Christian VIII

[Daniela]

What kind of health problem Prince Frederik, the Heir Presumptive had?
I've read somewhere that he was hunchbacked! Is that correct?

Daniela

[Rosamund]

Who was Count von Blücher?  Princess Sophie Frederikke seems to have been an unfaithful wife, to say the least, if this is correct.  Was it that she shared the character of her niece Charlotte, or was it tacitly accepted by everyone that her husband was unable to have children and heirs were needed somehow?

I have surmised the latter after reading Daniela's question about health problems.

[Marc]

[Marc]

This man was a Fieldmarshall and German Prince Gebhart Lebrecht Bluecher von Wahlstatt,one of the heores of Napoleonic was(I think it's Waterloo batle)...

[kmerov]

What kind of health problem Prince Frederik, the Heir Presumptive had?
I've read somewhere that he was hunchbacked! Is that correct?

Daniela

Yes that is correct. He was mentally and physically weak, but of course not as much as Christian VII. One person said he was like wet wood, what ever that implies.

[kmerov]

Marc, that portrait is of another Blücher.  
Sophie Frederikkes lover, count Frederik Von Blücher was an aide-de-camp to Prince Frederik and died about 1806.
Rosamund, Sophie Frederikke was not like her niece. She also enyoyed fun and parties, but was very popular at court.  She was very different  from her dull husband, and I think that it was accepted that she had an affair by those who knew.
After 10 years of marriage the children were born and propably Prince Frederik turned a blind eye to the relationship because he wanted heirs.

[Marc]

Kmerov,thanks so much for this correction!Is there any chance for you to find any picture or portrait of this Count von Bluecher and tell me something more about him-thanks!?

[Rosamund]

Prince Frederik and Sophie were married on 21 Oct 1774.

I have copied this list of their offspring from the site of Leo van de Pas:

1.      Princess NN of Denmark, b. 19 Sep 1781, Castle Frederiksborg, Seeland
2.      Princess NN of Denmark, b. 17 Feb 1783, Copenhagen
3.      Princess Juliane Marie of Denmark, b. 2 May 1784, Copenhagen
4.      Christian VIII, King of Denmark 1839-1848 and Norway 1815, b. 18 Sep 1786, Christiansborg
5.      Princess Juliane Sophie of Denmark, b. 18 Feb 1788, Copenhagen
6.      Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark, b. 30 Oct 1789, Castle Christiansborg
7.      Prince Fredrik Ferdinand of Denmark, b. 22 Nov 1792, Copenhagen

Do Danish historians consider all of Sophie's pregnancies to be the result of an affair with Count Frederik Von Blücher?    

Did Prince Frederik have any other, illegitimate, children?

[kmerov]

Prince Frederik and Sophie were married on 21 Oct 1774.

I have copied this list of their offspring from the site of Leo van de Pas:

1.      Princess NN of Denmark, b. 19 Sep 1781, Castle Frederiksborg, Seeland
2.      Princess NN of Denmark, b. 17 Feb 1783, Copenhagen
3.      Princess Juliane Marie of Denmark, b. 2 May 1784, Copenhagen
4.      Christian VIII, King of Denmark 1839-1848 and Norway 1815, b. 18 Sep 1786, Christiansborg
5.      Princess Juliane Sophie of Denmark, b. 18 Feb 1788, Copenhagen
6.      Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark, b. 30 Oct 1789, Castle Christiansborg
7.      Prince Fredrik Ferdinand of Denmark, b. 22 Nov 1792, Copenhagen

Do Danish historians consider all of Sophie's pregnancies to be the result of an affair with Count Frederik Von Blücher?    

Did Prince Frederik have any other, illegitimate, children?

No, the children who died shortly after birth are considered to be Frederiks.
I don't think he had any illegitimate children, as far as I have read or can remember...

[Rosamund]

As Frederik was able to father children, why did he and Sophie Frederikke not continue to carry on until an heir was produced before she took a lover?  This seems to have been the general situation with royal marriages.  Have biographers found letters or diaries explaining the circumstances?  

The charming painting of Christian and his sisters with their 'parents' appears rather false now.

[Marc]

[Marc]

Portrait of King Christian VIII!

[Rosamund]

Many thanks again Mark.  Christian is rather handsome.

[kmerov]

As Frederik was able to father children, why did he and Sophie Frederikke not continue to carry on until an heir was produced before she took a lover?  This seems to have been the general situation with royal marriages.  Have biographers found letters or diaries explaining the circumstances?  

The charming painting of Christian and his sisters with their 'parents' appears rather false now.

I don't know if they didn't "continue", but because the first pregnancies ended with weak babies who died, and that changed after ten years of marriage with four healthy babies, their paternity was questioned.
I think that Sophie Frederikke fell in love with Blücher and took him as a lover for that reason.
I am not aware of any letters or diaries explaining the circumstances more than this. Their affair seems to have been very discret.
Sophie and Frederik were very different personalities, but it seems like they respected eachother. And Frederik loved his children.

[kmerov]

Kmerov,thanks so much for this correction!Is there any chance for you to find any picture or portrait of this Count von Bluecher and tell me something more about him-thanks!?

This is not the best portrait, and its b/w. I have seen a colour one where you can see the resemblance between him and Christian VIII.