Louise Christine Rasmussen, also known as Countess Danner (21 April
1815 â€" 6 March 1874), was a Danish Ballet dancer and stage actor.
She was the mistress and later the morganatic spouse of King Frederick
VII of Denmark. She was not a queen consort, but officially styled
Countess Danner.Louise Rasmussen was the daughter of the unmarried
maid Juliane Caroline Rasmussen and the merchant Gotthilf L. Køppen.
She was a student of the ballet school of the Opera in Copenhagen in
1826, was contracted in 1830 and a figurante ballerina in 1835. In
1841, she had a child with the print maker Carl Berling, who was the
heir of the paper Berlingske Tidende, one of the most important Danish
newspapers. She retired from the ballet in 1842 and opened a fashion
shop.She got to know Crown Prince Frederick through Berling in the
1830s and had a relationship with him during the 1840s. Frederick
became king in 1848. He wanted to marry Louise, but the government
forbade it, as Frederick was childless and no children born from a
marriage with Louise would have been entitled to the throne. The
reformed law of 1849, however, made the king so popular that he was
able to have his wish granted.On 8 August 1850, Louise Rasmussen was
given the title "Countess of Danner" and was married to Frederick in
Frederiksborg Slotskirke by Bishop J. P. Mynster. She was the
morganatic spouse of King Frederick, and was thereby not queen, nor
did any possible children from the union have any right to the throne.
The marriage was met with great dislike and opposition, especially
from the upper-class and the nobility, who considered it a
misalliance. Louise was met with humiliation and disdain in social
circles. On one occasion, for example, Frederick and Louise
participated at a grand formal dinner with many members of the highest
nobility; at the occasion in question, it was the custom of the
nobility to propose a toast to the spouse of the monarch. This time,
however, no one proposed a toast, even though Frederick and Louise
waited for it to happen. Eventually, Frederick lost his patience,
stood up and said openly: "As no one here will propose a toast to my
wife, I will do so myself!", after which the nobility finally raised
their glasses.
1815 â€" 6 March 1874), was a Danish Ballet dancer and stage actor.
She was the mistress and later the morganatic spouse of King Frederick
VII of Denmark. She was not a queen consort, but officially styled
Countess Danner.Louise Rasmussen was the daughter of the unmarried
maid Juliane Caroline Rasmussen and the merchant Gotthilf L. Køppen.
She was a student of the ballet school of the Opera in Copenhagen in
1826, was contracted in 1830 and a figurante ballerina in 1835. In
1841, she had a child with the print maker Carl Berling, who was the
heir of the paper Berlingske Tidende, one of the most important Danish
newspapers. She retired from the ballet in 1842 and opened a fashion
shop.She got to know Crown Prince Frederick through Berling in the
1830s and had a relationship with him during the 1840s. Frederick
became king in 1848. He wanted to marry Louise, but the government
forbade it, as Frederick was childless and no children born from a
marriage with Louise would have been entitled to the throne. The
reformed law of 1849, however, made the king so popular that he was
able to have his wish granted.On 8 August 1850, Louise Rasmussen was
given the title "Countess of Danner" and was married to Frederick in
Frederiksborg Slotskirke by Bishop J. P. Mynster. She was the
morganatic spouse of King Frederick, and was thereby not queen, nor
did any possible children from the union have any right to the throne.
The marriage was met with great dislike and opposition, especially
from the upper-class and the nobility, who considered it a
misalliance. Louise was met with humiliation and disdain in social
circles. On one occasion, for example, Frederick and Louise
participated at a grand formal dinner with many members of the highest
nobility; at the occasion in question, it was the custom of the
nobility to propose a toast to the spouse of the monarch. This time,
however, no one proposed a toast, even though Frederick and Louise
waited for it to happen. Eventually, Frederick lost his patience,
stood up and said openly: "As no one here will propose a toast to my
wife, I will do so myself!", after which the nobility finally raised
their glasses.
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