Amalie Sofie Holstein (1748-1823), was a Danish noblewoman and courtier, known for her love life and unconventional life style, known in history as one of the Three Graces of the Danish royal court.

Life

She was the daughter of Schack von Buchwald til Johannisdorff and Eleonora Elisabet von Plessen. She married courtier Count Ulrik Adolf Holstein in 1763. In 1765 her spouse was appointed ambassador to Berlin, however during a court ball she convinced the king to appoint another to the post because she did not wish to leave Denmark. Influencing government policy in this manner was regarded as a scandal. As a result the king appointed her spouse to a post in the Danish countryside, which reportedly they both found a less than pleasing place to reside. She was a cousin of Ida Hedevig Moltke, and her relative

Charlotte Elisabeth Henriette Holstein Charlotte Elisabeth Henriette Holstein née ''zu Inn- und Knyphausen'' (3 February 1741 – 18 May 1809, Vallø) was a Danish noblewoman. She served as Overhofmesterinde to Denmark's queen consort Caroline Matilda of Great Britain in 1770-1772. Li ...

served as the chief lady-in-waiting to queen Caroline Matilda. Upon the recommendation of the queen's friend

Christine Sophie von Gähler Christine Sophie von Gähler, Countess von der Goltz, née von ''Ahlefeldt'' (1745 – 18 July 1792) was a Danish noble and courtier, known for her love life and unconventional life style, known in history as one of the Three Graces of the Danish ...

, her spouse was given a political post by the queen's lover

Johann Friedrich Struensee Lensgreve Johann Friedrich Struensee (5 August 1737 – 28 April 1772) was a German-Danish physician, philosopher and statesman. He became royal physician to the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark and a minister in the Danish government. ...

in 1770, which made it possible for the pair to return to court, and Amalie Sofie Holstein became a leading member of court life. Together with the baroness Anna Sofie Bülow and countess

, she became known as one of the Three Graces of the Danish royal court.August Fjelstrup:
Damerne ved Karoline Mathildes Hof
', 1909. Amalie Sofie Holstein was described by contemporaries as friendly, with a good disposition and humor to her personality, beautiful though somewhat plump in her appearance, and as sympathetic and kind to those who knew her personally. She had a relationship with

Enevold Brandt Count Enevold Brandt (1738 - 28 April 1772) was a Danish courtier. Biography Brandt was born in Copenhagen, and studied law at the University of Copenhagen. He became assistant judge of the Supreme Court of Copenhagen in 1764, royal chamberlai ...

, who used his position with the king to pay off her gambling debts, and who left the position as the king's caretaker to Élie Salomon François Reverdil for her. Struensee disliked her because she allegedly made Brandt defiant toward him, and as her spouse proved himself not useful as a politician, the Holstein couple was allowed to stay at court only because of Brandt. On the night of the fall of Struensee in January 1772, Brandt danced with Holstein at the masquerade ball, and when he escorted her from the ball, he told her that he was sure that their roles could not continue much longer. After the coup, her spouse was forced to resume his old post in the countryside, effectively banishing them from court once again. She gave birth to her only child in 1775 and became a widow in 1789.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holstein, Amalie Sophie 1748 births 1823 deaths 18th-century Danish people Danish countesses