Caroline Matilda was barely past her early teenage years when she was sent away to become a queen. Almost immediately, she found herself trapped in a marriage that turned into a nightmare. Then she fell in love with another man—the king’s own physician—and their secret relationship ignited whispers, political plots, and one of the largest scandals in Danish royal history. Her enemies turned on her, her marriage collapsed, and the young queen was stripped of her crown and exiled far from home.
But the darkest part of her story was still to come. This is the tragic and controversial tale of Caroline Matilda. Born at Leicester House in London on July 22, 1751, Caroline Matilda was the ninth and youngest daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his wife Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. Unlike many of her siblings, she never knew her father.
Frederick, the eldest son and heir of King George II, died suddenly in March 1751, just three months before her birth. He was only 44. For generations, it was said his death came from a lung abscess caused by a blow from a cricket ball—a colorful explanation, though modern historians are no longer confident in that theory. Her widowed mother raised the large family in seclusion at Leicester House, trying to keep the children away from the intrigues of her father-in-law’s court, King George II.
As she grew, Caroline Matilda developed a lively, cheerful personality. She was described as temperamental but natural and spontaneous—qualities that set her apart from the rigid expectations of royal life. Unlike many princesses of her era, she seemed to care little about politics or the complicated scheming of the court. Instead, she loved horseback riding, learned to play the harpsichord, sang,and studied French, German, and Italian alongside her native English.
In 1760, Caroline Matilda’s quiet childhood suddenly ended. Her grandfather, King George II, died,and her older brother ascended the throne as George III. For the 9-year-old Caroline Matilda, everything changed overnight. She was no longer just a princess growing up in seclusion; she was now the sister of a reigning king, making her a valuable prize in the European marriage market.
Discussions soon began about whom she might marry. Caroline had little say in the matter. Her future was decided by her family’s political interests, and the man ultimately chosen for her would take her into a marriage that would become a nightmare
By1764, plans were underway to secure a husband for Caroline Matilda, with Denmark—whose kings long ruled Norway as part of the crown—emerging as a likely destination. The Crown Prince of Denmark, Christian, was Caroline’s first cousin, since his mother Louise was the sister of Caroline’s father.
Such a marriage would strengthen the existing alliance between Britain and Denmark. But Caroline was not Denmark’s first choice. Initially, the Danish court considered her older sister Louisa Ann, until their representative in London warned that her health was too fragile. Attention then turned to the 13-year-old Caroline Matilda, and in January 1765, their engagement was officially announced.
Caroline was now destined to become the future Queen of Denmark
Because Caroline was still so young, she did not leave for Denmark immediately. But everything changed in January 1766, when King Frederick V diedand her future husband suddenly became King Christian VII. He was not yet 17. Then, on October 1 of that year, the 15-year-old Caroline Matilda married Christian by proxy at St James’s Palace in London.
The very next morning, she left England for a country she had never seen, traveling to meet a husband she had never met. They finally came face-to-face at Roskilde in early November. On the 8th, Caroline entered Copenhagen amid tremendous cheers from the crowds. That evening, she and Christian were formally married at Christiansborg Palace.
Finally, on May 1, 1767, the young king and queen were crowned together. Caroline Matilda was now officially Queen of Denmark—but she had no idea that her new royal life would soon spiral into scandal, betrayal, and disaster
Behind the pageantry of Caroline Matilda’s arrival in Denmark and her wedding, serious problems were already emerging. Christian was mentally ill; modern biographers generally conclude he suffered from schizophrenia, which made his behavior increasingly unpredictable. He showed little interest in his young wife and delayed consummating the marriage.
Instead, he spent his nights roaming the taverns and brothels of Copenhagen with a notorious circle of court intimates. Among them was Anna Cathrine Benthagen, a woman who indulged the king’s fondness for women dressed in men’s clothing and would join his raucous city outings disguised as a naval officer. In fact, Christian had not wanted this marriage in the first place. He had been pressured by his court, which hoped the marriage might somehow improve his troubled mental state.
Some at court even whispered that the king preferred the company of men over women
For Caroline, though, the result was the same. She had been sent to Denmark to become queen, only to find herself married to a man who showed no interest in her existence. Adding to her distress, members of the Danish court showed Caroline no sympathy, and her only ally, her lady-in-waiting Louise von, was exiled in1768 due to court intrigues. Ultimately, after being persuaded that he needed to secure the succession by producing an heir, Christian fulfilled his royal duty, and on January 28, 1768, Caroline gave birth to a son, Crown Prince Frederick.
With the succession secured, Christian quickly returned to his old ways, spending his nights again in Copenhagen’s brothels and taverns. Shortly afterward, the king left his wife in Copenhagen with their infant son and set off on a grand tour of Europe that lasted most of the year
During his absence, the young queen was accused of having an affair with La Vallière—likely incorrect, but the gossip was damaging enough that La Vallière was sent into exile after Christian’s return. Meanwhile, Caroline began forming friendships with ladies at court known for their romantic escapades, who encouraged her to dance, flirt, and enjoy a more active social life. But the most consequential result of Christian’s journey had not yet come.
Traveling through Germany, his behavior reportedly grew stranger, so his attendants hired a young physician named Johann Friedrich Struensee. He would soon become the man at the heart of a scandal that would destroy both himself and Caroline Matilda
Born in Halle in1737, Johann Struensee became a practicing physician in Altona. He ended up in the service of the Danish crown after being appointed during Christian’s travels through Germany, showing a rare ability to manage the king’s violent mood swings and gaining his trust. So, when the court returned to Copenhagen in January 1769, he came with them and remained at the Danish court as royal physician.
Initially, the queen treated the newcomer with great coolness. But she began to warm to him as Struensee seemed to be one of the few at court who urged Christian to show more kindness toward his neglected wife, and for a time, the marriage briefly improved. Before long, Struensee gained a powerful position at court. In January 1770, he was given private rooms at Christiansborg Palace, bringing the young doctor into the heart of the royal family.
At the same time, Christian VII grew more passive and withdrawn as his mental health declined, leaving more of the daily business of government in Struensee’s hands. Then, in the spring, Struenseee earned Caroline Matilda’s gratitude in a way that brought them dangerously closer. When smallpox swept Denmark, he successfully inoculated Crown Prince Frederick, saving the child’s life. Caroline’s trust inthe charming doctor deepened, and that trust soon turned into something far more intimate
By the summer of1770, the queen and the king’s physician were no longer merely close associates.
Their relationship had become an open secret. Perhaps the affair might have been allowed to continue had it not been so politically sensitive. With her husband often incapacitated and Caroline’s own role ingoverning growing, anxiety mounted at the Danish court that Struensee—a foreigner—was becoming the real power behind the throne. In September1770, the veteran foreign minister, Count Johann von Bernstorff, was dismissed, with suspicions that the German doctor was behind the decision.
Then, in July1771, a royal decree appointed Struenseese as minister with authority to issue orders as if done with Christian’s authority. Thus, for an extraordinary period of about16 months after Bernstorff’s fall, a German doctor became Denmark’s de facto ruler, issuing more than as thousand decrees inthe king’s name. His policies were controversial and would transform Danish society. He abolished prior censorship and attacked many privileges enjoyed by the nobility, while attempting to reform the harsh system of peasant forced labor.
Naturally, this earned him powerful enemies among the conservative elite
While he was reshaping the kingdom, Caroline Matilda was also changing. The young queen gained new confidence, riding horseback and appearing at some occasions in masculine riding clothes. She also surrounded herself with people from outside the traditional aristocratic circle—behavior that only added to the growing scandal surroundingthe queen and her controversial lover. But then came the moment that seemed to confirm the worst suspicions of Struensee’s enemies.
On July 7,1771, Caroline Matilda gave birth to a daughter, Louise Augusta. Christian VII acknowledged the child as his own, but people at court soon began whispering that she was actually Struensee’s daughter. Behind closed doors, she was mockingly nicknamed“la petite Struensee”(“little Struensee”)
The rumors did not stop there. Shortly after the birth, a more explosive story began circulating.
Caroline and Struenseee were allegedly planning to imprison the king and make Caroline regent of Denmark. The accusation was certainly absurd, but by that point, truth mattered less than what people were willing to believe. Ironically, the freedom of the press that Struenseee had championed helped spread the very stories that would destroy him. Copenhagen filled with pamphlets and newspapers mocking his affair with the queen, while opposition at court coalesced around the king’s ambitious stepmother, Queen Juliana Maria, her son Frederick, and their adviser Ove.
Together, they were no longer merely conspiring against the king’s favorite. They were preparing to bring down the queen herself
The alliance formed against Caroline and her lover struck at last on the night of January 16,1772, during a masquerade ball at Christiansborg Palace. Caroline danced until the early hours, completely unaware that the conspirators had already begun their move. Once the palace fell quiet, they entered the terrified king’s bedroom and persuaded him to sign a series of arrest warrants, including one for Struenseee.
The physician was seized in his bed and taken to prison. Then, shortly before dawn, armed men entered the queen’s private apartments. Caroline was arrested,and that morning she was sent under heavy guard to Elsinore Castle, accompanied only by her infant daughter. Her young son, the heir to the throne, was left behind with his father.
Interrogations began almost immediately. After three days of intense questioning, Struenseee finally confessed to his sinful relationship with the queen. In March, his signed confession was shown to Caroline. Realizing denial was futile, she signed it herself.
Perhaps she hoped that confessing to the affair might save her lover’s life. If so, she failed
Struenseee was tried and executed on April 28,1772. He was 34 years old. By that time, Caroline was no longer Queen of Denmark and Norway.
Her marriage to Christian had been dissolved on April 6, and the young queen’s fate now lay in the hands of her brother across the sea. George III could do nothing to restore his sister’s marriage or reputation, but the imprisonment of a British princess was considered a grave diplomatic insult that could not be tolerated. The British envoy in Copenhagen, Sir Robert Murray Keith, threatened the Danes with breaking off relations entirely—and possibly war—if Caroline were not released. The Danish government eventually yielded.
Caroline would retain the right to call herself queen and would have her memoirs returned to her, but there was a heavy price. She had to leave Denmark, while her children would remain in Copenhagen
In late May1772, a small British naval force anchored off Elsinore. Caroline boarded one of the ships and sailed toward exile. She was not yet 21, and she was never destined to see her son or daughter again.
Caroline did not return to England. Given the circumstances of her fall in Copenhagen, her brother George III felt that her return to the British court would create an embarrassing and potentially damaging situation. Instead, she was sent to live at the old Celle Castle in Hanover, a territory under British royal control. There, Caroline established a small court and lived a quiet, withdrawn life, eventually reunited with her former lady-in-waiting, Mrs.
von Plessen. But Caroline was not forgotten in Denmark. The new regime dominated by Christian’s stepmother, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, quickly became deeply unpopular
By the autumn of1774, a group of Danish nobles was secretly planning to overthrow the government and restore Caroline to Copenhagen as regent for her young son, while the incapacitated Christian remained king in name only. Their intermediary was an English adventurer named Nathaniel Wraxall, who arrived to present this extraordinary proposal to Caroline.
She was willing to consider it, and Wraxall was sent to London to seek the approval of King George III. For a brief moment, Caroline Matilda had the chance to return to Denmark—not as an exiled queen, but as a ruler herself. But before her brother could make a final decision, illness and death collapsed the entire scheme. In the spring of1775, an epidemic fever swept northern Germany—widely believed to have been a strain of scarlet fever.
At Celle, the queen contracted the infection and, after a brief illness, died on May 10,1775, at just 23 years old. A letter attributed to her on her deathbed professed her innocence to her brother King George for the last time. Yet there is no doubt of Caroline’s infidelity with Struenseee. She was buried inthe church crypt at Celle, next to her great-grandmother Sophia Dorothea, the estranged wife of George I, the first Hanoverian king of England—a woman whose own story of betrayal and punishment mirrored Caroline’s own
In Denmark, Caroline’s son finally took control of government in1784, agedjust16, though his father Christian VII remained king in name until his death in1808.
Caroline’s son then became King Frederick VI and ruled Denmark until1839. Her daughter, Louise Augusta, remained at the Danish court and lived her entire life as Christian VII’s daughter, despite the widespread belief that Struenseese was her biological father. In the end, Caroline Matilda never returned to Denmark and never saw either of her children again.
She had barely completed five years as queen, but her brief and scandalous reign left behind a story of love, political upheaval, a contested princess, andone of the most notorious chapters in Danish royal history
