Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark
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Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark and Norway (January 18, 1808 - May 30, 1891) was the youngest daughter Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark and his wife and first cousin Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel. Her paternal grandfather, King Christian VII, had major psychological problems and as result, her father had been acting as Regent since 1784. Within two months of her birth, her grandfather died of a cerebral aneurysm and her father ascended as king.
Since her father had no surviving sons, she was a very desirable bride. Among her suitors was the future King Oscar I of Sweden of then newly established Bernadotte dynasty. On November 1, 1828, she married Prince Frederick of Denmark, the future King Frederick VII. Prince Frederick was a direct male-line descendant of King Frederick V by his second wife Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The marriage united the two lines of the Royal House, but soon turned out to be an unhappy one. That was not least because of Frederick's debauched lifestyle with infidelity and heavy drinking. The couple were separated in 1834 and divorced three years later. In 1838 she married second Charles, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, eldest brother of the future King Christian IX of Denmark. Both her marriages were childless. Many believe that she was barren as there no records of her having any miscarriages or stillbirths.
During the First Schleswig War (1848-1851), her husband actively sided against Denmark. That caused Vilhelmine's relations with the Danish Royal family to be severed for some time. In 1852 there was a reconciliation and she again enjoyed a close relationship with her family in Copenhagen. Her status as the daughter of a well-loved king and abused wife of a vilified king helped her to regain her popularity among the Danish people. Her husband never did.
