DANISH ROYALTY

The Danish Royalty includes The Queen of Denmark and her family. All members hold the title of Prince or Princess of Denmark with the style of His or Her Royal Highness (Hans or Hendes Kongelige Højhed), or His or Her Highness (Hans or Hendes Højhed). They belong agnatically to the House of Laborde de Monzepat.

The Danish Royal Family includes:
HM The Queen
Queen Margrethe II's official motto is: The Help of God, the Love of the People, the Strength of Denmark. Margrethe II (Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid) (born 16 April 1940) is the queen regnant of Denmark. Only very rarely is her name anglicized as Margaret II. Margrethe II (Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid) (born 16 April 1940) is the queen regnant of Denmark. Only very rarely is her name anglicized as Margaret II. Princess Margrethe was born at Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen, to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Ingrid. She was baptised on 14 May 1940 at the Naval Church. Margrethe was not born to be monarch, even though she was the eldest child of a Crown Prince, later King. At the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark, due to the changes in succession laws enacted in the 1850s when the Glücksburg branch was chosen to succeed. As she had no brothers it was assumed that her uncle Knud would one day assume the throne. The process of changing the constitution started in 1947, when it became clear that Queen Ingrid would have no more children. At this time Margrethe's uncle Prince Knud was the Heir Presumptive, but the popularity of Frederik and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life started the complicated process of altering the constitution. That proposal had to be passed by two parliaments in succession and then by a referendum, which was held on 27 March 1953. The new Act of Succession permitted female succession to the throne of Denmark, according to male-preference primogeniture, similar to that in use in the United Kingdom. Princess Margrethe therefore became the Heiress Presumptive. She was confirmed on 1 April 1955 at Fredensborg Palace. On her eighteenth birthday, 16 April 1958, the Heiress Presumptive was given a seat in the Council of State, and the Princess subsequently chaired the meetings of the Council in the absence of the King. She studied prehistoric archaeology at Girton College, Cambridge during 1960-61, political science at Aarhus University between 1961-1962, at Sorbonne in 1963, and at the London School of Economics in 1965. On 10 June 1967, Princess Margrethe of Denmark married a French diplomat, Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, at the Naval Church. Laborde de Monpezat received the style and title of "His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark" because of his new position as the spouse of the Heiress Presumptive to the Danish Throne. Two children were produced from this union: Frederik André Henrik Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark was born on 26 May 1968; and Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian, Prince of Denmark, was born on 7 June 1969. The Queen and her husband, Prince Henrik, also have three grandsons: Prince Christian, Prince Nikolai, and Prince Felix and one granddaughter, Princess Isabella. King Frederik IX died in 1972. On the occasion of the accession to the throne on 14 January 1972, Queen Margrethe II became the first female Danish Sovereign under the new Act of Succession

HRH The Prince Consort (The Queen's husband)
TRH The Crown Prince (The Queen's son):
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark (Danish: Frederik André Henrik Christian, Kronprins til Danmark; born: 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and her husband, Henrik, The Prince Consort. The Crown Prince attended elementary school at Krebs' Skole during the years 1974-1981, from 1974-1976 as a private pupil at Amalienborg Palace, and from the third form at Krebs' Skole. In the period 1982-1983, the Crown Prince was a boarder at École des Roches in Normandy, France. In 1986, Crown Prince Frederik graduated from the upper secondary school of Øregaard Gymnasium. He studied at Harvard University from 1992-1993 under the name of Frederik Henriksen, studying political science. He then took up a position for three months with the Danish UN mission in New York in 1994. He received an MSc in Political Science from the University of Aarhus, which he completed in February 1995. The Crown Prince was posted as First Secretary to the Danish Embassy in Paris from October 1998-October 1999. He has completed extensive military studies and training in all three services, notably completing education as a sailor in the naval elite special operations forces In the Council of State on 8 October 2003, Queen Margrethe gave her consent to the marriage of Crown Prince Frederik to Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, an Australian. The wedding took place on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, Copenhagen.



TRH Crown Princess (The Queen's daughter-in-law)
HRH Prince Christian (The Crown Prince and Crown Princess's son)
HRH Princess Isabella (The Crown Prince and Crown Princess's daughter)
HRH Prince Joachim (The Queen's son)
HH Prince Nikolai (Prince Joachim's elder son)
HH Prince Felix (Prince Joachim's younger son)
HRH Princess Benedikte (The Queen's sister)
HM Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes (The Queen's sister)
HH Princess Elisabeth (The Queen's cousin)

The extended Danish Royal Family which includes people who do not hold the title of Prince or Princess of Denmark but have close connections to the Queen could be said to include:

HSH The Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Princess Benedikte's husband)1
HSH The Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Princess Benedikte's son)
HSH Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Princess Benedikte's elder daughter)
Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (Princess Alexandra's husband)
Count Richard von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (Princess Alexandra's son)
Countess Ingrid von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (Princess Alexandra's daughter )
HSH Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Princess Benedikte's younger daughter).

Former Member:
HE Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg (Prince Joachim's former wife)
The former wife of Queen Margrethe's youngest son Prince Joachim, HRH Princess Alexandra lost the style of Royal Highness and was granted the lower style of Highness upon her divorce in 2005, becoming known as HH Princess Alexandra of Denmark, a style which would cease upon her remarriage. During this time she was still considered a Princess of Denmark and thus a member of the Danish Royal Family. In 2005, her former mother-in-law granted her the additional title of grevinde af Frederiksborg (Countess of Frederiksborg), a personal title which would not be revoked when Alexandra remarried. When she remarried on 3 March 2007, she lost the style of Highness and titular dignity of Princess of Denmark, and was no longer a member of the royal family (although she still receives an allowance, and keeps the title of Her Excellency Countess of Frederiksborg.

Royal Family of Greece:
The members of the deposed Royal Family of Greece hold the title of Prince or Princess of Denmark with the qualification of His or Her Royal Highness because George I of Greece was born a Danish prince. So, they could be considered members of the Danish Royal Family.

HM King Constantine II of the Hellenes (Queen Anne-Marie's husband)
TRH The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Greece (Queen Anne-Marie's eldest son and his wife)
TRH Prince Constantine Alexios, Prince Achileas-Andreas, and Prince Odysseas-Kimon of Greece and Denmark (The Crown Prince's sons)
HRH Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark (The Crown Prince's daughter)
HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark (Queen Anne-Marie's second son)
HRH Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark (Queen Anne-Marie's youngest son)
HRH Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark and Carlos Morales Quintana (Queen Anne-Marie's elder daughter and her husband)
HRH Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (Queen Anne-Marie's younger daughter)
The following are important royal consorts today who were born with the titles of Prince/Princess of Greece and Denmark, although they are not descended from King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie:

HM Queen Sofia of Spain (King Constantine's sister and Queen Anne-Marie's sister-in-law.)
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (son of Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, grandson of King George I and Queen Olga of the Hellenes)

Royal Family of Norway:
Due to the current descent of all Norwegian royalty from Haakon VII of Norway, who was born a Danish prince and asked to rule a nation similarly to George I of Greece, the Royal Family of Norway has a distant Danish ancestry.

Counts and Countesses of Rosenborg:
There are also Princes who marry without consent of the Danish Monarch.
Marrying without consent results in a loss of royal title and they are then entitled (along with their children) to be called Count or Countess of Rosenborg. They, their wives, and their male-line descendants are:

HE. Count Ingolf and Countess Sussie of Rosenborg (The Queen's cousin and his wife)
HE. Count Christian and Countess Anne-Dorthe of Rosenborg (The Queen's cousin and his wife)
Countess Camilla, Countess Josephine, and Countess Feodora of Rosenborg (Count Christian's daughters)
Count Ulrik and Countess Tove of Rosenborg (The Queen's second cousin and his wife)
Count Philip of Rosenborg (Count Ulrik's son)
Countess Katharina of Rosenborg (Count Ulrik's daughter)
Countess Charlotte of Rosenborg (The Queen's second cousin)
Countess Ruth of Rosenborg (The wife of Count Flemming, the Queen's third cousin)
Count Axel and Countess Jutta of Rosenborg (Count Flemming's son and his wife)
Count Carl Johan and Count Alexander of Rosenborg (Count Axel's sons)
Countess Julie and Countess Désirée of Rosenborg (Count Axel's daughters)
Count Birger and Countess Lynne of Rosenborg (Count Flemming's son and his wife)
Countess Benedikte of Rosenborg (Count Birger's daughter)
Count Carl Johan and Countess Colette of Rosenborg (Count Flemming's son and his wife)
Countess Caroline and Countess Josefine of Rosenborg (Count Carl Johan's daughters)
Countess Désirée of Rosenborg (Count Flemming's daughter)
Countess Karin of Rosenborg (Widow of Count Christian, third cousin of the Queen)
Count Valdemar of Rosenborg (Count Christian's son)
Count Nicolai of Rosenborg (Count Valdemar's son)
Countess Marie of Rosenborg (Count Valdemar's daughter)
Countess Marina of Rosenborg (Count Christian's daughter).



Succession to the Danish Throne:
Denmark formerly followed Salic law (meaning that only males could inherit the throne) before the law was changed to primogeniture in 1953, meaning that females could inherit, but only if they had no brothers.

This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the Kings and Queens regnant of Denmark. This includes:

The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1397) Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380-1397) The Kalmar Union (1397-1536) Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1397-1523) Union of Denmark and Norway (1523-1536) The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway (1536-1814) The Kingdom of Denmark (1814 to present) Iceland (since the union between Denmark and Norway in 1380. Independent in a personal union with Denmark 1918–1944. A sovereign republic since 1944.) Greenland (since the union between Denmark and Norway in 1380. Effective Danish control began in 1721. Integrated into the Danish realm in 1953. Internal home rule introduced 1979.) Faroe Islands (since the union between Denmark and Norway in 1380. County of Denmark 1816-1948. Internal home rule introduced 1948.) The Danish royal family is one of the oldest reigning dynasties in the world, second only to that of the Japanese emperors.

The house of Oldenburg held the Danish Crown between 1448 and 1863, when it passed to the house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a cadet branch of the same house, descended from King Christian III of Denmark. The kingdom had been elective (although the eldest son or brother of the previous king was usually elected) until 1660, when it became hereditary and absolutist. Until 1864 Denmark was also united in a personal union with the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.



Danish name forms are given in parenthesis.

List of Danish monarchs

8th-10th century kings
Ongendus (Angantyr): Ca. 710
Sigfred: 780s-790s
Gudfred: 804-810
Hemming: 810-811/812
Sigfred and Anulo: Ca. 812
Harald Klak and his brother Ragnfrid: 812-813
Sons of Gudfred: 814-820s
Horik I: (814) 827-854
Horik II (Erik Barn): 850s - 860s
Late 9th century kings
Halfdan: 870s
Sigfred: Ca. 873-891
Gudfred: Ca. 880s
Heiligo (Helge): 890s
The so called "Swedish dynasty": Early 10th century
Olof
Gyrd and Gnupa
Sigtrygg
Harthacnut (Hardeknud or Hardegon): 930s


Viking Age/medieval kings
1 Gorm the Old (Gorm den Gamle) 934/36? 958
2 Harald I Bluetooth (Harald Blåtand) 958 986/87
3 Sweyn I Forkbeard (Svend Tveskæg) 986/87 February 3, 1014
4 Harald II 1014 1018
5 Canute the Great (Knud den Store or Knud II) 1018 November 12, 1035
6 Harthacanute (Hardeknud or Knud III) 1035 June 8, 1042
7 Magnus the Good (Magnus den Gode) 1042 October 25, 1047
8 Sweyn II Estridson (Svend Estridssøn) 1047 April 28, 1074
9 Harald III (Harald Hén) April 28, 1074 April 17, 1080
10 Canute IV the Saint (Knud den Hellige) April 17, 1080 July 10, 1086
11 Oluf I (Oluf Hunger) July 10, 1086 August 18, 1095
12 Eric I (Erik Ejegod) August 18, 1095 July 10, 1103
13 Niels 1104 June 4, 1134
14 Eric II (Erik Emune) June 4, 1134 July 18, 1137
15 Eric III (Erik Lam) July 18, 1137 August 8, 1146
16–18 Sweyn III (Svend Grathe),
Canute V (Knud V), and
Valdemar I the Great (Valdemar den Store) 1146
1146
1154 October 23, 1157
August 9, 1157
(1182)
18 Valdemar I the Great (Valdemar den Store) (1154)
October 23, 1157 May 12, 1182
19 Canute VI (Knud VI) 1182 November 12, 1202
20 Valdemar II the Victorious (Valdemar Sejr) November 12, 1202 March 28, 1241
21 Eric IV (Erik IV Plovpenning) March 28, 1241 August 10, 1250
22 Abel November 1, 1250 June 29, 1252
23 Christopher I (Christoffer I) December 25, 1252 May 29, 1259
24 Eric V (Erik Klipping) May 29, 1259 November 22, 1286
25 Eric VI (Erik Menved) November 22, 1286 November 13, 1319
26 Christopher II (Christoffer II) January 25, 1320 1326
27 Valdemar III 1326 1329
- Christopher II (Christoffer II)
(2nd time) 1329 August 2, 1332
- (no king) (Interregnum) 1332 1340
28 Valdemar IV (Valdemar Atterdag) April 22, 1340 October 24, 1375
29 Oluf II October 24, 1375 August 23, 1387
30 Margaret I (Margrete I) (October 24, 1375)
August 23, 1387 June 17, 1397
(October 28, 1412)
31 Eric VII of Pomerania (Erik af Pommern) June 17, 1397
(October 28, 1412) 1439
32 Christopher III of Bavaria (Christoffer af Bayern) April 9, 1440 January 6, 1448.

House of Oldenburg:
The House of Oldenburg is a North German noble family and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses. It first became royal when Count Christian I of Oldenburg became chosen King of Denmark in 1448, and has been the Danish Royal House ever since. After some hiatus, King Christian I was also elected King of Norway. Marriages of medieval counts of Oldenburg had paved the way for their heirs to become kings of various Scandinavian kingdoms. In 14th century, through marriage with a descendant of king Valdemar I of Sweden and of king Eric IV of Denmark, a claim to Sweden and Denmark was staked, since 1350. At that time, its competitors were the successors of Margaret I of Denmark. In 15th century, the Oldenburg heir of that claim married Hedwig of Holstein, a descendant of Euphemia of Sweden and Norway and also a descendant of Eric V of Denmark. Since descendants better situated in genealogical charts died out, their son Christian (the abovementioned) became the king of all the three kingdoms of whole Kalmar Union. The House of Mecklenburg was its chief competitor regarding the Northern thrones, and other interessents were e.g the Duke of Lauenburg. Different Oldenburgine branches have reigned in several countries

33 Christian I
Christian I (1426 - 1481), Danish monarch and union king of Denmark (1448 = 1481), Norway (1450 - 1481) and Sweden (1457 - 1464), under the Kalmar Union.

34 John (Hans)
Hans (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish) (2 February 1455 - 20 February 1513), was a Danish monarch and union king of Denmark (1481 - 1513), Norway (1483 - 1513) Sweden (1497 - 1501), under the Kalmar Union, and also Duke of Schleswig and Holstein.

35 Christian II
Christian II (July 1, 1481 - January 25, 1559) was a Danish monarch and King of Denmark, Norway (1513 - 1523) and Sweden (1520 - 1521), under the Kalmar Union. Christian was born the son of King Hans of Denmark and Christina of Saxony, at Nyborg Castle in 1481 and succeeded his father as king and regent in Denmark and Norway, where he later was to be succeeded by his uncle King Frederick I of Denmark. In Sweden, he was, as a result of his conquest of Sweden and his involvement in the Stockholm Bloodbath, to be remembered as Christian the Tyrant.

36 Frederick I
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway (October 7, 1471 - April 10, 1533) was the son of the first Oldenburg King Christian I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1426 - 1481) and of Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430 - 1495). The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian.

- (Interregnum) 1533 - 1534
An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity of a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next.

37 Christian III
Christian III (August 12, 1503 - January 1, 1559), king of Denmark and Norway, was the son of Frederick I of Denmark and his first consort, Anna of Brandenburg.

38 Frederick II
Frederick II (July 1, 1534 = April 4, 1588), King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 until his death. He was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg.

39 Christian IV
Christian IV (April 12, 1577 - February 28, 1648) was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1588 until his death. He is sometimes referred to as Christian Firtal in Denmark and Christian Kvart or Quart in Norway.

40 Frederick III
Frederick III (March 18, 1609 - February 19, 1670) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He stands as the ruler who introduced absolute monarchy in Denmark.

41 Christian V
Christian V (April 15, 1646 in Flensburg - August 25, 1699 in Copenhagen), was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670-1699. The son of Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He married Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Cassel on May 14, 1667 at Nykøbing, and ascended the throne on February 9, 1670.

42 Frederick IV
Frederick IV (October 11, 1671 - October 12, 1730) was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of Christian V and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel.

43 Christian VI
Christian VI (30 November 1699 - 6 August 1746) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730. He was the son of Fredrik IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He married Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and fathered Fredrik V.

44 Frederick V
Frederick V (March 31, 1723 - January 13, 1766) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. He was first married to Princess Louise, daughter of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. They were parents of seven children but only five survived birth.

45 Christian VII
Christian VII (January 29, 1749 - March 13, 1808) was King of Denmark and Norway, and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. He was the son of Frederick V, King of Denmark, and his first consort Louisa, daughter of George II of Great Britain. He became king on his father’s death on January 14, 1766.

46 Frederick VI
Frederick VI (January 28, 1768 - December 3, 1839) reigned as King of Denmark from 1808 to 1839, and as king of Norway from 1808 to 1814. He also served as Regent of Denmark from 1784 to 1808 under his father's name, just like his British cousin The Prince of Wales, later King George IV. His mother, Queen Caroline Mathilde, was a sister of King George III of the United Kingdom.

47 Christian VIII
Christian VIII (September 18, 1786 - January 20, 1848), king of Denmark 1839-48 and, as Christian Frederick, of Norway 1814, the eldest son of the Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was born in 1786 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

48 Frederick VII
Frederick VII (October 6, 1808 - November 15, 1863) was King of Denmark. He reigned from 1848 until his death. He was the last Danish monarch of the older royal branch of the House of Oldenburg, and also the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch. During his rule, he signed a constitution that gave Denmark a parliament and made the country a constitutional monarchy.

Royal Babylon: The Alarming History of European Royalty

House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg:
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (in Danish: Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Lyksborg, from Glücksburg in northernmost Germany, is a line of the House of Oldenburg that is descended from King Christian III of Denmark. Its members include the royal houses of Denmark and Norway, the deposed royal house of Greece, and the heirs to the throne of the United Kingdom and the fifteen other Commonwealth realms.

49 Christian IX6
Christian IX (April 8, 1818 - January 29, 1906) was King of Denmark from November 16, 1863 to January 29, 1906.
50 Frederick VIII
Frederik VIII (Christian Frederik Vilhelm Carl) (June 3, 1843 - May 14, 1912) was King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912.

51 Christian X
Christian X (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm) (26 September 1870 - 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and of Iceland between 1918 and 1944. He was born at Charlottenlund Palace near Copenhagen.

52 Frederick IX
Frederick IX (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg) (11 March 1899 - 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 20 April 1947 until his death.

53 Margrethe II January 14, 1972 Incumbent.

The Royal Families of Europe

Order of the Dannebrog:
The Order of the Dannebrog (Danish: Dannebrogordenen) is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons.
In 1808, the Order was reformed and divided into four classes, with the ranks:
Grand Commander class wears the badge with diamonds on a necklet (gentlemen) or on a bow (ladies), plus the star on the left chest;
First Order class
Grand Cross wears the badge on a collar or on a sash on the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
Commander 1st Degree wears the breast cross on the left chest, plus (for gentlemen) the badge on a neck ribbon;
Second Order class Commander wears the badge on a neck ribbon (gentlemen) or on a bow (ladies);
Knight 1st Degree wears the badge on a ribbon (gentlemen) or on a bow (ladies) with rosette on the left chest;
Third Order class
Knight wears the badge on a ribbon (gentlemen) or on a bow (ladies) on the left chest.
There is also a Cross of Honour.
The Grand Commander class is reserved to persons of princely origin, with not more than seven holders at any one time. It is only awarded to Royals with close family ties with the Danish Royal House who already possesses the Grand Cross. The statute of the Order was amended in 1958 by a Royal Ordinance so that both men and women could be members of the Order. Today, the Order of Dannebrog is a means of honouring and rewarding the faithful servants of the modern Danish state for meritorious civil or military service, for a particular contribution to the arts, sciences or business life or for those working for Danish interests.

Cross of Honour:
The Cross of Honour of the Dannebrog is awarded to Danes on whom the Order of the Dannebrog has already been bestowed. It is also worn by the individual members of the royal family. Its badge is similar to the badge of the Order, but all in silver, and is worn on a ribbon (gentlemen) or bow (ladies) with rosette on the left chest. The insignia of the Order must be returned upon the death of the holder.

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