As her husband was introverted, she became the centre of a sumptuous court life, with exclusive luxury items and grand parties, which shed glory on the royal power.

A Swedish guest described her as "a lovely young person" and a Frenchman described her in 1649: "This princess was tall, blonde, with a very attractive complexion, mild and very accommodating toward strangers; she had a great taste for France, and she had everything it could give her.

"[1] Sophia of Hanover was impressed by her and said of her that "her goodness and great accomplishments won over all hearts to her", while the French envoy noted that the queen's considerable charm was in fact reserved for those "which belongs to her party or are of use to her interests.

When the abdicated queen Christina of Sweden was travelling through Denmark toward Germany incognito after her abdication, queen Sophie Amalie, who was at that time staying in Kolding, disguised herself as a maid and traveled to the inn at Haderslev to observe Christina while dining with her retinue, and then left without having introduced herself;[1] on another occasion, she made a similar anonymous visit to Hamburg and back disguised as a maid, despite the fact that Denmark was at that time at war with Hamburg.

Queen Sophie Amalie is known as the hostess and central figure of the many grand representational parties that dominated Danish court life during her husband's reign.

The Spanish envoy Rebolledo described her in this role at a party which was hosted in the honor of the queen's brother John Frederick at Jægersborg in 1655.

After a deer hunt, where the royal couple participated similarly dressed in red and where "the queen conquered her skill to satisfy her generosity" by, as a good hostess, allowing the guests to win over her, a ball followed in which "the queen danced all night with such a smiling distance and such a majestic dignity, that she attracted the attention and appreciation of all".

[1] Queen Sophie Amalie was described as ambitious and was well known to participate in state affairs, with the blessing of her husband, and influence policy as his adviser.

"[1] Her influence is contributed to the fact that she attracted her husband as well as was in possession of a willpower and energy exceeding his, as well as to the fact that they had the same political goals: "With her vivacious nature she understood how to attract her husband, with her greater decisiveness and more fiery temperament she energized his more careful nature to action, and above all she was given power, because she wanted it with all her flaming soul.

"[1] The three main political goals of Sophia Amalie and Frederick III were to defeat the power of the nobility, symbolized by the Svogerpartiet (Son-in-law's Party); to defeat the Swedes; and to expand royal power into absolutism, to which the queen gathered followers through her court festivities and by creating a net of contacts by handing out favors.

[1] Queen Sophie Amalie was from the start of her husband's reign famously involved in the power struggle between the crown and the high nobility, symbolized by the so-called Svogerpartiet ('Son's-in-law Party'), composed by six noblemen married to daughters of her father-in-law from his second morganatic marriage with Kirsten Munk, among which Corfitz Ulfeldt, married to Leonora Christina Ulfeldt, was the leading member.

Upon her husband's accession she became the first queen in over 30 years, and she could never stand the half-sisters of her spouse, who had fulfilled the position of first lady during their father's reign.

[1] She is believed to have exerted great influence upon the king, normally often passive and uncertain, in their mutual steadfastness never to surrender, and their act reportedly strengthened civilian morale considerably and earned them widespread popularity.

[1] During the Siege, the king showed himself on horse in the weak spots of the city both in night and day, accompanied by the queen, also on horseback, to strengthen public morale.

The reason why her spouse no longer relied so much upon her advice in the latter part of his reign, was likely the instability in foreign policy caused by her indecisiveness as to whether her goals to reconquer the Southern Provinces from Sweden would benefit most from an alliance with France or with the Holy Roman Empire.

A characteristic remark was made by nobleman Henrik Bjelke from the first Swedish war: "The king is good, but God save us with honor from here!

'"[1] Despite her son's dislike over her interference, she remained a factor which was taken into consideration in Danish politics, and Griffenfeld was careful to keep in her good graces.

She accompanied Ulrika Eleonora to Kronborg, but it was noted how she could not make herself to show her daughter the ceremony due to her future rank as queen.

When Sophie Amalie was informed, however, she managed to have the king retract his promise by refusing to attend the christening of the crown prince.