Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

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Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway
Portrait by Georg David Matthieu, c. 1774.
Born(1758-08-24)24 August 1758
Schwerin
Died29 November 1794(1794-11-29) (aged 36)
Sorgenfri Palace near Copenhagen
SpouseHereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway
IssueChristian VIII of Denmark
Juliane Sophie, Landgravine of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld
Louise Charlotte, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel
Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark
HouseHouse of Mecklenburg
FatherDuke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
MotherPrincess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (24 August 1758 – 29 November 1794) was a Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and by marriage Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway.

Family, early life

Duchess Sophia Frederica and her brother Duke Frederick, by Georg David Matthieu, 1764.
Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg, by Georg David Matthieu, 1765.

Born in Schwerin, she was the only daughter of Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, second son of Christian Louis II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Her only sibling was Frederick, who was about two years older.

Marriage

On 21 October 1774 in Copenhagen, she married Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway, the son of King Frederick V of Denmark and his second wife Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who was the regent in Denmark between 1772 and 1784. She was sixteen years old when she was married.

Sophia Frederica, known as Sofie Frederikke af Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Denmark, was described as jolly, charming and intelligent. She had a hard time in the beginning adapting to her new, stiffer environment, but became quite popular. During the first ten years of her marriage (1774-1784), she gave birth to three daughters, the eldest two were stillborn and the third lived only five months;[1][2][3] it was only in 1786 when she had the first of her living children, the future King Christian VIII.

It is said she was disappointed when she met her husband for the first time, but they came to be fond of each other, although they both supposedly took lovers; her husband had a mistress, her companion Caja Hviid, while the father of Sophia Frederica's children was rumored to be her husband's adjutant, Frederik von Blücher.[4] It was said that the harmony of their marriage was based on mutual understanding. The harmonious friendship between the spouses created a fear that Sophia Frederica's influence over her husband would lead to her interfering in politics.

She died in Sorgenfri Palace.

Children

Sophia Frederica, Hereditary Princess of Denmark and Norway, with her daughter Juliane, by Jens Juel, 1790.

Sophia Frederica and Prince Frederick had the following children:

Ancestry

Family of Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
16. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
8. Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Grabow
17. Duchess Maria Katharina of Brunswick-Dannenberg
4. Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
18. William Christoph, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg
9. Landgravine Christine Wilhelmine of Hesse-Homburg
19. Sophia Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt
2. Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
20. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (= 16)
10. Adolf Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
21. Duchess Maria Katharina of Brunswick-Dannenberg (=17)
5. Duchess Gustave Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
22. Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
11. Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
23. Princess Magdalene Sibylle of Holstein-Gottorp
1. Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
24. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha
12. John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
25. Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg
6. Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
26. Josias II, Count of Waldeck and Pyrmont
13. Charlotte Johanne of Waldeck-Pyrmont
27. Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen
3. Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
28. Albrecht Anton, Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
14. Louis Frederick I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
29. Emilie Juliana von Barby-Mühlingen
7. Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
30. Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
15. Anna Sophie of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
31. Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels

Notes

  1. ^ Sophie Friederike Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin: in Cyberancestors.com [retrieved 10 June 2014].
  2. ^ Sophie Friederike Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin in: the Peerage.com [retrieved 10 June 2014].
  3. ^ Sophia Friderica Herzogin v.Mecklenburg-Schwerin in: genealogy Database by Herbert Stoyan [retrieved 10 October 2014].
  4. ^ Rie Krarup: Female List and royal cargo. Gentle doves and conflict ladies in the history of Denmark.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sophie Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
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