Augusta's father, Prince William, who was a minor prince of Hesse-Kassel, had moved to Denmark prior to his marriage to Princess Charlotte and Augusta and her siblings grew up in the Danish royal court and the family became one of the leading families in Danish society.

Due to various circumstances it was Augusta's brother-in-law, Christian IX of Denmark, who in the end became king when the main line died out in 1863.

[1] He held the family seat at Näsbyholm Castle in Sweden and Dallund manor in Funen[1] and served as Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1859–1860.

He also became a close ally of Countess Louise of Danner, the morganatic spouse of King Frederick VII of Denmark, who was disliked by the other members of the Danish royal family.

[1] She lived privately at the villa, but she was often visited by the royal family, including emperor Alexander III of Russia, when they stayed at Fredensborg Palace.