Christian VII was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death in 1808. His motto was "Gloria ex amore patriae".
Portrait by Alexander Roslin, c. 1772
Christian's birthplace, Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, c. 1750
Christian as a boy
Coronation portrait of Christian VII by Jens Juel
The Duchy of Holstein was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It originated when King Christian I of Denmark had his County of Holstein-Rendsburg elevated to a duchy by Emperor Frederick III in 1474. Members of the Danish House of Oldenburg ruled Holstein – jointly with the Duchy of Schleswig – for its entire existence.
Allegorical depiction of Christian VII of Denmark uniting the royal and ducal parts of Holstein, painted by Nicolai Abildgaard