Dronning Lovisa
Queen Lovisa was born as a Swedish-Norwegian Princess but married into the Danish royal family. She was the mother of eight children and owned a large jewellery collection, which she left in her will to the sitting queen of Denmark.
The Swedish-Norwegian princess, who became Danish
Lovisa Josefina Eugenia was the daughter of the Swedish-Norwegian King Charles XV and Queen Louise. She was the Royal Couple’s only surviving child, as her brother, Carl Oscar, died as an infant. Thus, Lovisa grew up as an only child in the Swedish royal family. At the time, Swedish law did not allow for female royal succession, so Lovisa was not able to take to the throne in Sweden-Norway as reigning queen. Therefore, she married the Danish Crown Prince, Frederik (VIII), the son of Christian IX and Queen Louise – known as ‘Europe’s parents-in-law’. Their union reflected an ambition of strengthening the bonds between the Nordic countries through marriage. In Scandinavistic circles, the marriage was viewed as a stepping stone towards bringing Norway, Sweden and Denmark together under a single crown.
Royal mother and educator
Through her marriage, Lovisa became crown princess of Denmark, a title she retained for the following 37 years. During this long period, Lovisa gave birth to and raised eight children. Her eldest son became Christian X of Denmark, and her second son, Carl, was elected king of Norway in 1905, after the country had gained its independence from Sweden. Lovisa was personally involved in raising her children and was driven by a strong personal sense of discipline and religiosity. She generally had a conservative worldview, including her view of women’s role in the family.
Loved and disliked
In accordance with her Christian beliefs, philanthropy was another key focus of Lovisa’s life. She was deeply committed to social causes, both as crown princess and queen and during her dowager years. This made her popular with the Danish people. During the First World War, she sewed for Red Cross hospitals, which cared for injured soldiers. By contrast, her relations to the Royal Family were strained. She was not well liked by either her mother-in-law, Queen Louise, or her sisters-in-law Grand Duchess Dagmar and Princess Alexandra, who viewed her as clumsy and unsophisticated. However, she had a loving relationship with her husband, Frederik (VIII).
Jewellery for the Danish queen
Queen Lovisa has left her imprint on the Danish Royal House, in particular through the large jewellery collection she brought with her from Sweden to Denmark. In 1910, she founded the Danish Royal Property Trust, a collection of her jewellery that is at the disposal of the sitting queen of Denmark. Many of the pieces have remained in use to this day, for example the Pearl Poire set, which was worn by HM Queen Margrethe II on many occasions during her reign and which has also been worn by HM Queen Mary.