In fairness to anecdote collections, just think of Nicolai, who turned out to be pretty reliable and well sourced. As for the content of the anecdote, yeah, this is my unsurprised face. I mean, from what you've told us, "Moltke cares only about himself" is a massively unfair characterisation, but coming from the kid who seems to have gotten zero help against the abusive teacher from either his father or Moltke, it makes sense. And it's always easier to blame the favourite rather than the parent/spouse.
Also, "unless you also get the crown" to an all-powerful minister...that sounds like a veiled accusation.
Well, yes, but I don't think literally, because there's no way Moltke could have managed that one in a literal fashion. Otoh, if he had married his daughter to Frederik, then I could see conspiratoritorilly minded people believing he did this in preparation of a coup - i.e. wait till the girl has delivered a son, off Frederik (if he hadn't drunken himself to death at that point already), off Christian, become regent for the grandkid, presto. (I mean, even Struensee later wasn't accused of wanting liteerally to become King, but of wanting to make CM regent while continuing to rule as all powerful PM. OUtside of Disney movies, all powerfull ministers who aren't members of the immediate royal family this late in history can't plot to make themselves King. (Boo, hiss at the 1990s Musketeers version which has Richelieu doing this.)
Then again: Christian isn't mentally stable, so who knows, maybe he did mean it literally, disregarding all logic. But if he's still more or less compos mentis, he might have said this to Moltke after the death of his own mother and before Juliana arrived on the scene, thus making it clear Moltke doesn't want to become Grandfather of the next King?
Re: Danish kings and their favorites: Frederik V and Moltke
Also, "unless you also get the crown" to an all-powerful minister...that sounds like a veiled accusation.
Well, yes, but I don't think literally, because there's no way Moltke could have managed that one in a literal fashion. Otoh, if he had married his daughter to Frederik, then I could see conspiratoritorilly minded people believing he did this in preparation of a coup - i.e. wait till the girl has delivered a son, off Frederik (if he hadn't drunken himself to death at that point already), off Christian, become regent for the grandkid, presto. (I mean, even Struensee later wasn't accused of wanting liteerally to become King, but of wanting to make CM regent while continuing to rule as all powerful PM. OUtside of Disney movies, all powerfull ministers who aren't members of the immediate royal family this late in history can't plot to make themselves King. (Boo, hiss at the 1990s Musketeers version which has Richelieu doing this.)
Then again: Christian isn't mentally stable, so who knows, maybe he did mean it literally, disregarding all logic. But if he's still more or less compos mentis, he might have said this to Moltke after the death of his own mother and before Juliana arrived on the scene, thus making it clear Moltke doesn't want to become Grandfather of the next King?