Princess Charlotte was born on 30 October 1789 at Christiansborg Palace, the principal residence of the Danish Monarchy in central Copenhagen.

[1] Her father was a younger son of King Frederick V of Denmark and Norway, while her mother was a daughter of Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

As a summer residence, the family owned Sorgenfri Palace, located on the shores of the small river Mølleåen in Kongens Lyngby north of Copenhagen.

The couple initially settled on Sankt Annæ Plads in central Copenhagen in what was called the Prince William Mansion.

As their country residence they received Charlottenlund Palace, located on the shores of the Øresund Strait 10 kilometers north of Copenhagen.

[4] Charlotte played some part in the succession crisis which occurred because her half first cousin, King Frederick VI of Denmark, lacked a male heir.

Prince Christian's older brother the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg had displayed anti-Danish sentiment during the recent First Schleswig War, and when gehejmeråd F.C.