This CdV shows Princess Christian of Denmark, the mother of the Princess of Wales (born Alexandra of Denmark) and Princess Dagmar (later Empress of Russia). She was born Louise of Hesse-Kassel in 1817, and married her second cousin Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksberg in Copenhagen on 26 May 1842. She was then known as Princess Christian until her husband succeeded to the Danish throne on 15 November 1863, when she became Queen Louise of Denmark. This photograph was taken just a month before the succession.

She led a happy and somewhat private family life. She had six children, including Alexandra, who became Princess of Wales, Vilhelm Georg who became George I of Greece, and Dagmar, who married Tsar Alexander III of Russia. All these are included in Southwell Brothers portraits in this collection. She made strenuous efforts to arrange dynastic marriages for her children, and in this respect has been likened to Queen Victoria. She died on 29 September 1898 and was buried in Roskilde Cathedral near Copenhagen.

[Source: Wikipedia]

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