For years, she was looked down upon by society but now one royal wife is being turned into an icon by the dynasty who wouldn’t let her be queen. A royal mistress turned much loved wife has become the focus of a brand new exhibition in Copenhagen with Queen Mary appearing in a film that’s part of the display.
The woman in question was called Louise but known as Countess Danner when she was barred from being Queen of Denmark. The film isn’t the first time that Queen Mary has flown the flag for the woman who was banned from having the title she now holds. But it’s further confirmation of just how important this royal story and the woman at its heart is to the current Queen of Denmark.
The consort who could never be queen
Louise Rasmussen was a ballet dancer at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in the 1830s. Although she was a talented dancer, she was an illegitimate child, which greatly affected her standing in society.
She met the then-Crown Prince Frederik in the 1830s while dancing. During this period, she had a relationship with a print-maker whose child she gave birth to, out of wedlock, in 1841.
By the mid-1840s, she had retired from ballet and opened a clothing store. She had also become the Crown Prince’s mistress.
When Frederik became King Frederik VII of Denmark in 1848, he had hoped to marry Rasmussen. However, the government refused to agree to the marriage due to her own illegitimate birth, as well as that of her child.
In 1850, she was granted the title of Countess Danner and the couple wed anyway. They had a morganatic marriage, meaning that the Countess was not queen and their children did not have the right to inherit the throne.
A love match
Although the nobility detested Danner, she actually was a good match for Frederik. She helped keep his heavy drinking habit in check and encouraged him to follow the government.
She also dedicated herself to charity following Frederik’s death in 1863. She founded an organisation to help working class women and children in his honour, “Frederick the VII’s Foundation for Poor Women from the Working Class”. In Danish, the organisation is now known as Dannerhuset.
A very unusual royal statue
Queen Mary of Denmark inaugurated a statue of a once maligned royal who is now being lauded for her progressive ideas in November 2024.
As the Danish Queen unveiled a new statue of Louise Rasmussen, later Countess Danner, in the heart of Copenhagen she said ”the story of Countess Danner is also the history of Denmark. A monument is a memorial, and in Countess Danner’s case it will stand as a symbol of her importance for women’s liberation, social awareness and social mobility.”
The unveiling poignantly took place on UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
