The Royal Danish CollectionRosenborgLeonora Christina

Leonora Christina

Princess Leonora Christina was the daughter of Christian IV and Kirsten Munk. In 1636 she was married to Corfitz Ulfeldt.

Leonora Christina was a favourite of Christian IV but, soon after his death in 1648, she and Corfitz Ulfeldt came into conflict with Frederik III and, not least, with Queen Sophie Amalie. The couple fled to Sweden in 1651 and took part in conspiracies against the Danish government. In 1659 they had to flee from Sweden to Denmark, and in 1660 they were held captive at Hammershus Castle, Bornholm. Frederik III had them released the year after but when Ulfeldt was charged with high treason in 1663, Leonora Christina was arrested in England and handed over to Denmark. Until the death of Sophie Amalie she was imprisoned in the Blue Tower at the Castle of Copenhagen. She spent the rest of her life in a foundation for nobleladies in Maribo, Lolland.

Leonora Christina was highly intelligent and a talented writer. Her autobiographical Memory of Woe (Jammers Minde), which was partly written during her imprisonment in the Blue Tower, is one of the great autobiographies of Danish literature.

 

Relations

Corfitz Ulfeldt

Corfitz Ulfeldt married Christian IV’s daughter Leonora Christina in 1636. He became the governor of Copenhagen Castle in 1637, ‘rigshofmester’ (the highest standing civil servant) in 1643, and quickly became the privy council’s leading figure. His relationship with Christian IV soured towards the end of the king’s reign. The situation only got worse once Frederik III had ascended the throne, and in 1651 Ulfeldt fled together with Leonora Christina. He entered Swedish service and was one of the chief negotiators on the Swedish side in 1658, when Scania, Halland, and Blekinge were ceded to Sweden in the Treaty of Roskilde. Ulfeldt was arrested by the Swedes in 1659, accused of treason. He and Leonora Christina succeeded in fleeing back to Denmark, where they were held captive at Hammershus castle until the king released them on strict conditions. Ulfeldt soon went abroad again; he offered the Danish throne to the Elector of Brandenburg, and in 1663 he was accused of high treason. A doll of Corfitz was ‘executed’ and a monument of infamy erected in Copenhagen. He died on the run in a boat on the Rhine.

Kirsten Munk

In 1615 Kirsten Munk became the second wife of Christian IV. She was the daughter of Ludvig Munk and Ellen Marsvin. She and the King had twelve children, of which eight survived.

Sophie Amalie

Sophie Amalie became Queen of Denmark in 1648. She was the daughter of Duke George of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and in 1643 she was married to Frederik (III). Sophie Amalie was the mother of Christian V.

1675-1700

From 1675 to 1679 the Scanian War was fought with Sweden. But the final goal, to win back Scania, was not reached as no European state would allow both sides of Øresund to be ruled by the same power again.

1625-1650

The second half of Christian IV's reign became a time of recession. The economic crisis became more severe, and at the same time the fortunes of war turned.

1650-1675

The wars of Charles Gustavus (1657-1658 and 1658-1660) were the important events in foreign politics of the period. The loss of Scania, Halland and Blekinge at the Peace of Roskilde in 1658 was a nadir of power politics in Danish history.

Frederik III

Frederik III was the King of Denmark-Norway from 1648; he was married to Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1643 and father to Christian V.