eldest son of
the crown prince Frederick and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin,
was born on the 18th of September 1786 at Christiansborg castle. He
inherited the talents of his highly gifted mother, and his amiability and
handsome features made him very popular in Copenhagen. His unfortunate
first marriage with his cousin Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
was dissolved in 1810. In May 1813 he was sent as stadtholder to Norway to
promote the loyalty of the Northmen to the dynasty, which had been very
rudely shaken by the disastrous results of Frederick VI.'s adhesion to the
falling fortunes of 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 Swedish party, which
desired a dynastic union with Sweden, he placed himself at the head of the
Norwegian party of independence, and was elected regent of Norway by an
assembly of notables on the 16th of February 1814. This election was
confirmed by a _Storthing_ held at Eidsvold on the 10th of April, and on
the 17th of May Christian was elected king of Norway, despite the protests
of the Swedish party. Christian next attempted to interest the great
powers in his cause, but without 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
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 part of Sweden was
the condition precedent. Sweden refusing Christian's conditions, a short
campaign ensued, in which Christian was easily worsted by the superior
skill and forces of the Swedish crown prince (Bernadotte). The brief war
was finally concluded by the convention of Moss on the 14th of August 1814
(see NORWAY: _History_). Henceforth Christian's suspected democratic
principles made him _persona ingratissima_ at all the reactionary European
courts, his own court included, and he and his second wife, Caroline
Amelia of Augustenburg, whom he married in 1815, lived in comparative
retirement as the leaders of the literary and scientific society of
Copenhagen. It was not till 1831 that old King Frederick gave him a seat
in the council of state. On the 13th of December 1839 he ascended the
Da