Denmark Archives - Anna Belfrage

When Isabella of Austria became Elisabeth of Denmark – the story of a young queen

By Anna Belfrage / May 6, 2023 / Leave a Comment / Historical People, Women in history / 16th century, Denmark, Elisabeth of Denmark, Emperor Charles V, Hapsburgs, Isabella of Austria, Kristian II of Denmark, reformation

In Sweden, Kristian II of Denmark has the not-so-flattering epithet ”the tyrant”. After all, it was because of his duplicity that the streets of Stockholm ran red with blood one cold November night in 1520 as one after another of the Swedish nobles who’d fought against Danish dominion were summarily executed. In Denmark, obviously, he …

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Weep, Ingeborg, weep

By Anna Belfrage / October 29, 2016 / 13 Comments / Historical People, History, Human life, Medieval times, Writing / 12th century, A failed marriage, Denmark, France, Ingeborg, Philip Augustus, Twenty years imprisoned

In 1237, Ingeborg, Dowager Queen of France, died. At the time of her death, she was approximately sixty years old, and had lived more than forty years in France, having arrived as a young and pretty bride-to be in 1193. Her intended was Philip II, King of France, a.k.a. Philip Augustus. At the time, he …

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A king, a famine, an epithet

By Anna Belfrage / April 19, 2016 / 5 Comments / Historical People, History, Medieval times, Writing / 11th century, Canute, Denmark, famine, Knut the Holy, Olof Hunger, Sacrificing the king, Sven Estridson, Sven Forkbeard, vikings

Back in the good old days, kings were elected rather than born to the ermine. Okay, so I’m talking the really, really good old days, well before our distant ancestors had left their pagan beliefs behind, a time in which being the king was not only a secular but also a religious role. Obviously, being …

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When the king’s physician became the queen’s…umm…

By Anna Belfrage / January 30, 2016 / 19 Comments / Historical People, History, love, Writing / 18th century, Adulterous queen, Caroline Matilda, Denmark, Mad king, Struensee

Today, I thought we could spend some time with Caroline Matilda, princess of England and queen of Denmark. She was born in 1751, daughter to Frederick, Prince of Wales and his wife Princess Augusta of Saxe-Coburg. By the time of her birth, her father was already dead, and as per her mother’s wishes she was brought …

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The Danish Lion – of Christian IV

By Anna Belfrage / June 15, 2015 / 5 Comments / Historical People, History, Relationships, Writing / 17th century, Christian IV, complicated lovelife, Denmark, Fighting with Sweden, Kirsten Munk, Thirty Years' War, witches

Okay, so as you all know by now, I am Swedish. If I may say so myself, a relatively international Swede, having lived and worked in various parts of the world, but when things come to a crunch I’m as Swedish as IKEA’s meatballs and pickled herring (although the Dutch would probably argue pickled herring …

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Denmark

When Isabella of Austria became Elisabeth of Denmark – the story of a young queen

Weep, Ingeborg, weep

A king, a famine, an epithet

When the king’s physician became the queen’s…umm…

The Danish Lion – of Christian IV

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