Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1628-1658) was married to Frederik III and queen of Denmark from 1648.

Sophie Amalie was the daughter of a German duke and was at merely the age of 12 betrothed to Christian IIII’s son, Frederik. The couple got married in 1643 when Sophie Amalie became 15 years old. Frederik was at that time 34 years old.

Frederik became king in 1648. The new royal couple were very close and Sophie Amalie supported her husband in his plans to strengthen the monarchy. It succeeded in 1660 when Frederik III was proclaimed the first Danish king with absolute monarchy.

Sophie Amalie and Frederik III had 8 children.

Sophie Amalie was very interested in art and culture and brought home loads of French culture to the Danish court.

When Frederik III died in 1670, Sophie Amalie tried to keep her powerful position through her son, Christian V.

During Christian V’s reign, his daughter Leonora Christina had a prominent position at the Danish court. She did not wish to understand this position in relation to the new queen. This was the first of the rivalry between the two women.

Sophie Amalie had a constant rivalry with Leonora Christina who had a prominent position with the father, Christian IIII’s court. Their rivalry has been a part of painting a picture of Frederik III’s queen in later times. In Leonora Christine’s “Jammers Minde” (Memoirs of Leonora Christina), Sophie Amalie is described very negatively and this characterization of the queen has lived on in the subsequent future.

Today it is however widely understood that Sophie Amalie was a popular queen and a loyal support to king Frederik III.

Er du til historiske biografier, er Leonora Christines bog Jammers minde et spændende bekendtskab. Leonora Christine var Christian 4.'s datter og gift med Corfitz Ulfeldt.  Køb den hos: CDON