<P> Danish opinion, on the other hand, clamoured for a royal pronouncement proclaiming the principle of the indivisibility of the monarchy and its transmission intact to a single heir, in accordance with the royal law . To this Christian VIII yielded so far as to issue in 1846 letters patent declaring that the royal law in the matter of the succession was in full force so far as Schleswig was concerned, in accordance with the letters patent of August 22, 1721, the oath of fidelity of September 3, 1721, the guarantees given by France and Great Britain in the same year and the treaties of 1767 and 1773 with Russia . As to Holstein, he stated that certain circumstances prevented him from giving, in regard to some parts of the duchy, so clear a decision as in the case of Schleswig . The principle of the independence of Schleswig and of its union with Holstein were expressly reaffirmed . An appeal against this by the estates of Holstein to the German Federal Assembly received no attention . </P> <P> On January 28, Christian VIII issued a rescript proclaiming a new constitution which, while preserving the autonomy of the different parts of the country, incorporated them for common purposes in a single organisation . The estates of the duchies replied by demanding the incorporation of Schleswig - Holstein, as a single constitutional state, in the German Confederation . </P> <P> In March 1848 these differences led to an open uprising by the German - minded Estate assemblies in the duchies in support of independence from Denmark and of close association with the German Confederation . The military intervention of Prussia helped the uprising: the Prussian army drove Denmark's troops from Schleswig and Holstein . </P> <P> Frederick VII, who had succeeded his father at the end of January, declared (March 4) that he had no right to deal in this way with Schleswig, and, yielding to the importunity of the Eider - Danish party, withdrew the rescript of January (April 4) and announced to the people of Schleswig (March 27) the promulgation of a liberal constitution under which the duchy, while preserving its local autonomy, would become an integral part of Denmark . </P>

When did denmark lose schleswig and holstein to prussia