Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel
Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel (27 April 1650–27 March 1714) was queen-consort of Denmark and Norway, being the wife of King Christian V.
She was born in Kassel, Hesse, Germany. Her parents were Landgrave Wilhelm VI of Hesse-Kassel and his wife Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg.
Charlotte Amalie was married on 25 June 1667 to Prince Christian and became the Queen of Denmark on his accession in 1670. As well as other children they had a son, later King Frederik IV, and a daughter Sophia Hedwig.
Charlotte Amalie was raised in the Reformed faith. She kept her faith after wedding Christian, who as ruler of Denmark was the head of the state church, the Lutheran Church. She succeeded in exempting herself and her court from the requirement that they adhere to the Lutheran Church. Charlotte obtained the right to practice her "Reformed" faith, and build a "Reformed" Church, which she financed herself. However, her action caused the Lutheran clergy to oppose her coronation as Queen. Her spouse prevented her from exerting any large political influence, but she did manage to achieve some rights for the followers of her faith in Denmark (1685). She did not get along with her mother-in-law, with whom she had conflicts regarding etiquette matters. She supported the release of Leonora Christina Ulfeldt.
She gained popularity from defending Copenhagen when King Charles XII of Sweden invaded Zealand in 1700.
Charlotte Amalie owned several estates around the country and she administered them skilfully. After the death of Christian V in 1699, she moved to a mansion which she had bought: Charlottenborg Palace on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen, where she lived from 1700 until she died. The mansion, which is named after her, has housed the Royal Danish Academy of Art since 1754.
She died in Copenhagen and was buried in Roskilde Cathedral.
The town of Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands is named after her.
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