CHRISITAN VII OF DENMARK
Purchased by Det Nationalhistoriske Museum Frederiksborg in September 2021.
Handwritten letter (by secretary), orig. signed (“Christian R”) to an unnamed fellow monarch, whom he addresses as “Illustrious sovereign, friend and dear cousin”, announcing his marriage to Caroline Matilda, Princess of Great Britain. Dated Copenhagen, 10 November 1766. 2 pages. 4to. In German. With paper seal, the text in a neat calligraphic hand. Translation in English enclosed.
The proxy marriage between the 15 year old Caroline Matilda, sister of George III, and the 17 year old Christian VII took place at St. James's on 1 October 1766; the marriage ceremony itself took place in Copenhagen on 8 November. The marriage was a tragic disaster even by the standards of 18th century arranged Royal marriages.
Provenance: Flemming Erik Pedersen (1931–2020), acquired in 2011 by Maggs Bros., London.
Antiquities, furniture, decorative art, carpets and books, 22 September 2021