Anna of Brandenburg


Margravine Anna of Brandenburg was a German noblewoman, the daughter of John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg, and Margaret of Thuringia. By her marriage to Frederick I, Duke of Schleswig and Holstein, she became duchess consort of Schleswig and of Holstein. Anna died at the age of 26, leaving behind two children, one of whom would go on to become King of Denmark after his father, Anna's husband, who was elected to the throne in 1523.

Marriage

In 1500 she was betrothed to Frederick, then Duke of Schleswig and Holstein and, after her death, king of Denmark and Norway. Because they were second cousins their marriage required a Papal dispensation. In addition, the marriage was not held until 10 April 1502 due to Anna's youth. The marriage, held in Stendal, was a double one: on the same day, Anna's brother Joachim and Frederick's niece Elisabeth were married.
Anna and Frederick had two children:
  1. Christian III of Denmark
  2. Dorothea of [Denmark (1504-1547)|Dorothea], married 1 July 1526 to Albert, Duke of Prussia
She died in 1514 at age 26. Her husband was remarried, to Sophie of Pomerania, and had six more children.