The Royal Danish CollectionAmalienborgQueen Louise

Queen Louise

Queen from 1863. Born Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel as the eldest daughter of Duke Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark. Married Prince Christian (IX) in 1842, with whom she had six children: Prince Frederik (VIII), Princess Alexandra (later Queen of England), Prince Vilhelm (later George I of Greece), Princess Dagmar (later Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia), Princess Thyra (later Duchess of Cumberland) and Prince Valdemar.

That Princess Louise married Prince Christian was a crucial precondition for the couple’s accession to the throne, as her mother was the sister of Christian VIII. It was also Louise who ensured that the couple’s children married so advantageously that the couple were already known as “Europe’s in-laws” in their own time, and it was very much she who took the lead in social terms. Queen Louise must therefore be given her part of the credit for the Danish population coming to accept the Glücksburg line of the Royal Family, in spite of the deep scepticism she and Christian IX were met with during their first years as king and queen.

Queen Louise was in many ways the incarnation of the female ideals of her age. She was the focal point of an exemplary family and was artistically and socially gifted, but at the same time she always kept herself in the shadow of her husband, as was expected at the time. Queen Louise was also engaged in very extensive charity work, which amongst other things resulted in the founding of Diakonissestiftesen (The Deaconess Foundation) in Frederiksberg.

Relations

The Fabergé Chamber

On display in the Fabergé Chamber is Russian jewellery from the period 1860-1917, with a focus on the close ties between the Danish and Russian monarchies. A selection of the Danish Crown Jewels will also be exhibited.

Alexandra

Queen of Great Britain from 1901. Daughter of Christian IX and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Married in 1863 to Edward (VII), Prince of Wales. They had six children of whom the youngest died only a few hours after its birth and the eldest, Prince Albert Victor, died from influenza aged 28.

Thyra

Daughter of Christian IX and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Duchess of Cumberland through her marriage to Ernest August of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland.

Dagmar

Empress of Russia from 1881. Daughter of Christian IX and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Married in 1866 to the Russian Grand Duke and heir to the throne, Alexander III. During the revolution Dagmar managed to escape, first to England to her sister Queeen Alexandra. Later she came to Denmark where, together with Alexandra, she bought the villa Hvidøre.

Christian IX

In 1863 Christian IX succeeded the childless Frederik VII as king, and was the first monarch from the House of Glücksburg line of The Royal Family.

Partners

The Royal Danish Collection works with many national and international institutions and networks. The Royal House of Denmark Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties Heritage Agency of Denmark ARRE – Association des Résidences Royales Européennes ICOM – International Council of Museums CCN – Cruise Copenhagen Network CAB – Castles around the Baltic Heraldisk Selskab IIC – The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works of Art ODM – Organisationen af Danske Museer Ordenshistorisk Selskab SKM – Skandinavisk Museumsforbund Fælleskonserveringen – Danske Museers Center for Bevaring og Restaurering af Kunst NKF – Nordisk Konservatorforbund ICON – The Institute for Conservation VDR – Verband der Restauratoren FDSM – Foreningen af Danske Special Museer  

Golden Egg with Hen

This golden egg was made in France around 1720. It was a present from Charlotte d'Orléans to Caroline Matilda of Great Britain.