann, later Mrs van Meulengacht (1749–1812)
• Sophie Charlotte de Hansen, Countess d'Origny (1750–1779)
• Ulrik Frederik de Hansen (1751–1752)

Ancestry

See also

• History of Denmark

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Andrup, Otto (1935). "Frederik V" (PDF). In Engelstoft, Povl; Dahl, Svend (eds.). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish). Vol. 5 (2. ed.). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz Forlag. pp. 251–256.
• Bech, Claus; Eller, Povl (1980). "Frederik 5.". In Cedergreen Bech, Svend (ed.).
  ISBN 8700055514
  .
• Busck, Jens Gunni (2019). Frederik V : a reign without ruler. Translated by Peter Sean Woltemade. Copenhagen: Historika.
  ISBN 9788772170404
  .
• ISBN 87-89068-11-4
  .
• Hille, G. (1873–1874). "Grev Adam Gottlob Moltkes Plan for Frederik den Femtes Regering" [Count Adam Gottlob Moltke's plan for Frederick the Fifth's Government]. Historisk Tidsskrift (in Danish). row IV, volume IV. Den danske historiske Forening: 43–64.
• Holm, Edvard (1891). "Frederik V.". In Bricka, Carl Frederik (ed.). Dansk biografisk Lexikon, tillige omfattende Norge for tidsrummet 1537-1814 (in Danish). Vol. V (1st ed.). Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag. pp. 305–309.
• Jespersen, Knud J.V.; Porskrog Rasmussen, Carsten; Raabyemagle, Hanne; Holstein, Poul (2010). Moltke, rigets mægtigste mand [Moltke, the most powerful man of the realm] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Gad.
  ISBN 9788712043546
  .
• Johannessen, Finn Erhard (2001). "Frederik 5.". In Arntzen, Jon Gunnar (ed.).
  ISBN 8257310077
  .
• Klose, Olaf (1961), "Friedrich V.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 5, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 582–583; (full text online)
• Krabbe, L. (1919). "Frederik V".
  Salmonsens konversationsleksikon (in Danish). Vol. VIII (2nd ed.). Copenhagen: J. H. Schultz Forlagsboghandel. p. 833-34. Archived
  from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
• Liebgott, Niels-Knud, ed. (2007). Det elegante liv : fra Frederik 5.s hof [The elegant life : from Frederik V's court] (in Danish). Copenhagen:
  ISBN 9788789542140
  .
• Mentz, Søren (2023). Frederik 5. Den elskværdige europæer [Frederik V : the amiable European] (in Danish). Copenhagen:
  ISBN 9788712073093
  .
• Scocozza, Benito (1997). "Frederik 5.". Politikens bog om danske monarker [Politiken's book about Danish monarchs] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Politikens Forlag. pp. 156–157.
  ISBN 87-567-5772-7
  .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frederik V of Denmark.

• The Royal Lineage at the website of the
  Danish Monarchy
• Frederick V at the website of the Royal Danish Collection at Rosenborg Castle
• Caara Buckley, "The Sinking of a Bust Surfaces a Debate Over Denmark’s Past", New York Times, February 15, 2021

Frederick V House of Oldenburg Born: 31 March 1723 Died: 13 January 1766
Regnal titles
Preceded by Christian VI	Count of Oldenburg 1746–1766	Succeeded by Christian VII
Preceded by Christian VI and Charles Peter Ulrich	Duke of Holstein 1746–1766 with Charles Peter Ulrich (1746–1762) Paul (1762–1766)	Succeeded by Christian VII and Paul