Anne Sophie Reventlow

Anne Sophie Reventlow (April 16 1693 - January 7 1743), was a Danish noblewoman, royal mistress and queen consort of Denmark and Norway 1721-30, the second wife of king Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway.

Biography

She was daughter of Conrad, Count Reventlow who served Frederick as Chancellor of Denmark 1699-1708.

She became king's mistress in 1712 when his first wife, Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, yet lived. The king had been bigamous during his first marriage, having had at least one and possibly two morganatic wives along with his queen. The church authorities had not forbidden the king to engage in polygamy, as there were doctrines based on biblical polygamy of Hebrew patriarchs.

On 4 April 1721, soon after the death of Queen Louise, the king married Anne Sophie. He declined to make this marriage morganatic, although it was regarded highly scandalous by many subjects and foreign rulers alike, as it was outside the era's standards that royals marry regular noblewomen, their own subjects (the requirements of so-called "Ebenbuertigkeit").

Crown Prince Christian, who had been very close to his mother, detested her strongly.

The king had Anne Sophie recognized as queen. Three children were born of this marriage, but each of them died at or before one year of age.

Several of Anna Sophie's relatives, popularly known as the "Reventlow Gang", gained great influence within the government, aspecially her sister, the Salonist countess Christine Sophie Holstein, who was called Madame Chancellor, but it is unknown whether Anna Sophie herself had any real political power. After Frederik IV's death in 1730, she was expelled from Copenhagen to her birth place, the manor house Klausholm near Randers, Jutland.

Succession

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