Christian, the son of King Frederick V …
Years: 1766 - 1766
Christian, the son of King Frederick V and his first wife Louise of Great Britain, was born in the Queen's Bedchamber at Christiansborg Palace, the Royal residence in Copenhagen.
He was baptized a few hours later the same day.
His godparents are King Frederick V (his father), Queen Dowager Sophie Magdalene (his paternal grandmother), Princess Louise (his aunt) and Princess Charlotte Amalie (his grand-aunt).
A former heir to the throne, also named Christian, had died in infancy in 1747; therefore, hopes were high for the future of the new heir presumptive.
Christoph Willibald Gluck, who was conductor for King Frederick V's opera troupe in Copenhagen between the years 1748-49, composed the scene La Contesa dei Numi (The Contention of the Gods), where the Olympian Gods gather at the banks of the Great Belt and discuss who in particular should protect the new prince.
His mother Queen Louise died in 1751, two years after his birth.
The following year his father married to Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
Early historians state that he had a winning personality and considerable talent, but that he was poorly educated and systematically terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Frederik Reventlow, the Count of Reventlow.
He seems to have been intelligent and had periods of clarity, but suffers from severe emotional problems, possibly schizophrenia as argued in doctor Viggo Christiansen's book Christian VII's mental illness (1906).
After a long period of infirmity, Frederick V dies on January 14, 1766, just forty-two years old.
Later the same day, Christian is proclaimed king from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace, weeks before his seventeenth birthday.
Christian's reign will be marked by mental illness, which affects government decisions, and for most of his reign Christian will be only nominally king.
His court physicians are especially worried by his frequent masturbation.
His royal advisers will change depending on who wins power struggles around the throne.
He was baptized a few hours later the same day.
His godparents are King Frederick V (his father), Queen Dowager Sophie Magdalene (his paternal grandmother), Princess Louise (his aunt) and Princess Charlotte Amalie (his grand-aunt).
A former heir to the throne, also named Christian, had died in infancy in 1747; therefore, hopes were high for the future of the new heir presumptive.
Christoph Willibald Gluck, who was conductor for King Frederick V's opera troupe in Copenhagen between the years 1748-49, composed the scene La Contesa dei Numi (The Contention of the Gods), where the Olympian Gods gather at the banks of the Great Belt and discuss who in particular should protect the new prince.
His mother Queen Louise died in 1751, two years after his birth.
The following year his father married to Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
Early historians state that he had a winning personality and considerable talent, but that he was poorly educated and systematically terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Frederik Reventlow, the Count of Reventlow.
He seems to have been intelligent and had periods of clarity, but suffers from severe emotional problems, possibly schizophrenia as argued in doctor Viggo Christiansen's book Christian VII's mental illness (1906).
After a long period of infirmity, Frederick V dies on January 14, 1766, just forty-two years old.
Later the same day, Christian is proclaimed king from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace, weeks before his seventeenth birthday.
Christian's reign will be marked by mental illness, which affects government decisions, and for most of his reign Christian will be only nominally king.
His court physicians are especially worried by his frequent masturbation.
His royal advisers will change depending on who wins power struggles around the throne.
