always to have written her letters in German. She was described as beautiful, with a great posture and an impulsive, passionate mind with a strong will force; she enjoyed hunting, "as she was an excellent rider", and as late as 1555 was noted to have participated in a hunt with such energy that she fell off her horse. As the first lady of the royal household, queen Dorothea hosted festivities with great splendor when motivated as representation of royal power, but was in everyday life described as strict, moral and frugal; she supervised the finances of the household herself, allowed for no waste and had all members of the court in constant occupation, allowing her ladies-in-waiting no time for leisure. Dorothea is described as a dominating mother who kept strict control over her children also after they became adults, and her acts as a guardian to them were described as strict and intense. As was the custom of the time, she also had several children of the nobility as her foster children, who were raised in her household as her courtiers and maids-of-honor, over whom she also kept a strict control. In 1540, Birgitte Gøye was freed from her engagement with her assistance, which led to a law banning arranged engagements of minors. Her daughters were raised in household chores and to marry, while her sons were given a strict schooling and not allowed to stray from their studies much prior to their adulthood. In 1548, she accompanied her daughter Anna to her wedding in Saxony, and she kept visiting her daughters in Germany regularly once a year for the rest of her life. She was widowed in 1559. Queen Dowager As a queen dowager, she resided with her own court in Koldinghus. Queen dowager Dorothea fell in love with her brother-in-law and neighbor, Duke John II of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev (1521–1580), during her marriage, and despite her intense grief at the deathbed of her spouse, she issued negotiations to marry her former brother-in-law shortly after her husband's death in 1559. Her intended marriage, however, was opposed by various theologians who considered it impossible for a widow to marry her late husband's brother and was eventually prevented, despite several years efforts from Dorothea's part to bring it about. This caused the breakdown of her relationship with her son, King Frederick, with whom she had never been particularly close. In parallel, Dorothea successfully