On her first voyage, starting on 23 May, she took the crown prince, the future Frederick VII of Denmark, to the Faroe Islands, then went to the Mediterranean and Morocco, finally taking on board works of art by the late sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen in Livorno.

She had commenced the attack at about 7:00 in the morning, but due to unfavorable wind conditions was only maneuverable with towing assistance from the steamer Geiser.

Anchored near the beach, the ship was unable to leave the bay again due to the unfavorable wind under fire and surrendered at about 6:00 in the evening.

After the abandonment of the heavily damaged frigate, the ship was initially taken under the then neutral Prussian flag until the question of ownership was finally clarified, but had already been renamed SMS Eckernförde.

In mid-October 1850, a separate treaty between France and Denmark stipulated that the ship would remain German property.

In 1852, after the dissolution of the Reichsflotte, the ship was bought by Prussia together with the wheeled frigate Barbarossa and put into service under its old name of Gefion.