| Consort: | yes |
| Elisabeth of Denmark | |
| Succession: | Duchess consort of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Reign: | 11 June 1568 – 3 May 1589 |
| House: | Oldenburg |
| Birth Date: | 25 August 1573 |
| Birth Place: | Koldinghus Castle, Kolding, Kingdom of Denmark |
| Death Place: | Braunschweig, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel |
| Father: | Frederick II of Denmark |
| Mother: | Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow |
| Issue: |
|
| Religion: | Lutheran |
Elisabeth of Denmark (25 August 1573 – 19 July 1625) was duchess consort of Brunswick-Lüneburg as married to Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg. She was regent of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg in place of her incapacitated son Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1616–1622.
She was the eldest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and his spouse Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. First raised with her maternal grandparents, she returned to Denmark in 1579. Scottish ambassadors had at first concentrated their suit on Elisabeth as a prospective wife for King James VI of Scotland, but King Frederick betrothed Elisabeth to the Duke of Brunswick, promising the Scots instead that "for the second daughter Anna, if the King did like her, he should have her".[1]
There were also other suitors for the princess. In addition to James VI of Scotland, Archduke Matthias of Austria (later Emperor Matthias) also had plans for a marriage to her, and during a visit to Denmark in February 1587, he had spoken to Frederick II about this, but nothing came of it, unknown for what reason. Presumably there have been religious concerns about this.[2]
She was married on 19 April 1590 at Kronborg Castle to Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg. James VI gave gifts of jewels at the wedding worth 4,000 Danish dalers.[3] When her future spouse first arrived for the wedding in 1590, he disguised himself as a jeweler; he presented her with jewelry, and stated that prize was her body. As a result, he was thrown in jail until he could prove his identity and explain that it had been a joke.
As duchess, she remained in close correspondence with her brother, the Danish monarch. In September 1598 Scottish ambassadors David Cunningham and Peter Young came to Gröningen Priory seeking support for James VI's succession to the English throne. Henry Julius gave a cautious reply and in a separate letter Elizabeth replied that she had been ill for several months and had made a moderate recovery.[4]
After the death of her husband in 1613, she reigned in her dowry. In 1616, she removed her son, Frederick Ulrich, from the government with the support of her brother, Christian IV of Denmark-Norway, because of his alcoholism. She resumed the regency, and she remained in charge for the next six years, assisted by Anton von Streithorst. She received a visit from her brother Christian in 1616.
In 1617, she founded the Retreat for the Poor with a chapel, Elisabeth Stift. During the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) the castle was raided and was not repaired until 1654.