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The King Whose Reign Was Almost Ruined Because He Couldn’t Stop Masturbating
Christian VII of Denmark was obsessed with other things during the early days of his long and troubled time on the throne of Denmark
Any leader of a nation has an infinite number of things to concern themselves with as they seek to maintain their charge and bring their people prosperity. Undue distractions can be detrimental to the task at hand. This was particularly true of Christian VII of Denmark, whose more than 40-year reign was in danger of being over almost before it started because of his insatiable masturbation compulsion.
Born in 1749 in Copenhagen, Christian came to the throne in 1766 after his father Frederick V died at an early age. The new monarch of the House of Oldenburg ruled until his own death in 1808. Despite the length of his time on the throne, his tenure was anything but smooth, as he was plagued by mental illness and a masturbation habit that his advisors thought would be a detriment to his health and reign.
During his first year on the throne, the 17-year-old Christian married his cousin, the 15-year-old Princess Caroline Matilda of Great Britain. The wedding was done by proxy, as the couple weren’t even in the same country at the time. Perhaps…
