Charlotte Helene von Schindel

Who was Charlotte Helene von Schindel?

Charlotte Helene von Schindel was a Danish noble, a lady in waiting and a royal mistress of King Frederick IV of Denmark.

Charlotte Helene von Schindel was originally from Silesia. She became the lady in waiting of Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, the morganatic spouse by bigamy of King Frederik IV. After the death of Vieregg in 1704, Schindel became Frederick's lover and was given the title Countess of Frederiksholm, which was an acknowledgement of her status as an official royal mistress. In 1709, the monarch planned to marry her, but those plans were met with great opposition from the church who, when the King asked them if the law against bigamy should apply also to kings, assured him that it did. She had a daughter by him, who, however, died soon after.

The relationship ended in 1711; Frederick entered into his relationship with Anne Sophie Reventlow and ordered Charlotte Helene von Schindel to leave court for her estate in Själland. She initially stopped at Fyn and claimed to be pregnant with Frederick's child, but the pregnancy turned out to be false. Charlotte Helene von Schindel hosted a vivid social life at her estate and entered into a relationship with the noble Ernst G.