View source for Christian VIII

{{short description|King of Denmark from 1839 to 1848}}
{{Redirect|Christian Frederick}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Christian VIII
| image        = File:Kong Christian d. 8..jpg
| caption      = Portrait by [[Johan Vilhelm Gertner]], 1845
| succession   = [[King of Denmark]]
| moretext     = ([[Style of the Danish sovereign|more...]])
| reign        = 3 December 1839 – 20 January 1848
| coronation   = 28 June 1840<br/>[[Frederiksborg Palace Chapel]]
| predecessor  = [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]]
| successor    = [[Frederick VII of Denmark|Frederick VII]]
| succession1  = [[King of Norway]]
| reign1       = 17 May – 10 October 1814
| predecessor1 = [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]]
| successor1   = [[Charles XIII of Sweden|Charles II]]
| spouses      = {{Plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]|1806|1810|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Augustenburg]]|1815}}
}}
| issue        = [[Frederick VII of Denmark|Frederick VII]]
| full name    = Christian Frederick
| house        = [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]]
| father       = [[Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark]]
| mother       = [[Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1786|9|18|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Christiansborg Palace]], Copenhagen
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1848|1|20|1786|9|18|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Amalienborg Palace]], Copenhagen
| burial_place = [[Roskilde Cathedral]]
| religion     = [[Lutheranism]]
| signature    = Signature of Christian VIII of Denmark.svg
}}
'''Christian VIII''' (18 September 1786 – 20 January 1848) was [[King of Denmark]] from 1839 to 1848 and, as '''Christian Frederick''', [[King of Norway]] in 1814.<ref name="StoreDanske">{{cite web |title=Christian 8. |url=http://denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_geografi_og_historie/Danmarks_historie/Danmark_1536-1849/Christian_8. |access-date=15 August 2016 |publisher=Den Store Danske}}</ref>

Christian Frederick was the eldest son of [[Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark|Hereditary Prince Frederick]], a younger son of King [[Frederick V of Denmark]] and Norway. As his cousin [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]] had no sons, Christian Frederick was [[heir presumptive]] to the throne from 1808.

==Early years==
===Birth and family===
[[File:Juel, Jens - Prince Frederick of Denmark with his family.png|thumb|left|[[Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Hereditary Princess Sophia Frederica]] and [[Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark|Hereditary Prince Frederick]] with their three eldest children. Prince Christian stands next to his father. Portrait by [[Jens Juel (painter)|Jens Juel]], 1790.]]
Prince Christian Frederick of Denmark and Norway was born late in the morning on 18 September 1786 at [[Christiansborg Palace]], the principal residence of the [[Danish Monarchy]] on the island of [[Slotsholmen]] in central [[Copenhagen]].<ref name="kirkeboeger">{{ cite web | url=http://www.historie-online.dk/special/daab/kirkeboeger.htm | access-date=18 February 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924030558/http://www.historie-online.dk/special/daab/kirkeboeger.htm | archive-date=24 September 2015 | title=Kongelige i kirkebøgerne | trans-title=Royals in the church records | publisher=Dansk Historisk Fællesråd | website=historie-online.dk | language=da }}</ref> He was officially the eldest son of [[Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway]] and Duchess [[Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]].{{sfn|Thorsøe|1889|p=515}} His father was a younger son of the deceased King [[Frederick V of Denmark]]-Norway and his second wife, Duchess [[Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]], and his mother was a daughter of [[Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]].

On 28 September 1786, the young prince was baptized with the names ''Christian Frederick'' in his mother's chamber at Christiansborg Palace by the royal confessor Christian Bastholm.<ref name="kongeligedaab">{{cite book|first1=Lone|last1=Hindø|first2=Else|last2=Boelskifte|chapter=Kammerfrøkenen bar den unge prins rundt|trans-chapter=The lady-in-waiting carried the young prince around|title=Kongelig Dåb. Fjorten generationer ved Rosenborg-døbefonten|trans-title=Royal Baptisms. Fourteen generations at the Rosenborg baptismal font|publisher=Forlaget Hovedland|year=2007|isbn=978-87-7070-014-6|language=da|pages=57–65}}</ref> His godparents were [[Christian VII of Denmark|King Christian VII]] (his uncle), the dowager queen [[Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Juliana Maria]] (his grandmother), [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Crown Prince Frederick]] (his cousin), [[Princess Louise Augusta of Denmark|Princess Louise Augusta]] (his cousin), and [[Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Hereditary Prince Frederick Christian of Augustenburg]].<ref name="kongeligedaab"/>

In the family, however, it was widely acknowledged that the biological father most likely was the Hereditary Prince's [[aide-de-camp]] and [[hofmarschall]] [[Frederick von Blücher]], who probably also fathered Christian Frederick's three younger siblings: [[Princess Juliane Sophie of Denmark|Princess Juliane Sophie]], [[Princess Charlotte of Denmark|Princess Louise Charlotte]] and [[Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark|Prince Frederick Ferdinand]].<ref name="StoreDanske"/>{{sfn|Bramsen|1985|pp=29–31 & 36–37}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Huset Glücksborg. Europas Svigerfader og hans efterslægt |volume=1 |author=Bo Bramsen |year=2002 |page=200 |location=Copenhagen |language=da |isbn=87-553-3230-7 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Kvindelist og kongelast. Blide duer og stride fruer i danmarkshistorien|author=Rie Krarup|year=1985|location=Copenhagen|language=da|isbn=978-87-15-05057-2}}</ref> In a letter written by [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Crown Prince Frederick]] to his brother-in-law [[Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Duke Frederick Christian II of Augustenburg]] in 1805, he thus mentions the Hereditary Prince's goodwill towards his hofmarschall and continues: {{blockquote|... my uncle appreciates the creator of the four, very adorable princes and princesses too much to want to send him away.{{sfn|Dehn-Nielsen|1999|p=12}}}}

When Prince Christian Frederick was born, his father's half-brother, [[Christian VII of Denmark|Christian VII]], was the King of [[Denmark-Norway]], but due to the king's mental illness, he was not able to rule himself. From 1772, Hereditary Prince Frederick had ruled together with his mother, the Dowager Queen [[Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Juliane Marie]], and their adviser [[Ove Høegh-Guldberg]]. In 1784, however, the king's only son, the young Crown Prince Frederick (later King [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]]), had seized power in a [[palace revolution]] and was now the real ruler. In Prince Christian Frederick's childhood, his family had a strained relationship with the Crown Prince and his family as a result of these power struggles, but gradually the relationship between the two branches of the royal family was normalized.

===Childhood and education===
[[File:Principe Cristian Federico de Oldenburgo, futuro rey Cristian VIII de Dinamarca.png|thumb|Prince Christian Frederick. Portrait by [[Jens Juel (painter)|Jens Juel]], 1802.]]
Prince Christian Frederick spent the first years of his life with his siblings in the vast and magnificent [[Baroque]] [[Christiansborg Palace]]. As the family's summer residence, Hereditary Prince Friedrich in 1789 bought the smaller and elegant [[country house]], [[Sorgenfri Palace]], on the banks of the small river [[Mølleåen]] in [[Kongens Lyngby]], north of Copenhagen. On 26 February 1794, the family lost their Copenhagen home, as Christiansborg Palace was devastated by a fire. Instead the Hereditary Prince bought the ''[[Levetzau's Palace]]'',{{efn|Today also known as ''[[Christian VIII's Palace]]''}} an 18th-century [[town house]] which forms part of the [[Amalienborg Palace]] complex in the district [[Frederiksstaden]] in central [[Copenhagen]]. In november of the same year, when he was eight years old, his mother, who had long suffered from a fragile health, died at Sorgenfri the age of just 36 years.

Christian Frederick was raised conservatively according to the guidelines of minister [[Ove Høegh-Guldberg]], who had been ousted from government in 1784 along with the hereditary prince. His upbringing was marked by a thorough and broad-spectrum education with exposure to artists and scientists who were linked to his father's court.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} He inherited the talents of his highly gifted mother, and his love of science and art was instilled at an early age and would follow him throughout his life. His amiability and handsome features are said to have made him very popular in [[Copenhagen]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

He was [[Confirmation (Lutheran Church)|confirmed]] on 22 May 1803 in the chapel of [[Frederiksberg Palace]] together with his sisters Princess Juliane Sophie and Princess Louise Charlotte.{{sfn|Thorsøe|1889|p=516}} A year and a half later, on 7 December 1805, the children's father, Hereditary Prince Frederick, died at the age of 52, and the nineteen-year-old Prince Christian Frederik inherited his place as second-in-line in the succession as well as the two residences, Levetzau's Palace and Sorgenfri Palace. As King Christian VII died on 13 March 1808, Crown Prince Frederick became king of Denmark and Norway as Frederick VI. Since the new king still had no male descendants, Christian Frederick thus became [[heir presumptive]] to the throne.

===First marriage===
[[File:Charlotte of Mecklenburg by Breda.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait of [[Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Charlotte Frederica]] by [[Carl Frederik von Breda]] {{circa}} 1806.]]
On a visit to his mother's relatives in [[Mecklenburg]], Prince Christian Frederick stayed at his uncle's court in Schwerin, where he fell in love with his cousin, Duchess [[Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]. Charlotte Frederica was a daughter of the reigning Duke [[Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Friedrich Franz I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]], and [[Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1756–1808)|Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg]]. They married two years later, on 21 June 1806, at [[Ludwigslust]].

The young couple first settled at [[Plön Castle]] in the [[Duchy of Holstein]]. It was here, that Charlotte Frederica gave birth to their first-born son, Prince Christian Frederick, who was born and died on 8 April 1807. From 1808 the couple lived in Copenhagen, where they took residence partly at Levetzau's Palace at Amalienborg, and partly at Sorgenfri Palace. On 6 October 1808, their second son and only surviving child was born, Prince Frederick Carl Christian, the future King [[Frederick VII of Denmark]].

Nonetheless, their married life was unhappy. Charlotte Frederica was described as very beautiful in her youth, but her character was thought to be moody, capricious, frivolous and mythomaniac, qualities that were later said to recur in her son, Frederick VII. Her alleged affair with her singing teacher, Swiss-born singer and composer [[Édouard Du Puy]], led to her removal from the court. For this reason, her husband divorced her in 1810, sent her into internal exile in the town of [[Horsens]], and prohibited her from ever seeing her son again.<ref>{{cite web|url=   http://denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_geografi_og_historie/Danmarks_historie/Danmark_1536-1849/Charlotte_Frederikke
|title=  Charlotte Frederikke|publisher =     Den Store Danske|access-date= 15 August 2016}}</ref>

==King of Norway==
{{main|Kingdom of Norway (1814)}}
[[File:Christian Frederik J. L. Lund.jpg|thumb|Christian Frederick in 1813, aged 27 years]]

In May 1813, as the [[heir presumptive]] of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, Christian was sent as ''stattholder'' ([[Governor-general of Norway]]) to Norway to promote the loyalty of the Norwegians to the [[House of Oldenburg]], which had been very badly shaken by the disastrous results of [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]]'s adhesion to the falling fortunes of [[Napoleon I of France]]. Christian did all he could personally to strengthen the bonds between the Norwegians and the royal house. Though his endeavours were opposed by the so-called Swedish party, which desired a dynastic union with Sweden, he placed himself at the head of the Norwegian party of independence after the [[Treaty of Kiel]] had forced the king to cede [[Norway]] to the king of Sweden. He was elected Regent of Norway by an [[assembly of notables (Norway)|assembly of notables]] on 16 February 1814.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref>{{cite web|url=   https://nbl.snl.no/Christian_Frederik|title=  Christian Frederik|publisher =     Norsk biografisk leksikon|author=  Knut Mykland
|access-date= 15 August 2016}}</ref>

This election was confirmed by the [[Norwegian Constituent Assembly]] convoked at [[Eidsvoll]] on 10 April, and on 17 May the constitution was signed and Christian was unanimously elected king of Norway under the name Christian Frederick (Kristian Frederik in [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]]).
Christian next attempted to interest the great powers in Norway's cause, but without success. On being pressed by the commissioners of the allied powers to bring about a union between Norway and Sweden in accordance with the terms of the treaty of Kiel, and then return to Denmark, he replied that, as a constitutional king, he could do nothing without the consent of the parliament ([[Storting]]), which would not be convoked until there was a suspension of hostilities on the part of Sweden.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref>{{cite web|url=   http://www.kongehuset.no/artikkel.html?tid=29297&sek=26976|title=  Kong Christian Frederik
|publisher =     kongehuset.no|access-date= 15 August 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Prins Christian Frederik.jpg|thumb|right|Portrait of Christian Frederick, {{circa|1814}}]]
Sweden refused Christian's conditions and a short [[Swedish–Norwegian War (1814)|military campaign]] ensued in which the Norwegian army was defeated by the forces of the Swedish crown prince [[Charles XIV of Sweden|Charles John]]. The brief war concluded with the [[Convention of Moss]] on 14 August 1814. By the terms of this treaty, King Christian Frederick transferred executive power to the Storting, then abdicated the throne and returned to Denmark. The Storting in its turn adopted the constitutional amendments necessary to allow for a personal union with Sweden and on 4 November elected [[Charles XIII of Sweden]] as the new king of Norway, Charles II.<ref>{{cite web|url=  https://snl.no/Christian_Frederik |title=Christian Frederik|publisher= Store norske leksikon|author=  Knut Dørum
|access-date= 15 August 2016}}</ref>

== Danish heir presumptive ==
=== Second marriage ===
[[File:Christianviiidenmark.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait of Prince Christian as heir presumptive, {{circa|1831}}]]
Upon his return to Denmark, Christian married his second wife, Princess [[Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]] (daughter of [[Louise Augusta of Denmark]], the only sister of Frederick VI) at [[Augustenborg, Denmark#Augustenborg Palace|Augustenborg Palace]] on 22 May 1815. The couple was childless and lived in comparative retirement as leaders of the literary and scientific society of Copenhagen until Christian ascended the throne of Denmark.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kvinfo.dk/side/597/bio/590/origin/170/|title=  Caroline Amalie (1796–1881)|publisher=Dansk Kvindebiografisk leksikon|access-date=15 August 2016}}</ref>

Christian had ten extramarital children, for whom he carefully provided. It has been suggested that these extramarital children included the fairy tale author [[Hans Christian Andersen]], though there is little evidence to support this.<ref>{{cite book |title=Hans Christian Andersen: Danish Writer and Citizen of the World |last=Rossel |first=Sven Hakon |publisher=Rodopi |year=1996 |isbn=90-5183-944-8 |page=6}}</ref>

== King of Denmark ==
[[File:Christian VIII og Caroline Amalie i salvingsdragt.jpg|thumb|right|Christian VIII and his consort [[Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Caroline Amalie of Augustenborg]] during his [[anointing]] on 28 June 1840 in [[Frederiksborg Palace Chapel]].]]
[[File:Christian VIII af Wilhelm Marstrand.jpg|thumb|right|Portrait of Christian VIII, by [[Wilhelm Marstrand]], {{circa|1843}}]]
On 3 December 1839 he ascended the Danish throne as Christian VIII. The Liberal party had high hopes of "the giver of constitutions." However, by this time, Christian had become more conservative, and disappointed his admirers by steadily rejecting every Liberal project. Administrative reform was the only reform he would promise.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} In his attitude to the growing national unrest in the twin duchies of [[Schleswig]] and [[Holstein]] he often seemed hesitant and half-hearted, which damaged his position there. It was not until 1846 that he clearly supported the idea of Schleswig being a Danish area.<ref>{{cite book|url=   https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Christian_VIII.
|title=  Christian VIII |series= Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie |year= 1876 |page= 195 |publisher =     Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie |access-date= 15 August 2016}}</ref>

King Christian VIII continued his predecessor's patronage of [[astronomy]], awarding gold medals for the discovery of [[comet]]s by [[telescope]] and financially supporting [[Heinrich Christian Schumacher]] with his publication of the scientific journal ''[[Astronomische Nachrichten]]''. It was during his reign that the last remnants of [[Danish India]], namely [[Tranquebar]] in the south and [[Serampore]] in Bengal, were sold to the British in 1845.

His only legitimate son, the future Frederick VII (1808–1863) was married three times, but produced no legitimate issue. Since he was apparently unlikely to beget heirs, Christian wished to avert a succession crisis. Christian commenced arrangements to secure the [[Louise of Hesse#Opportunities opening in the Danish succession|succession in Denmark]]. The result was the selection of the future [[Christian IX]] as hereditary prince, the choice made official by a new law enacted on 31 July 1853 after an international treaty made in London.
[[File:Christian VIII of Denmark's tomb.png|thumb|left|Tomb of Christian VIII, [[Roskilde Cathedral]]]]
King Christian died of [[sepsis]] in [[Amalienborg Palace]] in 1848 and was interred in [[Roskilde Cathedral]] on the island of [[Zealand]], the traditional burial site for [[List of Danish monarchs|Danish monarchs]] since the 15th century.

Some historians and biographers believe that King Christian would have given Denmark a free constitution had he lived long enough; his last words are sometimes recorded as "I didn't make it" (''Jeg nåede det ikke'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gravsted.dk/person.php?navn=christian8|title=  Christian 8|publisher =     gravsted.dk |access-date= 15 August 2016}}</ref>

== Honours ==
He received the following orders and decorations:<ref name="Statskalendar02">''Kongelig Dansk Hof-og Statscalender Statshaandbog for det danske Monarchie for Aaret 1847'', [https://dis-danmark.dk/bibliotek/918026.pdf#page=36 p. 27] (in Danish). Retrieved 2 April 2020</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* {{flag|Denmark}}:<ref name="Statskalendar01">''Kongelig Dansk Hof-og Statscalender ... for Aaret 1838'', [https://dis-danmark.dk/bibliotek/918032.pdf#page=32 pp. 9], [https://dis-danmark.dk/bibliotek/918032.pdf#page=33 12], [https://dis-danmark.dk/bibliotek/918032.pdf#page=58 62] (in Danish). Retrieved 2 April 2020</ref>
** [[Order of the Elephant|Knight of the Elephant]], ''16 November 1787''
** [[Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog]], ''10 August 1808''
** Grand Commander of the [[Order of the Dannebrog]], ''28 October 1828''
* {{flag|Austrian Empire}}: [[Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary|Grand Cross of St. Stephen]], ''1819''<ref>[http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm "A Szent István Rend tagjai"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222022855/http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm|date=22 December 2010}}</ref>
* {{flag|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: [[Order of Saint Hubert|Knight of St. Hubert]], ''1838''<ref>{{cite book|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Bayern: 1846|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_sLlGAAAAcAAJ|year=1846|publisher=Landesamt|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_sLlGAAAAcAAJ/page/n44 7]}}</ref>
* {{flag|Belgium}}: [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold]], ''22 November 1843''<ref>{{cite book|title=Almanach royal officiel, publié, exécution d'un arrête du roi|volume=1|author=H. Tarlier|year=1854|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=p35NAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA37 37]|language=fr}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg}} [[July Monarchy|Kingdom of France]]: [[Legion of Honour|Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
* {{flag|Kingdom of Hanover}}:<ref>{{cite book|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1846|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_L_pSAAAAcAAJ|year=1846|publisher=Berenberg|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_L_pSAAAAcAAJ/page/n53 36], [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_L_pSAAAAcAAJ/page/n71/mode/2up 54]}}</ref>
** [[Order of St. George (Hanover)|Knight of St. George]], ''1840''
** [[Royal Guelphic Order|Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order]]
* {{flag|Oldenburg}}: [[House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis|Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown]], ''6 January 1840''<ref>{{cite book|title=Oldenburgischer Staatskalender: auf d. Jahr Christi ... 1845|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yYYAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA13|year=1845|publisher=Schulze|page=13}}</ref>
* {{flag|Kingdom of Portugal}}: [[Sash of the Three Orders|Grand Cross of the Sash of the Three Orders]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} [[Kingdom of Prussia]]: [[Order of the Black Eagle|Knight of the Black Eagle]], ''13 February 1840''<ref>''Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler'' (1851), "Von Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich Wilhelm III. ernannte Ritter" [https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10362193?page=31 p. 21]</ref>
* {{flag|Russian Empire}}: [[Order of St. Andrew|Knight of St. Andrew]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Spain (1785–1873, 1875–1931).svg}} [[History of Spain (1810–73)|Spain]]: [[Order of the Golden Fleece|Knight of the Golden Fleece]], ''13 January 1840''<ref>{{citation |url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0002236217&search=&lang=en|title=Caballeros Existentes en la Insignie Orden del Toison de Oro|date=1847|journal=Calendario manual y guía de forasteros en Madrid|access-date=2 April 2020|page=79|language=es}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Swedish and Norwegian merchant flag 1818-1844.svg}} [[Sweden-Norway]]: [[Order of the Seraphim|Knight of the Seraphim]], ''28 January 1836''<ref>{{cite book|author=Per Nordenvall |title=Kungliga Serafimerorden: 1748–1998 |year=1998 |chapter=Kungl. Maj:ts Orden |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=91-630-6744-7}}</ref>
* {{flag|Two Sicilies}}: [[Order of St. Januarius|Knight of St. Januarius]], ''1827''<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.socistara.it/studi/Real%20Ordine%20di%20San%20Gennaro.pdf|page=9|language=Italian|title=Vicende e personaggi dell'Insigne e reale Ordine di San Gennaro dalla sua fondazione alla fine del Regno delle Due Sicilie|author=Angelo Scordo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190749/http://www.socistara.it/studi/Real%20Ordine%20di%20San%20Gennaro.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Christian VIII of Denmark'''
|2= 2. [[Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark]]
|3= 3. [[Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
|4= 4. [[Frederick V of Denmark]]
|5= 5. [[Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Duchess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]
|6= 6. [[Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
|7= 7. [[Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld]]
|8= 8. [[Christian VI of Denmark]]
|9= 9. [[Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|Princess Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach]]
|10= 10. [[Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]
|11= 11. [[Duchess Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]]
|12= 12. [[Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] 
|13= 13. [[Duchess Gustave Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]] 
|14= 14. [[Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld]] 
|15= 15. [[Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]]
}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist|colwidth=20em}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Christian VIII.|volume=6|page=278}}
* {{cite book|last=Bramsen|first=Bo|chapter=Arveprins Frederik og hans ægteskab|title=Ferdinand og Caroline : en beretning om prinsen der nødig ville være konge af Danmark|trans-title=Ferdinand and Caroline : an account of the prince who was reluctant to be king of Denmark|year=1985|edition=4th|publisher=Nordiske Landes Bogforlag|location=Copenhagen|isbn=87-87439-22-0|lang=da}}
* {{cite book|last=Busck|first=Jens Gunni|translator=Peter Sean Woltemade|title=Christian VIII : king first of Norway and then of Denmark|year=2016|publisher=Historika|location=Copenhagen|isbn=9788793229402}}
* {{cite book|last=Dehn-Nielsen|first=Henning|title=Christian 8. : konge af Danmark, konge af Norge|trans-title=Christian VIII : King of Denmark, King of Norway|year=1999|publisher=Sesam|location=Copenhagen|isbn=87-11-13191-8|lang=da}}
* {{NDB|3|235|236|Christian VIII. (Christian Friedrich)|Hennings, Hans Harald|119382091}}
* {{cite book|last=Langslet|first=Lars Roar|author-link=Lars Roar Langslet|title=Christian Frederik : konge av Norge (1814), konge av Danmark (1839–48)|trans-title=Christian Frederick : King of Norway (1814), King of Denmark (1839–48)|year=1999|publisher=[[Cappelen]]|location=[[Oslo]]|isbn=87-00-38544-1|lang=no}}
* {{Cite ADB|4|195|205|Christian VIII.|Lorentzen, Karl}}
* {{cite book|last1=Scocozza|first1=Benito|chapter=Christian 8.|title=Politikens bog om danske monarker|trans-title=Politiken's book about Danish monarchs|year=1997|publisher=Politikens Forlag|location=Copenhagen|isbn=87-567-5772-7|pages=170–174|language=da}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Thorsøe |first=A. |title=Christian VIII, Konge |editor=[[Carl Frederik Bricka]] |encyclopedia=[[Dansk Biografisk Leksikon]]. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537–1814 |edition=1st |volume=III |publisher=[[Gyldendal|Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag]] |location=Copenhagen |date=1889 |pages=515–522 |language=da }}
{{Refend}}

==Obituary (astronomy)==
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0008//0000062.000.html MNRAS '''8''' (1848) 62]

==External links==
{{Commons category|Christian VIII of Denmark}}
* [http://kongehuset.dk/english/the-monarchy-in-denmark/The-Royal-Lineage The Royal Lineage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224944/http://kongehuset.dk/english/the-monarchy-in-denmark/The-Royal-Lineage |date=14 March 2015 }} at the website of the [[Danish Monarchy]]
* [http://www.kongernessamling.dk/en/rosenborg/person/christian-viii/ Christian VIII] at the website of the [[Royal Danish Collection]] at [[Rosenborg Castle]]
* {{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Christian (Danish kings)|display=Christian, the name of nine kings of Denmark. IV. Christian VIII.}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Oldenburg]]|18 September|1786|20 January|1848|name=Christian VIII of Denmark}}
{{S-reg}}
{{S-bef|rows=2|before = [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]]}}
{{S-ttl|title = [[List of Danish monarchs|King of Denmark]]<br/>[[Duke of Schleswig]], [[List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein|Holstein]]<br/>& [[List of rulers of Saxony#Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg (1401–1876)|Saxe-Lauenburg]]|years = 3 December 1839 – 20 January 1848}}
{{S-aft|after = [[Frederick VII of Denmark|Frederick VII]]}}
{{S-ttl|title = [[List of Norwegian monarchs|King of Norway]]|years = 17 May – 10 October 1814}}
{{S-aft|after = [[Charles XIII of Sweden|Charles II]]}}
{{S-gov}}
{{S-break}}
{{S-bef|before = [[Prince Frederik of Hesse|Frederik of Hesse]]}}
{{S-ttl|title  = [[Governor-general of Norway]]|years = 1 May 1813 – 16 February 1814}}
{{S-aft|after  = [[Hans Henric von Essen]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{Danish princes}}
{{Monarchs of Denmark}}
{{Monarchs of Norway}}
{{Monarchs of Iceland}}
{{Governors-general of Norway}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Christian VIII of Denmark| ]]
[[Category:1786 births]]
[[Category:1848 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Norwegian monarchs|Christian Frederick]]
[[Category:Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg]]
[[Category:Dukes of Schleswig]]
[[Category:Dukes of Holstein]]
[[Category:House of Oldenburg in Denmark]]
[[Category:Grand Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)|3]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz|3]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint James of the Sword|3]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary]]
[[Category:Burials at Roskilde Cathedral]]
[[Category:Regents of Norway|Christian Frederick]]
[[Category:Governors-general of Norway|Christian Frederick]]
[[Category:19th-century monarchs of Denmark]]
[[Category:Monarchs who abdicated]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]
[[Category:Protestant monarchs]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian 08 of Denmark}}