History is full of kings who were "mad," but Christian VII of Denmark? He’s in a league of his own. You’ve probably seen the movie A Royal Affair or read some dusty textbook version of his life, but the real story is way more chaotic, tragic, and, honestly, kinda weird.
Christian VII of Denmark didn't just inherit a throne; he inherited a role he was never mentally or emotionally equipped to play. Born in 1749, he became the King of Denmark and Norway at only 16 years old. But behind the velvet robes and the crown was a teenager who was effectively being tortured by his tutors and ignored by his family.
The Upbringing That Broke a King
Imagine being a prince and having your "education" consist of getting beaten, mocked, and terrified by a man named Ditlev Reventlow. This wasn't just a strict teacher; he was a guy who believed in "hardening" the prince through physical abuse. Some historians think these beatings literally broke Christian's brain. By the time he was crowned in 1766, the kid was a mess.
He was smart—actually very intelligent—but his behavior was wild. He’d run through the streets of Copenhagen at night, picking fights with random people. He’d smash windows and hang out in brothels with a famous courtesan known as Støvlet-Cathrine. He wasn't acting like a king; he was acting like a person trying to escape a life he hated.
What was actually "wrong" with him?
Back then, they didn't have the words we use now. His doctors and advisors were obsessed with his "excessive masturbation," which they thought was draining his vitality and causing his mental decline. They even prescribed cold baths as a "cure."
Modern experts have looked at the symptoms:
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- Sudden outbursts of violence (like slapping courtiers for no reason).
- Inappropriate laughing fits.
- Periods of total stupor where he couldn't speak or make decisions.
- Extreme paranoia.
Today, many medical historians, including those referencing the work of Dr. Viggo Christiansen, suspect he suffered from schizophrenia. Others point to porphyria, the same "royal malady" that supposedly afflicted his cousin, King George III of England. Whatever it was, by his late teens, Christian VII of Denmark was barely in control of his own life.
The Doctor Who Stole the Crown (and the Queen)
Since Christian couldn't—or wouldn't—rule, someone else had to. Enter Johann Friedrich Struensee.
He was a German doctor who joined the King on a tour of Europe in 1768. Struensee was different. He didn't beat the King. He talked to him, calmed him down, and earned his total trust. Soon, Struensee wasn't just the royal physician; he was the most powerful man in Denmark.
While Christian was off playing leapfrog over his courtiers or throwing things at the wall, Struensee was busy. He became the lover of the young Queen, Caroline Matilda. This wasn't just some secret tryst; everyone eventually knew. Even the King didn't seem to mind much. He supposedly said it was "unfashionable" to love his wife anyway.
The "Reformstorm"
This is the part that’s actually impressive. Between 1770 and 1772, Struensee used his influence over Christian VII to sign over 1,800 decrees. This guy was an Enlightenment nerd. He basically tried to drag Denmark into the future overnight. He:
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- Abolished torture.
- Fired a bunch of lazy, overpaid nobles.
- Established freedom of the press (which ironically allowed people to print mean things about him).
- Started smallpox vaccinations.
- Cleaned up the sewers in Copenhagen.
The King just kept signing whatever Struensee put in front of him. Eventually, he signed a law that said Struensee’s signature was as good as the King’s. For a couple of years, Denmark was basically a dictatorship run by a German doctor and a teenage Queen.
The Brutal End of the Dream
You can probably guess how this ended. The nobility hated Struensee. He was taking away their power and sleeping with the Queen. Plus, he didn't even speak Danish!
The King’s stepmother, Queen Dowager Juliane Marie, led a coup in 1772. They bullied the terrified King into signing warrants for the arrest of his only friend and his wife.
Struensee’s ending was gruesome. He was executed in front of a massive crowd—his hand was chopped off, then his head, and his body was quartered. Caroline Matilda was exiled to Germany and never saw her children again. She died at just 23.
What Most People Get Wrong About Christian VII
People often write him off as just "the crazy guy in the room." But if you look at the primary sources, like the memoirs of his contemporaries, you see a man who was deeply lonely and trapped. He knew he was being manipulated. He once wrote on a document, "I should have liked to have saved them both," referring to his wife and Struensee. He just didn't have the mental strength to fight back.
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After the coup, Christian became a ghost in his own palace. He was officially the King for another 36 years, but he had zero power. He’d show up for dinner, sign what he was told to sign, and spend the rest of his time in his own world. His son, Frederick VI, eventually took over as regent in 1784 and brought back many of the reforms Struensee had started, but in a way that didn't start a civil war.
Lessons from the "Mad King"
Christian VII of Denmark matters because his reign shows how much damage a bad system can do to a vulnerable person. He was a victim of his time, his tutors, and his own biology.
If you're looking for actionable takeaways from this weird chapter of history, here’s how to look at it:
- Systems matter more than individuals. The Danish monarchy was so absolute that a "mad" king could be used as a rubber stamp for a revolution.
- Abuse has a long tail. The trauma Christian suffered as a child almost certainly exacerbated his mental health issues.
- Reform is dangerous. Even "good" changes (like ending torture) can get you killed if you don't have the political support to back them up.
If you ever find yourself in Copenhagen, head over to Roskilde Cathedral. You can see his sarcophagus there. It’s grand and silent, a far cry from the noisy, chaotic, and often painful life he actually lived.
To really understand the era, look into the "Struensee period" specifically. It's one of the few times in history where an entire country's laws were rewritten in just two years by a single person who technically had no right to be there.