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Princess Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark

Copenhagen, 10 Jul 1747 – Kassel, 14 Jan 1820

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 10 Jul 1747

    Born in Copenhagen

  2. 1768–1777

    4 children are born

  3. 14 Jan 1820

    Dies in Kassel, aged 72

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 4

During her lifetime

She lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Copenhagen.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1740s · Princess is born in Copenhagen

In the news1740–1752

1740s cattle plague destroys livestock numbers

Beginning in the mid-1740s, a devastating cattle plague killed between 300,000 and 400,000 animals by the time it subsided in 1752.

At the table

Standard colonial dietary rations

In the Danish-Norwegian colonies, daily rations consisted of porridge, peas, hardtack, rye bread, smoked pork, brandy, and beer.

What people wore

Skirt colors indicated status

Women used skirt colors to signal status: red for unmarried girls, green for married women, and blue for festive occasions.

Getting around

Mail coach travel from Copenhagen to Roskilde

In the mid-18th century, a horse-drawn mail coach could travel from Copenhagen to Roskilde in 4 to 5 hours, covering the distance in one go, provided the roads were not muddy or prone to accidents.

What it cost

Grain prices in Berlin

In 1740, a bushel of rye in Berlin cost 1 thaler and 21 groschen due to a bad harvest, though prices typically stabilized between 19 and 20 groschen until the Seven Years' War. At the time, one thaler was equal to 24 groschen.

Music

Common Instruments for Village Dancing

Village dances commonly featured the violin as the main instrument, alongside traditional drone instruments like the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and drums.

Daily life

Long school days and restricted access

Formal schooling for boys in Danish towns involved long days, typically running from 6:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., except on Wednesdays when it ended at 8:00 a.m. Girls were generally barred from these schools, though some were taught by female teachers who were restricted to instructing girls regardless of age.