Caroline Matilda of Great Britain

Caroline Matilda (Danish: Caroline Mathilde) was born on 22 July 1751, in London. She was the ninth and youngest child of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha.

Caroline Matilda was brought up by her strict mother away from the court; she was described as natural and informal and, as such, she was uninterested in politics and court intrigues as an adult. Despite the irregularities of her education, Caroline Matilda was musically gifted, an accomplished singer and could speak three languages: Italian, French and German.

In 1764, a marriage was suggested between Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark, and herself. This marriage was considered suitable because both the British and Danish royal families were Protestant and of the same rank. Additionally, the British-born Queen Louise of Denmark had been very popular in her new country. The official betrothal was announced on 10 January 1765.

On 14 January 1766, in the middle of the wedding preparations, King Frederik V of Denmark died and his 17-year-old son became King Christian VII. On 8 November 1766, Caroline Matilda married King Christian at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. The celebrations lasted for a month.

On 1 May 1767, Caroline Matilda was formally crowned Queen of Denmark in Copenhagen. The young Queen was described as particularly temperamental, vivid and charming. She was thought too plump to be a beauty, but she was considered attractive. However, her natural and unaffected personality were not popular at the strict Danish court, despite the fact that she was warmly welcomed in Copenhagen. The weak-willed, self-centred, and mentally ill Christian was cold to Caroline Matilda and not in a hurry to consummate the marriage. Despite rumours of homosexuality, Christian had a mistress (Støvlet-Cathrine) and often visited courtesans.

Caroline Matilda became close to her Overhofmesterinde (chief court mistress), Louise von Plessen. She considered the King's friends immoral and acted to isolate the Queen from her husband. This was not difficult, as Christian did not like his wife. The couple was further estranged when Louise advised the Queen to claim to be indisposed when the King came to sleep with her, with the thought that distance would make the King more eager. Instead, it only made him more unwilling. At the end, Christian was persuaded to consummate his marriage for the sake of succession. Caroline Matilda gave birth to Crown Prince Frederik on 28 January 1768; after this, the King turned his interest to the brothels of Copenhagen.

Though Caroline Matilda was not interested in politics, after the birth of her son, she came to play a key role at court. Her dislike of the favourites of her husband increased in 1768, when one of them managed to exile Louise von Plessen from court, leaving the Queen even more isolated. 

In May 1768, Christian took his long tour of Europe. During his absence, Caroline Matilda took care of their son, and aroused attention when she took walks in Copenhagen (a scandal, as royal and noble Danish women normally only travelled in town by carriage). The Queen spent the summer at Frederiksborg Castle, before returning to Copenhagen. During the absence of the King, there were rumours about an affair of the Queen with a certain La Tour, a handsome actor and singer. However, La Tour was the lover of her lady-in-waiting Elisabet von Eyben, and the allegation of this affair is not considered to have been true. In addition to Elisabet, Caroline Matilda made friends with Christine Sophie von Gähler, Anna Sofie Bülow, and Amalie Sofie Holstein, all known for their love affairs. They encouraged the Queen to participate more in social life, dance and flirt.

The King returned to Copenhagen on 12 January 1769, bringing with him Johann Friedrich Struensee as Royal Physician. Struensee could apparently handle the King's instability, which was a great relief, and Christian VII developed a confidence with him. The physician encouraged the King in his attraction to Birgitte Sofie Gabel because he believed a relationship with an intelligent woman would make the king more stable and easier to deal with. This failed, and the attempt to provide the King with a mistress made the Queen hostile toward the physician.

After this, Struensee encouraged Christian to improve his relationship with his wife. Caroline Matilda was aware that Struensee was behind these improvements, and her interest in the charming doctor developed. Later, in the summer of 1769, Caroline Matilda had an attack of dropsy, and at the insistence of her husband, she turned to Struensee. Confidence strengthened when Struensee successfully inoculated Crown Prince Frederik against smallpox. The attraction between the Queen and the Royal Physician actually amused the king. In 1770, Struensee was given rooms at Christianborg Palace. Meanwhile, the King became more and more passive and entrusted more and more of the daily state affairs to Struensee.

By the spring of 1770, Struensee and Caroline Matilda were lovers; by the summer of the same year, the proximity between the Queen and the physician was known in all the capital and provinces. Caroline Matilda's mother, Princess Augusta, made a visit to the continent where, for various reasons, she wanted to communicate with her daughter. They met in August 1770 in Lüneburg and this was the last meeting between them. Struensee was constantly at the side of the Queen, and Princess Augusta never managed to speak freely with her daughter.

On 18 December 1770, Struensee became Master of Queries (Privy Counsellor), and in July 1771 it was declared that his orders would have the same effect as if they were signed by the King himself. From then, Struensee's authority became paramount, and he held absolute sway between 20 March 1771 and 16 January 1772 - this period is known as the Time of Struensee.

Having virtually unlimited power, Struensee issued no fewer than 1069 cabinet orders! For this reason, he has been criticised fot having a mania for reform (despite the fact that all these orders were based on sound, rational principles). This led to the extreme unpopularity among the conservative circles at court, led by the Dowager Queen Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and her son, Prince Frederik. Caroline Matilda shared the unpopularity of her lover due to her support for his reforms and her behaviour.

Until now without influence, Caroline Matilda became the centre of the Court's attention. She gained confidence, and showed herself in public riding astride on horseback, dressed as a man.

On 7 July 1771, Caroline Matilda gave birth to a daughter, Princess Louise Augusta. The event was coldly received at court. The King recognised the paternity of the child, but the Queen's behaviour and the girl's resemblance to Struensee led the courtiers to think he was the biological father of the child, who was nicknamed la petite Struensee.

Shortly after Louise Augusta's birth, rumours began in the court that Caroline Matilda and Struensee wanted to imprison the King and declare the Queen regent (this is absurd, as Christian VII was more of a protection than an obstacle). By the end of 1771, the lovers began to worry. Caroline Matilda suspected that the Dowager Queen was planning a plot against her and Struensee. According to legend, Struensee rushed to Caroline Matilda's feet, begging her to let him leave the country, but she refused to let him go. On 30 November 1771, the court moved to Frederiksborg Palace, where security had been increased by orders of Struensee.

The court returned to Copenhagen on 8 January 1772; by this time, Struensee and Caroline Matilda were already in serious danger. A former supporter of Struensee, Count Schack Carl Rantzau, discontented with the fact that Struensee did not accept his political views, decided to overthrow him. He gave fake evidence that the lovers were going to overthrow the King to Dowager Queen Juliana Maria, which prompted her to act against them. The conspiracy was scheduled for the night of 16-17 January. Although Rantzau hesitated at the last moment, everything went according to plan: Struensee and his followers were arrested.

On the same night, Caroline Matilda was captured by Rantzau who hastily escorted her with her daughter to Kronborg Castle, where they remained imprisoned. As the Queen later told the court, on the evening of 17 January she saw from the windows of her chamber the festive illuminations made in honour of her fall in Copenhagen. The fall of Caroline Matilda was necessary to overthrow Struensee, although he didn't receive power thanks to the Queen but because of his dominance over the King. However, Caroline Matilda was a powerfully ally of Struensee, and for this reason, it was necessary to remove them at the same time.

The interrogation of Johann Friedrich Struensee began on 20 February 1772. Later, he tried to shift as much of the responsibility for adultery on Caroline Matilda (nice…). At the same time, the staff of the Queen was also being questioned and the testimonies were particularly incriminating.
A committee of four nobles was sent to Kronborg to interrogate the Queen. During the first visit, Caroline Matilda refused to speak with them. In the later visits, the Queen denied her relationship with Struensee in hope of saving him. On 9 March, a confession signed by Struensee was presented to Caroline Matilda. She also signed a confession and took much of the blame on herself, hoping to mitigate the fate of her lover.

On 24 March, an indictment against the Queen was presented to the court; on 2 April, she was given a lawyer, who said that the Queen was innocent, and her confession was signed under pressure. The judgment was handed down on 6 April and two days later, the Queen was notified: her marriage with Christian VII was dissolved. Struensee was sentenced to death and executed on 28 April. As Caroline Matilda later recalled, she intuitively knew about the death of her lover.

In Great Britain, the news of the arrest of Caroline Matilda were met with great excitement. After the divorce, George III gave orders to negotiate her release, but without success. At the same time, George III had been provided with conclusive evidence against his sister, and it was reported that he was advised that his sister couldn't remain at the Danish court. George III would, at last, receive the news that the Danish government guaranteed Caroline Matilda's freedom. It was also possible to secure the return of her dowry, a pension and her right to retain her title.

By May 1772, the British and Danish government were able to decide where Caroline Matilda would live. At the suggestion of George III, she was to live in Celle Castle, in the Electorate of Hanover. On 3 May, the former Queen of Denmark departed left towards exile; her two children, Frederik and Louise Augusta, remained in Copenhagen and she never saw them again.

In Celle, Caroline Matilda had a very quiet life. She reunited with Louise von Plessen, and was often visited by many relatives and friends. The main entertainment of Caroline Matilda was a small theatre, as well as a library with numerous books in German and in English. She also became known for her charity toward poor children and orphans.

Although no longer Queen, Caroline Matilda still played an important role in Danish politics, because she was the mother of the future King. In September 1774, she was visited by the traveller Nathaniel Wraxall. He returned in October as a secret agent of a group of Danish nobles. Some of these nobles were exiled in Hamburg for their support to the former Queen, and one remained in Denmark. They were eager for a change: the return of Caroline Matilda as Regent and Guardian of the Crown Prince. Caroline Matilda was ready to act, but only with the consent of her brother George III; she also feared for her children's lives. George III was ready to support his sister. Wraxall visited the former Queen three more times; then he went to London to discuss the plan with George III. With him, Caroline Matilda sent a letter to her brother in which she asked for approval for the conspiracy, which she referred to as this scheme for my son's happiness. However, while waiting for an audience with the King, Wraxall learned about the death of Caroline Matilda.

Caroline Matilda, the once Queen of Denmark and Norway died suddenly of scarlet fever on 10 May 1775, aged 23. On her deathbed, she wrote a letter to her brother in which she claimed her innocence. She is buried in the crypt of the Stadtkirche St. Marien.

Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark and Norway (standing)

next to her sister, Princess Louisa of Great Britain

Francis Cotes

1767