Dorothea of Denmark, Duchess of Brunswick

For other people with the same name, see Dorothea of Denmark (disambiguation).

Dorothea of Denmark
Detail from altarpiece attributed to Ludger Tom Ring the Younger in the chapel of Celle Castle, c. 1569
Born	(1546-06-29)29 June 1546 Kolding
Died	6 January 1617(1617-01-06) (aged 70) Winsen
Spouse	William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
House	Oldenburg
Father	Christian III of Denmark
Mother	Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg

Princess Dorothea of Denmark (29 June 1546 – 6 January 1617) was the Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1561 until 1592 as the consort of Duke William the Younger. She was regent for her son George from 1592 to 1596.

Biography

Born in Kolding, Dorothea was the youngest child of Christian III of Denmark and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. She married William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg on 12 October 1561.

When her husband died in 1592, she became regent for her under age son George. She had a deep mistrust of the councillors because of their ill management of her husband's estates during his insanity. Dorothea was known as a capable and energetic regent.

She died in Winsen, Germany at the age of 70.

Children who reached adulthood

• Sophia (30 October 1563 – 1639), married George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
• Ernst (31 December 1564 – 2 March 1611)
• Elisabeth (19 October 1565 – 17 July 1621), married Frederick, Count of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
• Christian (19 November 1566 – 8 November 1633)
• Augustus (18 November 1568 – 1 October 1636)
• Dorothea (1 January 1570 – 15 August 1649), married Charles, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld
• Clara (16 January 1571 – 18 July 1658), married William, Count of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg
• Anne (22 March 1572 – 5 February 1601)
• Margaret (6 April 1573 – 7 August 1643), married Johann Casimir, Duke of Saxe-Coburg
• Friedrich (28 August 1574 – 10 December 1648)
• Marie (21 October 1575 – 8 August 1610)
• Magnus (30 August 1577 – 10 February 1632)
• Georg (17 February 1582 – 12 April 1641)
• Johann (23 June 1583 – 27 November 1628)
• Sybille (3 June 1584 – 5 August 1652), married Julius Ernest, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Ancestry

Family of Dorothea of Denmark, Duchess of Brunswick

16. Theodoric, Count of Oldenburg 8. Christian I of Denmark 17. Helvig of Schauenburg 4. Frederick I of Denmark 18. John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 9. Dorothea of Brandenburg 19. Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg 2. Christian III of Denmark 20. Albrecht III, Elector of Brandenburg 10. John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg 21. Margaret of Baden 5. Anna of Brandenburg 22. William III of Saxony and Thuringia, Duke of Luxembourg 11. Margaret of Thuringia 23. Anne, Duchess of Luxembourg 1. Dorothea of Denmark 24. Bernard II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 12. John V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 25. Adelheid of Pomerania 6. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 26. Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg 13. Dorothea of Brandenburg 27. Katharina of Saxony 3. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg 28. William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 14. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 29. Elisabeth of Stolberg-Wernigerode 7. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 30. Eric II, Duke of Pomerania 15. Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast 31. Sophia of Pomerania-Stolp