The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-02-02
THE ROMANCE OF KINGS LIFE.
THE LATE MONARCH OF DENMARK
From the London Spectator.

! LIZ IA II moNAnCh OF DENMAKh
.H.I 81, From the London Spectator ab
] The late monarch of Denmark was born Octo.
J Der 9th, 1908, twelve months after the lombard.
/ meht Pf Copenhagen by the British feet, at The
time when the crown Of Denmark did not seem to
be worth many years purchase. His. father, too
was but the cousin Of the reigning king, who had
two daughters, and being only forty years of age
had hopes of still possessing male offspring Un-
der these circumstances, the prospects of young
| Prince Frederick appeared to be not particularly
brilliant; and his father being proud though sim
guiarly transformations man. he was left alnost en-
tirely to himself, and permitted to grow up among
peasants, sailors, and soldiers, from whonf he i'm.
bibed strongly democratic tastes
When only four years of age, great misfortune
befell the poor boy. His parents, after several
years of uuhappiness, were separated by divorce,
which decreed that he should be torn from his af-
fecionate mother and left under the care of stran
gers. Among strangers accordingly he grew up,
the father being entirely engrossed BY political
affairs, in the course of which the crown of Norway
was placed on his head for four short months, as
almost to forget the existence of his son.
new marriage, which gave Frederick STEP
mother, estranged the paternal feelings still more
and the young Prince was glad enough when. at
the age of sixteen, he was permitted to leave Den
mark on travels through Europe, nominally to
complete his education, in reality to begin it, He
duly nade the then customary tour de PEurope,
and then settled down for several years at Geneva
Here, in the country of Jean Jacques Rousseau,
he imbibed ultra republican principles, for the re-
ception of which his previous training, or the abb
sence of training, mad already well-ftted him. Deb
With these Prince Frederick went back to Den
mark at the age of twenty. Things, meanwhile,
had changed at the Danish court in regard to the
succession to the throne. The regnng King, now
sixty years old, had given up all hopes of having
male offspring, and Frederick's father Prince
Christian, cousin OF the mon arch, had become heir
apparent to the crown The aged King was ex-
ceedingly anxious to marry off his two daughters
the eldest past thirty, and no suitor coming from
abroad, he offered them to the only disposable male
relations at home--the one, the young man just
returned from Geneva, aud the other his uncle,
Prince Ferdinand. The young republican Prince
would fain have declined the honor of being united
to Kings daughter; but a refusal was not per-
mitted to him, and by order of his father and the
King, he was married under strong military escort
to his cousin, Princess Wlhelmiaa, on the 1st No
vember, 1928. Frederick took from the first
strong dislike to his wife, which was greatly in
creased in time by her naughty disposition, utterly
foreign to his own habits. Before long he left his
royal spouse altogether, taking refuge at man.
sion, distant from the capital, among his old friends
and humble companions
Here he made the acquaintance for the first
time, of Louise Rasmussen, sprightly little dam
sci of sixteen, the daughter of poor tradesman,
but with some education and more grace snd moth
wit. Such society was altogether more to his
tastes than that Of the stiff court of Copenhagen,
at which he did not make his appearance for
long time. BY royal decree of September 10,
1887, he banshed to the fortress of Fredericis
in Jutland. Old soldier and sailor friends were
not allowed on visit to Fredercis, and little
Louise Rasmussen could not find her way to the
fortress, but with many tears, the orderof her
parents, set out journey to Paris, where she
became an ornament to the corps de ballet A few
days after Frcdcricks arrival at the place of his
banishment, decree Of divorce between him aud
Princess Wilhelmina was issued at Copenhagen:
The death of the King .9pd the ascension of his
father to the throne, released Prince Frederick
from prison at the end of little more than Two
years, and he was then appointed Governor of the
Island OF Funen. But being inclined to fall again
into his old ways of living, his royal father SOON
after insisted that he should marry once more, and
after some negotiations, Princess Caroline, of Neck
lenburg, ,Stretz, was chosen to be the second wife
10 the fall bloom of youth, very pretty, and highly
accomplished, it was hoped that she would wean
Prince Frederick from his low-born companions,
and bring him back to Court and to sense of his
Crown-prince duties But this the young Princess
signally failed to do Frederick, although he ac.
knowledged her to be prcttier,. thought her as
proud as his first wife, and before long a6sented
himself more than ever from the Court aud bis
new home. What, probably contributed to this
arrangement, accidental meeting with
old friend Of his youth, Louise Rasmussen
Poor Louise had seen hard times since she left
Denmark for France. Though an ornament for
some years of the Paris corps de ballet she
soon shelved the appearance Of greater orna-
ments ard had to content herself with becoming
member of wandering troupe Of actors, dissemin-
ating dramatic art through the little towns Of Ger
many Hungary, and Bohemia. The speculation,
with all its hardships and miscres, proved very
unsatisfactory in pocuniary sense, and Louise
Rasmussen was glad to drop off the stage of des-
titute Hanoverian villige and to proceed on foot
to Hamburg The wealthy merchant city gave
her new friends, among whom she sojourned for
another couple OF years, and then returned to Co
penbageO.
Getting to the dangerous boundary Of thirty,
Miss Rasmussen now resolved to become steady,
and accordingly settled down as milliuer and dress
aker, working for the shops and for any procura-
BILE private customers. One evening. coming home
late from her work, she at least this
is the Copenhagen story-by the sight Of a lire,
and with wonted energy ranged herself among the
human chain of assistants whose hands passed the
pals Of water from the canal to the FIRE engine,
She had not been there long when she perceived
that gentleman opposite, busy in handing pals,
stared very hard at her, if trying to recognize
acquaintance. She recognized him at once ; it
was His Royal Highness, Prince Frederick, heir
to the throne Of Denmark. The confagration be.
-. .,hJ,ad Dr;,,o EraJar;cL xoll. III, n1o-ol