Christine Sophie von Gähler
Christine Sophie von Gähler, 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 royal court.
She was born to colonel noble Henrik Ahlefeldt (d. 1765). In 1762, she married officer noble Peter Elias von Gähler. Christine Sophie von Gähler was a leading profile of the royal court of King Christian VII of Denmark, where she attracted attention with her beauty, her vivaciousness, sarcastic wit and humorous temper. Together with the wife of the courtier Bülow and countess Charlotte Elisabeth Henriette Holstein, she became known as one of the Three Graces of the Danish royal court. She was a leading figure of the court and well regarded by both the King as well as the Queen, and regarded as socially indispensable at the card games played by the king and his favorites Enevold Brandt and Christian Frederik Holstein, as well as by queen Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, when she enjoyed outings with her ladies-in-waiting during her summers in the countryside, when they were escorted by the admirers of the ladies while their husbands were left at home. She became known for her lovers, weather there were truth in these rumors or not, though she always use to refer to her husband in public.
In connection to the fall of the queen's lover Struensee, Christine Sophie von Gähler and her spouse were both arrested and imprisoned on the night of 16–17 January 1772. She was freed and released in May of that year, officially cleared, though she was warned that she was worthy of a punishment for her "foolish and unwise behavior". Her spouse were, however, deprived of all his offices and the couple were expelled and also banned from residing in any of their estates. They were therefore forced to leave Denmark, and settled in Itzehoe in Germany. One of her admirers, general major J. F. Classen, aided them economically by granting them a yearly income. She became a widow in 1783. In 1792, she married count Carl Alexander von der Goltz, but died during her wedding night.
Christine Sophie von Gähler was decorated with the Ordenen de l'Union Parfaite (1765) and the Order of Mathilde, Mathildeordenen (1771).
References
- Nordisk familjebok, Gähler, Peter Elias von, 1904–1926.
- v. Gähler, Peter Elias i Carl Frederik Bricka, Dansk biografisk Lexikon (första utgåvan, 1892) Biografi af S.A. Sørensen
- Skeel Holbek...slægtsside
