Online Encyclopedia

CHRISTIAN VIII

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V06, Page 278 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CHRISTIAN VIII  . (1786–1848), king of Denmark and Norway, the eldest son of the
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crown prince Frederick and Sophia Frederica of
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Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was born on the 18th of September '786 at Christiansborg castle . He inherited the talents of his highly gifted
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mother, and his amiability and handsome features made him very popular in Copenhagen . His unfortunate first
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marriage with his cousin
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Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was dissolved in '8'o . In May 1813 he was sent as stadtholder to Norway to promote the
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loyalty of the Northmen to the dynasty, whicJ' had been very rudely shaken by the disastrous results of Frederick VI.'s adhesion to the falling fortunes of
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Napoleon . He did all he could personally to strengthen the bonds between the Norwegians and the royal house of Denmark, and though his endeavours were opposed by the so-called
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Swedish party, which desired a dynastic union with Sweden, he placed himself at the head of the
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Norwegian party of independence, and was elected regent of Norway by an assembly of notables on the '6th of
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February '814 . This election was confirmed by a Storthing held at Eidsvold on the loth of
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April, and on the 17th of May Christian was elected king of Norway, despite the protests of the Swedish party . Christian next attempted to
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interest the
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great powers in his cause, butwithout success . On being summoned by the commissioners of the allied powers at Copenhagen to bring about a union between Norway and Sweden in accordance with the terms of the treaty of
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Kiel, and then return to Denmark, he replied that, as a constitutional king, he could do nothing without the consent of the Storthing, to the convocation of which a suspension of hostilities on the
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part of Sweden was the condition precedent . Sweden refusing Christian's conditions, a short
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campaign ensued, in which Christian was easily worsted by the
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superior skill and forces of the Swedish crown prince (Bernadotte) . The brief war was finally concluded by the convention of
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Moss on the '4th of August 1814 (see NouwAY:
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History) . Henceforth Christian's suspected democratic principles made him persona ingratissima at all the reactionary
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European courts, his own court included, and he and his second wife, Caroline Amelia of Augustenburg, whom he married in 18'5, lived in
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comparative retirement as the leaders of the
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literary and scientific society of Copenhagen .

It was not till '83' that old King Frederick gave him a seat in the

council of state . On the 13th of December 1839 he ascended the Danish
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throne as Christian VIII . The Liberal party had high hopes of " the giver of constitutions," but he disappointed his admirers by steadily rejecting every Liberal project . Administrative reform was the only reform he would promise . He died of
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blood-poisoning on the loth of
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January '848 . See Just Matthias Thiele, Christian den Ottende (Copenhagen,' 848) ; Yngvar Nielsen, Bidrag til Norges Historie (Christiania, 1882–1886) .

End of Article: CHRISTIAN VIII
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CHRISTIAN VII
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WILLIAM CHRISTIAN (1608-1663)

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