CAROLINE MATILDA

British princess, issued in 1766 married the Danish King Christian VII. Was in power and virtually ruled the country with the help of Frederick's favorite Struenzee until 1772. Force has been divorced from her husband and left Denmark.

In the XVIII century, this woman was extremely popular. Apparently, any age needs to martyr, whose pity, sighing about their shattered lives, bitterly accused the evil their fate, and get them bad men. That this "unlucky" rumor christened sister of King George III - Princess Caroline-Mathilde. Of course, the poor woman possessed by all imaginable and unimaginable virtues: she was beautiful, intelligent and without blemish.

In late autumn 1766 Matilda, promise in marriage of the Danish King Christian, arrived in Copenhagen. It is interesting that sometimes even the details of her fate, as if on purpose, connected by rail canon of sentimental genre. Matilda, as expected, the throne was expecting a real "villain". The fact that the father of Christian, Frederick V, had been married twice. And the stepmother Juliania secretly hated her stepson, who at the expense of its native son was to inherit the throne. More dowager hated young daughter. Behind her was the future, and Juliania with his son was forced to languish far from Copenhagen, away from the yard, away from the power of the castle Fridensburga.

I must say that Christians, seventeen year old boy, becoming a king, gave himself up to the most unbridled fun and marriage was seen by them as a meaningless political episode. He seriously believed that between husband and wife can not be love, and more interested in metressami than pretty Matilda, which is, of course, stoically withstood the test. True, the fifteen-year-queen could be the mother of the heir, as her role at court for a long time limited and how it opened very very fierce hatred of her stepmother Julian.

Less than a year after the birth of Crown Prince Frederick, as the Danish court of the kingdom began to notice oddities in the behavior of Christians. His time and again visited the attacks of melancholy and apathy, or, conversely, he indulged in violent joy. Sometimes the king during the meal jumped from the table in order to prevent someone to take food. Poor Matilda, seeing the pain of the nervous system of her husband, came up with a purely English output, deciding that the trip would divert Christian and correct his impressions of his mind. But nothing is no longer able to save the rulers of dementia.

Returning from a trip, during which the brother of Matilda, wanting to show their relative esteem conferred mad Christian Doctor of Law degree, University of Oxford, the King not long resided in a calm frame of mind. Soon, from his chambers came the sound of breaking window glass and the door flew shards of expensive porcelain vases and head of the mythological statues. Christians having fun with their servants - the oversight of his boy-nave and black girl.

King of Denmark, no doubt, lost his ability to govern the state, but he is formally still remained the supreme authority. Queen, reared at the English court, was not slow to take advantage of this opportunity.

Photo — «Caroline Matilda»

It has sufficient strength and mind to become the head of the country. Its true, frightening loneliness and the constant feeling that she was "alien" to the Danish court. And the queen started to look for friends among the nobles.

And such a "heart" comrade found. It appeared to be the Life of King Frederick Struenzee doctor. Matilda long kept an eye on him, and he was not slow to take interest in the queen. Their relationship first became confidential, friendly, and when Struenzee, referring to the latest discoveries in medical science, successfully grafted Crown Prince of smallpox, a mother's heart was very subdued. The location of the Queen reflected in the appointment of chief physician of the Life Education leader heir, and then he was appointed Secretary of Matilda. Queen of the study was already close up to her bedroom.

Contemporaries were perplexed than he arrogant, dry Struenzee win a beauty. British ambassador to the dispatch to his government reported: "Struenzee did not find affability and appeal, which others create their own brilliant career. His manner of handling unpleasant, and all quite surprised why it was able to acquire such boundless influence on the king and queen. " Next envoy attributes favorite some knowledge, but does not recognize in him the state powers. The only thing that had Struenzee, had a huge ego, breaking occasionally into arrogance. Perhaps that pressure and won a poor woman.

Justice must be said that Matilda with her lover was quite a good state tandem. They were wise, reasonable policies that contributed to the rise of the country's economy and reputation of Denmark in the international arena. However, keen fashion while the Enlightenment ideas, they decided to reform. But calling the reformers have only a fortunate few, while others do not bet your career and sometimes his head. Matilda threw herself into the changes, both in the pool with his head, and nazhila many opponents, who have long looked askance at her favorite, but so far no one touched the queen, her power seemed strong enough. Struenzee dissolved the Council of State and made a mad Christian issue a decree, where a signature favorite equalized with the signature of the king.

While Matilda suit personal life, in Fridensburge lurking like a lynx in the ambush, an insidious Julian. The woman began to act quickly, as soon as she realized that fortune gives her a chance. Lovers completely lost their vigilance and caution, yielding to the feelings and believing in the easy goal. Every day, they quickly cut the path to the trap.

Hurried reforms have caused resentment not only of the nobility, but the mob. Fermentation is widely expressed in riots flaring up of soldiers and sailors. In the center of the plot was the dowager queen of Julian. Did not need special wisdom to organize a coup for the court mad king. The position of our heroine was compounded by the fact that it is not very well versed in humans. One high-ranking officials - Rantzau, who lived some time in Russia and adopt, by the way, participated in a coup on the side of Catherine II, hesitated, whose side - Juliania or Matilda - his take.

Photo — «Caroline Matilda»

Finally, he decided to warn about the dangers of lovers in the hope that he can get some privileges for the nobility. At a reception at Struenzee to Rantzau treated contemptuously, and the Count in a fury galloped into Fridensburg.

The evening of January 16, 1772 in the halls of the Copenhagen Royal Palace music thundered. Beauty Matilda fun dancing with her son Juliania - Frederick, unaware of the threats it faces. In the hour of midnight the ball over and the royal family headed for their rooms. There was a silence.

The disaster broke out after an hour. Julian, her son and went to the apartment Rantzau Christian. Waking idiot, they played at the bedside of the king scene as a good actor.

"In the city of rebellion! - Screaming included. - People demand the trial of the queen and Struenzee!

The king of terror stretched out his hands to Julian and asked the council. Hurriedly slipped him a pre-made paper, but the last glimmer of consciousness to stop the hand of Christians: he saw the name of his wife and refused to sign the sheets. Only threats forced him to surrender. In the bedroom Struenzee were waiting in full combat readiness of the military conspirators. Favourite resistance has not appeared, he did not even have enough intelligence to require a signature on his own as the arrest, for an edict to confer special powers Struenzee no one has repealed. But the Queen was behaving like a king, we can say it was the only "man" among his associates. She desperately fought physically with who came to arrest her and demanded a meeting with the king.

After victory followed a brutal vengeance Julian. Fortunately, Matilda guarded its relationship with the King of England, and how would rival any craved her blood, she could not reach her head. The only thing that remained Juliania for celebration - a shame Matilda. And the Queen Dowager has made every effort to cover the reviled name of this queen. From Struenzee under torture drove the recognition of having an affair with Mathilde, but it was not enough to expose. It was necessary to obtain confirmation of the fall of the queen herself. Investigators went to the forgery, playing on the sympathy and affection Matilda. She explained that the recognition of the queen Struenzee her lover saves last life. Matilda hesitated briefly, she enrolled as a real woman. Not too trusting the promises of the executioners, she still decided to use even a shaky chance to help Struenzee. Of course, it treacherously deceived, and sentenced the former favorite, and his friend to a terrible death with the severed right hand first, and only then with a beheading.

Matilda, divorced for infidelity of the queen, at first it was decided to leave in Denmark, that it "does not wash dirty linen in public", but the woman resisted, and the efforts of her brother George she was allowed to go to Germany. Here it is mocked and tortured after the conclusion was greeted with enthusiasm, as the martyr of cruel fate and worthless men. She died in a still quite a young age from the grief and anguish. Thus ended the tragedy of the Danish court.