Born Karen Birgitte Federspiel in Copenhagen, she was the daughter of actor Ejner Federspiel and Gunver Fönss. She had a notable film roles as Inger in Ordet (1955) and, in later life, as Martine in Babette's Feast (1987), while on TV she played Baroness von Rydtger in three episodes of Matador. She died in Odense in 2005, aged 79.
