One wonders why it didn't occur to Moltke to try, well, alternate sex methods rather than risking his wife's life at this point. My instinctive guess is that not just family life but marital life, including sex, was his time away from Frederik and he felt he needed the relief in order to be otherwise constantly available, and wasn't the type ot cheat on his wife.
I had more or less the same thought: that like you suspect Caroline Marie Daum was for Fredersdorf during the Fritz/Voltaire explosion, Moltke's wives (and children?) were his haven during his turbulent relationship with Frederik. I keep saying it: Moltke was the only one who thought marriage would solve all of Frederik's problems in 1752, and unlike in 1743, he had a ton of evidence to the contrary, so I take that as reason to believe marriage made *him* feel better. Was Juliana Maria really such a political catch that the marriage couldn't have waited 2 years? By then, Augusta might have been available!
Hmm, actually, maybe the thinking wasn't "Marriage will fix Frederik's drinking and orgies" as everyone keeps saying it was, maybe it was "New wife may be someone I can delegate some emotional availability for Frederik to, so I *don't* have to be available 24/7 and I don't burn out." Huh, that's the first fully rational explanation for pushing a marriage neither Frederik nor the Danish people wanted to happen this soon. I suppose maybe getting a spare to go with the heir, as there was only one (unstable) son at that point and Frederik was clearly drinking himself to death.
Anyway, I still think given Moltke's own life choices: 7-year engagemnt starting at age 18, immediate remarriage, 22 kids going into his 60s, and married until his death, that marriage was his happy place.
Now, I note that 1773 is 7 years after Frederik's death in January 1766, and that there were multiple kids born after Frederik died, but 1) once something is working for you, you tend to hang onto it, 2) mental health issues tend not to occur in isolation, so if Moltke's got that dysfunctional relationship with Frederik for so long, he may have other issues either as cause, effect, or both, and those may still be in play in 1773.
I did independently come to the same conclusion as you that Moltke probably wasn't the type to cheat on his wife, although of course that remains to be seen. (Mind you, with 22 kids plus the rest of his schedule, he would have had to have been taking scheduling tips from Algarotti to fit a mistress or prostitutes in!)
Actually, did Algarotti go to Copenhagen? No, I don't think he did. Well, you weren't missing anything, Algarotti, in either reign.
Thinking about it, it makes sense: 1746 is when Frederik came to power, 1730s is when Algarotti is roaming. Until 1746, "no fun allowed!" Christian VI was in charge, so Copenhagen would not have been the place to look for a job if you were an Algarotti. Either at a personal or a professional level. ;)
Re: Danish kings and their favorites: Frederik V and Moltke
I had more or less the same thought: that like you suspect Caroline Marie Daum was for Fredersdorf during the Fritz/Voltaire explosion, Moltke's wives (and children?) were his haven during his turbulent relationship with Frederik. I keep saying it: Moltke was the only one who thought marriage would solve all of Frederik's problems in 1752, and unlike in 1743, he had a ton of evidence to the contrary, so I take that as reason to believe marriage made *him* feel better. Was Juliana Maria really such a political catch that the marriage couldn't have waited 2 years? By then, Augusta might have been available!
Hmm, actually, maybe the thinking wasn't "Marriage will fix Frederik's drinking and orgies" as everyone keeps saying it was, maybe it was "New wife may be someone I can delegate some emotional availability for Frederik to, so I *don't* have to be available 24/7 and I don't burn out." Huh, that's the first fully rational explanation for pushing a marriage neither Frederik nor the Danish people wanted to happen this soon. I suppose maybe getting a spare to go with the heir, as there was only one (unstable) son at that point and Frederik was clearly drinking himself to death.
Anyway, I still think given Moltke's own life choices: 7-year engagemnt starting at age 18, immediate remarriage, 22 kids going into his 60s, and married until his death, that marriage was his happy place.
Now, I note that 1773 is 7 years after Frederik's death in January 1766, and that there were multiple kids born after Frederik died, but 1) once something is working for you, you tend to hang onto it, 2) mental health issues tend not to occur in isolation, so if Moltke's got that dysfunctional relationship with Frederik for so long, he may have other issues either as cause, effect, or both, and those may still be in play in 1773.
I did independently come to the same conclusion as you that Moltke probably wasn't the type to cheat on his wife, although of course that remains to be seen. (Mind you, with 22 kids plus the rest of his schedule, he would have had to have been taking scheduling tips from Algarotti to fit a mistress or prostitutes in!)
Actually, did Algarotti go to Copenhagen? No, I don't think he did. Well, you weren't missing anything, Algarotti, in either reign.
Thinking about it, it makes sense: 1746 is when Frederik came to power, 1730s is when Algarotti is roaming. Until 1746, "no fun allowed!" Christian VI was in charge, so Copenhagen would not have been the place to look for a job if you were an Algarotti. Either at a personal or a professional level. ;)