Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430–1495)
Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430–1495)
Queen of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Name variations: Hohenzollern. Born in 1430; died on November 10 or 25, 1495, at Kalundborg, Denmark; daughter of John III the Alchemist, margrave of Brandenburg, and Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg (c. 1405–1465); sister of Barbara of Brandenburg (1422–1481); married Christopher of Bavaria also known as Christopher III (1416–1448), king of Norway and Denmark and Sweden (r. 1439–1448), on September 12, 1445; married Christian I (1426–1481), king of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (r. 1448–1481), on October 26 or 28, 1449; children: (second marriage) Olaf (1450–1451); Canute (1451–1455); John I, also known as Hans (1455–1513), king of Denmark and Norway (r. 1481–1513); Margaret of Denmark (1456–1486, who married James III of Scotland); Frederik or Frederick I (1471–1533), king of Norway and Denmark (r. 1523–1533).
The gifted Dorothea of Brandenburg married Christopher III, king of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, at age 15. Widowed at 18, she then married Count Christian of Oldenburg (Christian I), impoverished heir to the crowns of Denmark and Norway. Christian had agreed to marry and care for her in exchange for his election to the throne. At age 13, their daughter Margaret of Denmark was married to James III of Scotland.