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How familiar are you with the history of the Danish royal family? One of the oldest monarchies in the world, the system of royalty in Denmark can trace its roots back to the Viking kings of over 1,000 years ago. However, their system differed in one major way: it was elective. It wasn't until 1660 that the inherited system was adopted, and the bloodline of the present-day monarchy was established. Small and quite low-key compared to their counterparts in neighboring countries, today's family is frequently seen out and about in Copenhagen, even riding bikes in the city. But why exactly did Denmark have a monarchy to begin with, and who were the notable figures throughout history who created a legacy for this small but now socially liberal nation?
Click on to discover more about Denmark's royal tradition.
The Danish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. They can trace their lineage back to the first Viking kings of Denmark, over 1,000 years ago.
Gorm the Old, also known as Gorm the Languid, was ruler of Denmark, reigning from c. 936 CE until his death, c. 958 CE.
Gorm the Old ruled from Jelling, where his son Harald the Bluetooth would later erect two barrows and a church, in honor of Denmark's transition to Christianity.
Harald conquered Norway and Denmark, marking an end to the Norwegian pantheon in Denmark. To commemorate the occasion, he had a large rune stone inscribed in his father's memory in Jelling.
The rune itself is considered the baptism certificate of the country. It even appears in Danish passports. Today, the Jelling Monuments are considered the finest monuments of the Viking Age.
Indeed, today's Danish royals are a link to these earliest Viking kings, whose reign later extended to parts of southern Sweden, Norway, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney, and parts of England.
One Danish prince, Cnut, or Canute the Great, won the throne in England in 1016. His accession to the Danish throne in 1018 brought the kingdoms together until 1035. His reign was considered the peak of the Viking Age.
In 1397, the Danish monarchy joined the Kalmar Union, which brought the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark together under a single monarchy.
This Scandinavian union lasted until a Swedish rebellion by Gustav I of Vasa in 1523. At the same time, Norway became a Danish province.
The last Catholic king to rule over Denmark and Norway, Frederick I's reign began a tradition that still continues to this day: Danish kings alternating between being called Frederick or Christian.
In 1657, Denmark's King Frederick III embarked on a war with Sweden, which led to disastrous consequences for the Kingdom. The Great Belt (a strait between the Danish islands of Funen and Zealand) froze in cold weather, so the Swedish king marched his army across the ice, leading to Denmark losing parts of its own territory and two counties in Norway.
Months later, the Swedish king sent troops to capture Copenhagen. The Danes put up a fight, and shortly after the Treaty of Copenhagen was signed. It created lines separating Norway, Sweden, and Denmark that still exist in many ways today.
After this series of wars and treaties, an absolutist monarchy was established in the Danish Kingdom from 1660-1661. It introduced male primogeniture, meaning that accession to the throne could only come through the male line.
The absolutist monarchy continued in Denmark for two centuries, before the reign of King Frederick VII. Cultural feelings about the monarchy were changing around the time of his reign.
When he came to power in 1848, it was only one year before he introduced the June Constitution, making Denmark a constitutional monarchy.
In 1863, Christian IX became the heir presumptive, as Frederick VII had no sons. Christian IX was the first Danish monarch to come from the House of Glücksburg, which would produce royalty across the continent.
Today's Danish royals are part of the House of Glücksburg, a branch of the German House of Oldenburg. It's one of the most important familial lines of the Danish monarchy. As well as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway and King Charles III of the United Kingdom are members of the House of Glücksburg through their fathers' line.
The Danish–Icelandic Act of Union of 1918 redefined Iceland as a sovereign state in a personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark. This made King Christian X the king of the autonomous Kingdom of Iceland as well as Denmark. His reign paused with the German occupation of Denmark in 1941, and in 1944 Icelanders voted to found a republic.
A constitutional crisis occurred in 1920 in Denmark, as King Christian X used his reserve power to dissolve the entire parliament. People were outraged, and there were moves to dismiss the monarchy altogether. However, he backed down and took the symbolic role the monarchy in Denmark holds today.
Margrethe II reigned as Queen of Denmark for 52 years, from 1972 until 2024.
Margrethe is the eldest child of King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid. She became the heir presumptive in 1953, when the constitution was amended to allow women to ascend the throne.
She married French diplomat Henri-Marie-Jean-André de Laborde de Monpezat in 1967 before ascending the throne. He became Prince Henrik of Denmark on marriage. They had two sons, Frederik and Joachim.
As queen, she did not disclose her political opinions publicly. She instead aimed to be a unifying figure for the general public at home.
King Frederik is married to Queen Mary, an Australian he met while spending time in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games. They married in 2004 and became king and queen after the abdication of Margrethe in 2024.
They have four children together: Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
In 2022, Queen Margrethe changed the royal titles of some of her grandchildren, those of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie. They went from being prince and princess to count and countess of Monpezat. This allows them to pursue private lives free of royal duties, while still keeping their place in the line of succession.
The Danish royal family is well-liked at home. In fact, their approval rating among the general public is generally between 82-92%. Naturally, people were taken by surprise when Queen Margrethe abdicated in a public address to the nation.
Following the Queen's announcement on December 31, 2023, her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, ascended the throne in 2024.
"On Sunday, 14 January 2024, HRH The Crown Prince assumes the Danish throne as HM King Frederik the 10th. At the same time, HRH The Crown Princess will be known as HM Queen Mary," the Danish Royal Court said in a statement, per an English translation. "The Royal Couple will henceforth bear the title The King and The Queen of Denmark."
Sources: (Scandinavia Standard) (People) (Britannica) (Denmark.dk) (Visit Denmark) (The Royal House - Kongehuset)
Descendents of the Vikings?
The fascinating history of one of the oldest monarchies in the world
LIFESTYLE Vikings
How familiar are you with the history of the Danish royal family? One of the oldest monarchies in the world, the system of royalty in Denmark can trace its roots back to the Viking kings of over 1,000 years ago. However, their system differed in one major way: it was elective. It wasn't until 1660 that the inherited system was adopted, and the bloodline of the present-day monarchy was established. Small and quite low-key compared to their counterparts in neighboring countries, today's family is frequently seen out and about in Copenhagen, even riding bikes in the city. But why exactly did Denmark have a monarchy to begin with, and who were the notable figures throughout history who created a legacy for this small but now socially liberal nation?
Click on to discover more about Denmark's royal tradition.