Prince Christian of Hesse
Encyclopedia
Prince Christian of Hesse (14 August 1776 – 14 November 1814) was a German
prince
and member of the House of Hesse-Kassel. As a son of the Danish Field Marshal
Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Louise of Denmark, he was a member of the extended Danish Royal Family
and spent his entire life in Denmark
.
of the twin duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and Princess Louise of Denmark, herself a daughter of King Frederick V of Denmark
.
As a member of the extended Danish Royal Family
, Christian was destined for a military career in Denmark from a young age. He was appointed Colonel
in 1783, Major General
in 1789 and in 1790 Commander
of a Regiment
. In 1803 he was appointed knight of the Order of the Elephant
. In 1805 he was put in charge of a cavalry
brigade
in Holstein, and as such accompanied his cousin King Frederick VI of Denmark
to Copenhagen. In 1808 he assisted in suppressing the unrest of the Spanish
auxiliary troops in Roskilde
and was appointed Lieutenant General
the following year. In 1809 he was appointed commanding General on the island of Funen
. Finally, in 1812 he was made a General
in the cavalry
.
, daughter of King Frederick VI of Denmark
and Christian's sister Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel
.
Already at the time of his engagement, Prince Christian was weakened. A year after the engagement, he suffered a breakdown in Odense Palace. Shortly after it became clear that he was mentally ill, suffering from frequent fits. He died on 14 November 1814 at the age of 38 in Odense Palace, Denmark
. He was buried in the Church of Saint John
in Odense
, but in 1862 his remains were transferred to Schleswig Cathedral
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
and member of the House of Hesse-Kassel. As a son of the Danish Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Louise of Denmark, he was a member of the extended Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
and spent his entire life in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Early life
Prince Christian was born at Gottorp Castle, Schleswig as the third son of Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel, royal governorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the twin duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and Princess Louise of Denmark, herself a daughter of King Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
.
As a member of the extended Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
, Christian was destined for a military career in Denmark from a young age. He was appointed Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1783, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1789 and in 1790 Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of a Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
. In 1803 he was appointed knight of the Order of the Elephant
Order of the Elephant
The Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively bestowed on royalty and heads of state.- History :A Danish religious...
. In 1805 he was put in charge of a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in Holstein, and as such accompanied his cousin King Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
to Copenhagen. In 1808 he assisted in suppressing the unrest of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
auxiliary troops in Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
and was appointed Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
the following year. In 1809 he was appointed commanding General on the island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
. Finally, in 1812 he was made a General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
.
Engagement
In September 1812, Christian was engaged to his niece Princess Caroline of DenmarkPrincess Caroline of Denmark
Princess Caroline Mathilde of Denmark , was a member of the Danish Royal Family, the eldest surviving daughter of Frederick VI of Denmark...
, daughter of King Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
and Christian's sister Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel
Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel
thumb|Queen Marie Sophie portrayed by [[Cornelius Høyer]] Marie Sophie Frederikke of Hesse-Kassel was Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway. She also served as Regent of Denmark in 1814–1815.-Background:...
.
Death
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He was buried in the Church of Saint John
Saint Hans Church
Saint Hans Church is a church in Odense, DenmarkThe church has a three manual Marcussen organ used by Kevin Bowyer to record the complete organ works of Bach for Nimbus Records....
in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, but in 1862 his remains were transferred to Schleswig Cathedral
Schleswig Cathedral
Schleswig Cathedral , officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig , is the main church of Schleswig and was the cathedral of the Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624...
.