Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
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Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (30 September 1813 – 24 October 1878) was Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg from 1831 to 1878. Karl was the eldest son of
Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (; ; 4 January 1785 – 17 February 1831) was a German-Danish prince and officer who was the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck from 1816 to 1825, and the Duke of Schlesw ...
, and
Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (; 28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867) was the consort of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and the matriarch of the House of Glücksburg. Early life Louise Car ...
and an elder brother of
Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 15 November 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schlesw ...
. Upon his father's death in 1831, Karl inherited
Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...
and became Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg at the age of seventeen. In 1838, he became the son-in-law of King Frederick VI of Denmark when he married his cousin,
Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark and Norway (; ) (18 January 1808 – 30 May 1891) was a Princess of Denmark by birth as the daughter of King Frederick VI. In 1828, she married her agnatic second cousin, the future King Frederick VII. The ...
. A supporter of the Schleswig–Holstein movement, Duke Karl actively sided against Denmark during the
First Schleswig War The First Schleswig War (), also known as the Schleswig-Holstein uprising () and the Three Years' War (), was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig–Holstein question: who should control the Du ...
from 1848 to 1851, which caused the duke's relations with the Danish Royal family to be severed. The ducal couple lived abroad until an uneasy reconciliation was established in 1852. In 1854, he had to cede the family seat Glücksburg Castle to King Frederick VII of Denmark. During the
Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War (; or German Danish War), also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War, was the second military conflict over the Schleswig–Holstein question of the nineteenth century. The war began on 1 Februar ...
in 1864, the ducal couple left the country again, only to return again the following year after the
Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...
victory. In 1871, after long negotiations with the Prussian Government, the Duke again took possession of Glücksburg Castle. Upon the death of the childless duke, the ducal title was inherited by his younger brother,
Friedrich Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...
.


Early life


Birth and family

Prince Karl was born on 30 September 1813 at the residence of his maternal grandparents,
Gottorf Castle Gottorf Castle (, , Low German: ''Slott Gottorp'') is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is one of the most important secular buildings in Schleswig-Holstein, and has been rebuilt and expanded severa ...
, near the town of
Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been di ...
in the
Duchy of Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been div ...
, at the time a
fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
under the Crown of Denmark. Born as a prince of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (Schleswig-Holstein-Beck or Beck for short) is a line of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg branch of the House of Oldenburg. It consisted of August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Bec ...
, he was the second child and eldest son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, and
Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (; 28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867) was the consort of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and the matriarch of the House of Glücksburg. Early life Louise Car ...
. Prince Karl's father was the head of the ducal house of
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (Schleswig-Holstein-Beck or Beck for short) is a line of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg branch of the House of Oldenburg. It consisted of August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Bec ...
, a junior male branch of the
House of Oldenburg The House of Oldenburg is a Germans, German dynasty whose members rule or have ruled in Danish Realm, Denmark, Kingdom of Iceland, Iceland, Kingdom of Greece, Greece, Norway, Russian Empire, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, the United Kingdom, King ...
which descended from King
Christian III of Denmark Christian III (12 August 1503 â€“ 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...
's younger son,
John the Younger, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg John the Younger (; ; 25 March 1545 – 9 October 1622) was the duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. Biography John was born on 25 March 1545 at Koldinghus Castle in Jutland, Denmark as the fourth child and third son of King Christian III ...
. Prince Karl's mother was a daughter of
Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel (, German and ; 19 December 1744 – 17 August 1836) was a cadet member of the house of Hesse-Kassel and a Danish general field marshal. Brought up with relatives at the Danish court, he spent most of his life in ...
, an originally German prince, who had made a career in Denmark, where he was a Danish
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
and Royal Governor of the duchies of
Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been di ...
and
Holstein Holstein (; ; ; ; ) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider (river), Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost States of Germany, state of Germany. Holstein once existed as the German County of Holstein (; 8 ...
.


Childhood

Initially, the young prince grew up with his parents and many brothers and sisters at the miniature court of his maternal grandparents at
Gottorf Castle Gottorf Castle (, , Low German: ''Slott Gottorp'') is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is one of the most important secular buildings in Schleswig-Holstein, and has been rebuilt and expanded severa ...
, the habitual seat of the royal
governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
s of the duchies of
Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been di ...
and
Holstein Holstein (; ; ; ; ) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider (river), Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost States of Germany, state of Germany. Holstein once existed as the German County of Holstein (; 8 ...
. However, in 1824, the dowager duchess of Glücksburg, widow of Frederick Henry William, the last duke of the elder line of the house Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderborg-Glücksburg, who had himself died in 1779, died.
Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...
, located a little south of
Flensburg Fjord Flensburg Firth or Flensborg Fjord (; ) is the westernmost inlet of the Baltic Sea. It forms part of the border between Germany to the south and Denmark to the north, on the eastern side of Schleswig-Holstein, Schleswig Holstein and Jutland, res ...
, not far from city of
Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish language, Danish and ; ; ) is an independent city, independent town in the far north of the Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. After Kiel and Lübeck, it is the third-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg's ...
, was now empty, and on 6 June 1825, Duke Friedrich Wilhelm was appointed Duke of
Glücksburg Glücksburg (; ) is a small town northeast of Flensburg in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is Germany's northernmost town. It is situated on the south side of the Flensburg Fjord, Flensborg Fjord, an inlet ...
by his
brother-in-law A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one’s spouse. More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred to as a brother-in-law for a male sibling-in-law and a sister-in-law for a female sibling-in-law. Sibling-in-law al ...
, King Frederick VI of Denmark. Duke Friedrich Wilhelm subsequently changed his title to Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and thus founded the younger Glücksburg line. Subsequently, the family moved to
Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...
, where Prince Karl was
raised ''Raised'' is the third studio album by American country artist Hailey Whitters. It was released on March 18, 2022, via a partnership between Big Loud and her own imprint, Pigasus. Background Heavily inspired by her Midwestern upbringing in Iow ...
with his siblings under their father's supervision. In 1831, King Frederick VI appointed him
staff captain Staff captain is the English translation of a number of military ranks: Historical use of the rank Czechoslovakia In the Czechoslovak Army, until 1953, staff captain (, ) was a senior captain rank, ranking between captain and major. Estonia T ...
in the Oldenburg Infantry Regiment which was stationed in
Rendsburg Rendsburg (, also ''Rensborg'', , also ''Rensborg'') is a town on the Eider (river), River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the central part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) of Rendsburg-Eckernfoerde, Rends ...
and headed by his father. However, barely three weeks later, on 17 February 1831, Duke Friedrich Wilhelm died at the age of just 46 of a cold that had developed into pneumonia and, at the Duke's own discretion, scarlet fever, which had previously affected two of his children. Upon his father's death, Karl became Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and inherited
Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...
at the age of seventeen. In 1837, Carl was appointed
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
à la suite À la suite (, ''in the entourage f') was a military title given to those who were allotted to the army or a particular unit for honour's sake and were entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position. In Prussia ...
in the army, in 1838 he was appointed lieutenant colonel
à la suite À la suite (, ''in the entourage f') was a military title given to those who were allotted to the army or a particular unit for honour's sake and were entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position. In Prussia ...
in the Lauenburg Jäger Corps, in 1839
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
of the same and later that year he was appointed
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
.


Marriage

On 19 May 1838, the 24 year old Duke Karl married his first cousin, the five year older
Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark and Norway (; ) (18 January 1808 – 30 May 1891) was a Princess of Denmark by birth as the daughter of King Frederick VI. In 1828, she married her agnatic second cousin, the future King Frederick VII. The ...
, daughter of
Frederick VI of Denmark Frederick VI ( Danish and ; 28 January 1768 – 3 December 1839) was King of Denmark from 13 March 1808 until his death in 1839 and King of Norway from 13 March 1808 to 7 February 1814. He was the last king of Denmark–Norway. From 1784 until h ...
and his wife
Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel Marie Sophie Frederikke of Hesse-Kassel (28 October 1767 – 21/22 March 1852) was Queen of Denmark and Norway by marriage to Frederick VI. She served as regent of Denmark during the absence of her spouse in 1814–1815. Biography Early life ...
, at
Amalienborg Palace Amalienborg () is the official residence for the Danish royal family and is located in Copenhagen. Frederick VIII's palace complex has four identical Classical façades, effectively four palaces, with Rococo interiors, laid around an octagona ...
in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
. Vilhelmine Marie was the former wife of Prince Frederick of Denmark (later
Frederick VII of Denmark Frederick VII (Frederik Carl Christian; 6 October 1808 â€“ 15 November 1863) was King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and the last monarch, king of Denmark to r ...
), whom she divorced in 1837. After the wedding, the newly married couple moved into the castle in Kiel which the king gave them as their residence.


Later life

During the Schleswig–Holstein question, Duke Charles was a supporter of the Schleswig–Holstein movement. In 1846, as head of the
House of Glücksburg The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, also known by its short name as the House of Glücksburg, is the senior surviving branch of the German House of Oldenburg, one of Europe's oldest royal houses. Oldenburg house members hav ...
, he protested against King Christian VIII's open letter on the succession in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and out of dissatisfaction resigned from the Army in August of the same year. Nevertheless, eight days after his accession to the throne, King Frederick VII gave him the rank of major general. Duke Karl actively sided against Denmark during the
First Schleswig War The First Schleswig War (), also known as the Schleswig-Holstein uprising () and the Three Years' War (), was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig–Holstein question: who should control the Du ...
from 1848 to 1851, which caused the ducal couple's relations with the Danish Royal family to be severed. During the war, he initially took command of one of the provisional Schleswig-Holstein government's Infantry Brigades, but already in the autumn of 1848, he and his wife moved to
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
in the
Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony () was a German monarchy in Central Europe between 1806 and 1918, the successor of the Electorate of Saxony. It joined the Confederation of the Rhine after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, later joining the German ...
. There they resided until 1852, when they returned to Denmark after am uneasy reconciliation was established. As a result of his rebellion against the Danish government, Duke Carl lost his Danish orders and decorations and only had them restored in 1856. Also, in 1854, he had to cede the family seat
Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...
to King Frederick VII of Denmark who used the castle as his summer residence and also died there in 1863. In the following years, they lived at
Kiel Castle Kiel Castle () in Kiel in the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein was one of the secondary residences of the Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, Gottorf dukes. The castle exhibited a very varied architectural history and in the more recent architect ...
in the winter, and in the summer at
Louisenlund Stiftung Louisenlund is a privately run boarding school for boys and girls in Güby, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. History The school's main building is in Louisenlund Palace, which was built by Hermann von Motz between 1772 and 1776 for Prince Ch ...
near the town of
Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig (; ; ; ; ; ) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km (45 mi) south of the current border between Germany and Denmark. The territory has been di ...
. During the
Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War (; or German Danish War), also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War, was the second military conflict over the Schleswig–Holstein question of the nineteenth century. The war began on 1 Februar ...
of 1864, they left the country again, only to return again the following year after the
Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...
victory in the war. In the subsequent years, they lived at Louisenlund, but no more in Kiel. In 1871, however, the Duke and Duchess again took possession of the family seat
Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...
which after long negotiations in 1870 was returned to the Duke by the Prussian Government, and which they then used as their principal residence. Duke Karl died at the age of 65 on 24 October 1878 at
Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...
. His marriage with Vilhelmine Marie was without issue, and many believe that she was
barren Barren primarily refers to a state of barrenness (infertility) Barren may also refer to: Places * Barren, Missouri *Barren County, Kentucky *Barren Island (Andaman Islands) * Barren Island, Brooklyn * Barren River Lake Other uses * ''Barren Coun ...
as there are no records of her having any
miscarriages Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation i ...
or
stillbirths Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. T ...
. Upon his death, the ducal title was therefore inherited by Duke Karl's younger brother,
Friedrich Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...
. Duke Karl was interred at Glucksburg Castle. Duchess Vilhelmine Marie survived her husband by 12 years and died on 30 May 1891 at Glücksburg Castle.


Ancestry


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * *


External links


Official website
of Glücksburg Castle {{Authority control Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Princes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 1813 births 1878 deaths People from Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck Recipients of the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class