Anne Catherine of Brandenburg

Anne Catherine with her son the Prince-Elect

Anne Catherine was born in Halle (Saale) and raised in Wolmirstedt.[1] Her parents were Joachim Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg and his first wife Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin. Christian met her on his journey in Germany in 1595 and decided to marry her. In 1596, Anne Catherine and her parents were present at his coronation, and the next year, the marriage was arranged.

Anne Catherine became Queen of Denmark on 27 November 1597 when she was married to Christian IV. The wedding took place in the castle of Haderslevhus in South Jutland the year after the coronation of Christian IV. She was crowned queen in 1598. She was given Beate Huitfeldt as the head of her ladies-in-waiting. She had six children, among them Christian, the Prince-Elect, who died a year before his father, and Frederik III who introduced absolute monarchy in Denmark. Her son, Ulrik, was murdered in 1633. Their two daughters, Sophia and Elisabeth, and the elder son, Frederick, died at a very young age.

Anne Catherine was the only queen of Christian IV, but not much is known about her. She does not seem to have had much political influence. She often accompanied the King on his travels. In her time, she was praised for her modesty and deep religious feelings. There is no mention as to whether the marriage was happy or not, but her spouse took mistresses at the end of their marriage, notably with Kirsten Madsdatter. The building of the Rosenborg Castle began while she was queen, but the extent of her influence on the building and its interior is not known. Despite her good relationship with the Lutheran archbishop, she called upon a Calvinist vicar to give her the last sacrament on her death bed.

She died in Copenhagen and was buried in the Roskilde Cathedral.

1. Stillborn son (1598).[2]
2. Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark (15 August 1599 – 9 September 1599) died in infancy.
3. Christian, Hereditary Prince of Denmark (10 April 1603 – 2 June 1647) married Magdalene Sibylle of Saxony.
4. Princess Sophie (4 January 1605 – 7 September 1605) died in infancy.
5. Princess Elisabeth (16 March 1606 – 24 October 1608) died in infancy.
6. Frederick III (18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670) married Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg and had issue.
7. Ulrik, Prince-Bishop of Schwerin (2 February 1611 – 12 August 1633) died unmarried.

• Article in the Dansk biografisk Lexikon (in Danish)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anne Catherine of Brandenburg.

• Queen Anna Cathrine at the website of the Royal Danish Collection