Which Danish monarch became Hans Christian Andersen’s patron after he moved to Copenhagen?

King Frederick VI became Hans Christian Andersen’s patron after he moved to Copenhagen.

Andersen left Odense for Copenhagen in 1819, when he was 14, hoping to become an actor or singer. His unusual appearance and limited education made his early years difficult, but he attracted the attention of influential figures in the capital. Jonas Collin, a director of the Royal Danish Theatre, helped arrange support and schooling for him.

That support was connected with King Frederick VI, who granted Andersen financial assistance for his education. Andersen attended schools in Slagelse and Elsinore before entering Copenhagen’s literary world. The patronage was important because it gave him the opportunity to study rather than remain trapped by poverty.

The king was not Andersen’s literary collaborator, and later patrons and admirers also supported the writer. The key point is that Frederick VI was the reigning Danish monarch during Andersen’s crucial educational years in the 1820s.