Christian X of Denmark

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Christian X
King of Iceland
Reign1 December 1918 – 17 June 1944
Born(1870-09-26)26 September 1870
Charlottenlund Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark
Died20 April 1947(1947-04-20) (aged 76)
Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark
Burial
Roskilde Cathedral, Roskilde
, Denmark
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1898)​
Issue
Names
Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm
HouseGlücksburg
FatherFrederick VIII of Denmark
MotherLouise of Sweden
ReligionChurch of Denmark
SignatureChristian X's signature

Christian X (

King of Iceland as Kristján X, holding the title as a result of the personal union
between Denmark and independent Iceland between 1918 and 1944.

He was a member of the

Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, and King Constantine I of Greece, while Queen Maud of Norway
, was both his cousin and sister-in-law.

His character has been described as authoritarian and he strongly stressed the importance of royal dignity and power. His reluctance to fully embrace democracy resulted in the

parliamentarianism had been considered a constitutional custom since 1901. Faced with mass demonstrations, a general strike organized by the Social Democrats and the risk of the monarchy being overthrown he was forced to accept that a monarch could not keep a government in office against the will of parliament, as well as his reduced role as a symbolic head of state
.

During the

German occupation of Denmark
, Christian became a popular symbol of resistance, particularly because of the symbolic value of the fact that he rode every day through the streets of Copenhagen unaccompanied by guards. With a reign spanning two world wars, and his role as a rallying symbol for Danish national sentiment during the German occupation, he became one of the most popular Danish monarchs of modern times.

Early life

Crown Princess Louise with her eldest child, early 1870s

Christian was born on 26 September 1870 at his parents' country residence, the

royal christening gown, which has been used for the baptism of almost all royal children in Denmark ever since, was used for the first time at his christening. This gown is made of Brussels lace, and was bought by Crown Princess Louise in Belgium for her eldest son's christening.[5]

Prince Carl
in 1887

Prince Christian was raised with his siblings in the royal household in Copenhagen, and grew up between his parents' residence in

tutors. In 1889 Prince Christian passed the examen artium (the university entrance examination in Denmark) in 1889 as the first member of the Danish royal family.[1] Afterwards he started a military education as was customary for princes at that time. He subsequently served with the 5th Dragoon Regiment and later studied at the Officers Academy in Randers from 1891 to 1892.[7]

Marriage

Frederik
in 1900

As a young man, Prince Christian fell in love with the French Princess Marguerite of Orléans, who was the younger sister of his uncle Prince Valdemar's wife Princess Marie of Orléans. The feelings, however, were not reciprocated, and after a few years of unhappy infatuation, she married in 1896 Marie Armand Patrice de Mac Mahon, 2nd Duke of Magenta, son of the French Marshal and President Patrice de MacMahon.[8]

During a stay in

Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia. They were engaged in Schwerin on 24 March 1897 and married in Cannes on 26 April 1898. She eventually became his queen consort
. They had two sons:

The couple were given Christian VIII's Palace at

Klitgården in Skagen
.

Crown Prince

On 29 January 1906, King Christian IX died, and Christian's father ascended the throne as King Frederick VIII. Christian himself became crown prince.

Reign

Accession

Christian X addressing the people at his Accession to the throne in 1912.
German Emperor during a visit to Berlin
in 1913

On 14 May 1912,

Prime Minister Klaus Berntsen
as King Christian X.

World War I

Haakon VII of Norway at the meeting of the three Scandinavian kings in Malmö
in December 1914.

At the of the

Gustav V of Sweden (Christian's mother's cousin) met along with their foreign ministers to discuss and emphasize the neutrality of the Nordic countries, and in a joint declaration, confirmed the three states' strict neutrality during the war.[9][10]
The meeting in 1914 was followed by another three-kings meeting in Kristiania in November 1917.

Denmark in fact managed to maintain its neutrality during the war. However, the Danish government bowed to pressure from Germany, and had naval mines laid in Danish waters with tacit British acceptance, despite the fact that Denmark was obliged under international law to keep its territorial waters open.[11]

In 1915, the

domestic servants. Although the king was reluctant to the constitutional changes, the Danish Women's Society organized a procession with approximately 20,000 participants who went to Amalienborg to thank the king. In his address to the procession, the king stated, among other things:

In one place, women cannot be dispensed with, and that is in the homes. Here, the influence of women cannot be replaced, because through the child's love for the home, the for our common home, Denmark, is awakened.[12]

Easter Crisis of 1920

Main article:
Easter Crisis of 1920

In April 1920, Christian instigated the Easter Crisis, perhaps the most decisive event in the evolution of the Danish monarchy in the twentieth century. The immediate cause was a conflict between the King and the cabinet over the reunification with Denmark of

plebiscites: one in Northern Schleswig (Denmark's South Jutland County 1971–2006), the other in Central Schleswig (today part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein
). No plebiscite was planned for Southern Schleswig, as it was dominated by an ethnic German majority and, in accordance with prevailing sentiment of the times, remained part of the post-war German state.

In Northern Schleswig, seventy-five percent voted for reunification with Denmark and twenty-five percent for remaining with Germany. In this vote, the entire region was considered to be an indivisible unit, and the entire region was awarded to Denmark. In Central Schleswig, the situation was reversed with eighty percent voting for Germany and twenty percent for Denmark. In this vote, each municipality decided its own future, and German majorities prevailed everywhere. In light of these results, the government of Prime Minister Carl Theodor Zahle determined that reunification with Northern Schleswig could go forward, while Central Schleswig would remain under German control.

Many Danish nationalists felt that at least the city of

Cabinet of Deuntzer
in 1901, Zahle felt he was under no obligation to comply. He refused the order and resigned several days later after a heated exchange with the King.

Demonstrations against the king at Amalienborg Square in 1920

Subsequently, Christian X dismissed the rest of the cabinet and replaced it with a de facto conservative caretaker cabinet. The dismissal caused demonstrations and an almost revolutionary atmosphere in Denmark, and for several days the future of the monarchy seemed very much in doubt. In light of this, negotiations were opened between the King and members of the Social Democrats. Faced with the potential overthrow of the Danish Crown, Christian X stood down and dismissed his own government, installing a compromise cabinet until elections could be held later that year.

To date, this is the last time a reigning Danish monarch has attempted to take political action without the full support of parliament. Following the crisis, Christian X bowed fully to his drastically reduced status, and spent the last quarter-century of his rule as a model constitutional monarch.

World War II

During the German occupation of Denmark, the King's daily ride through Copenhagen became a symbol of Danish sovereignty. This picture was taken on his birthday in 1940

On 9 April 1940 at 4 am Nazi Germany

panzers; Jutland, for instance, would have been overrun in short order by a panzer attack from Schleswig-Holstein immediately to the south. Unlike its Nordic neighbours, Denmark had no mountain ranges from which a drawn-out resistance could be mounted against the German army.[13] With no prospect of being able to hold out for any length of time, and faced with the explicit threat of the Luftwaffe bombing the civilian population of Copenhagen, and with only one general in favour of continuing to fight, Christian X and the entire Danish government capitulated at about 6 am,[14] in exchange for retaining political independence in domestic matters,[15] beginning the occupation of Denmark
, which lasted until 5 May 1945.

In contrast to his brother,

refusing to accept a Nazi-friendly puppet regime
.)

Two versions of the King's Emblem Pin (Kongemærket), showing Christian's CX cypher; a popular symbol of patriotism during the war

Until the

imposition of martial law by Germany in August 1943, Christian's official speeches reflected the government's official policy of cooperation with the occupying forces, but this did not prevent his being seen by the Danish people as a man of "mental resistance." During the first two years of the German occupation, despite his age and the precarious situation, he took a daily ride on his horse, Jubilee, through Copenhagen, unaccompanied by a groom, let alone a guard. A popular way for Danes to display patriotism and silent resistance to the German occupation was wearing a small square button with the Danish flag and the crowned insignia of the king.[16] This symbol was called the Kongemærket (King's Emblem pin). In addition, he helped finance the transport of Danish Jews to unoccupied Sweden, where they would be safe from Nazi persecution.[17]

In 1942,

Danish-American
circles once again made him popular to the point of being a beloved national symbol.

Reign over Iceland

Royal Standard of Kristján X as King of Iceland

The accession of a new

Allied occupation of Iceland, the Icelandic government concluded that Christian was unable to perform his duties as head of state of Iceland, and thus appointed Sveinn Björnsson as regent
to act as provisional head of state. Sveinn had previously been Iceland's ambassador in Copenhagen.

In 1944, while Denmark was still under German occupation, Icelanders voted in a plebiscite to sever all ties with the King of Denmark and to found a republic. Thus, Christian's title as King of Iceland became null and void and Sveinn Björnsson was elected the first President of Iceland by the Icelandic parliament. Christian, who believed that Sveinn had given him assurances that Iceland would not make further moves toward independence while the occupation was ongoing, felt quite badly betrayed. However, at the urging of his relative, the King of Sweden, Christian still accepted the outcome and sent a message of congratulations to Iceland during the celebration of the founding of the Republic on 17 June 1944. The reading of the King's letter provoked cheers at Þingvellir during the celebration. Despite this implicit acceptance of Iceland's independence, Christian never actually stopped using the title "King of Iceland", and continued including it in his regnal name until his death in 1947.

Death

On his death in

interred along with other members of the Danish royal family in Roskilde Cathedral near Copenhagen. A cloth armband of the type worn by members of the Danish resistance movement was placed on his coffin under a castrum doloris.[19][20]

Legends

On 22 November 1942,

Danish Americans to prove the contrary, and a number of stories were invented in the turmoil of the war. The most successful of these was the legend of the King wearing the yellow star to support the Jews.[22]

King Christian used to ride daily through the streets of Copenhagen unaccompanied while the people stood and waved to him. One apocryphal story relates that one day, a German soldier remarked to a young boy that he found it odd that the King would ride with no bodyguard. The boy reportedly replied, "All of Denmark is his bodyguard." This story was recounted in Nathaniel Benchley's bestselling book Bright Candles as well as in Lois Lowry's book Number the Stars. The contemporary patriotic song "Der rider en Konge" (There Rides a King) centers on the King's rides. In this song, the narrator replies to a foreigner's inquiry about the King's lack of a guard that "he is our freest man" and that the King is not shielded by physical force but that "hearts guard the king of Denmark."[23]

Another popular, but apocryphal, legend carried by the American press[24] concerned the supposed flying of the German flag over the Hotel d'Angleterre (then being used as the German military headquarters in Copenhagen). The King, riding by and seeing the flag, tells a German sentry that this is a violation of the armistice agreement and that the flag must be taken down. The sentry replies that this will not be done. The King then says if the flag is not taken down, he will send a Danish soldier to take it down. The sentry responds, "The soldier will be shot." The King replies "the Danish soldier will be me." According to the story, the flag was taken down.

King Christian X became the hero of a number of myths about his defense of the Danish Jews. He became the subject of a persistent

Nazi occupation, Nazis forced the Jews to wear the Star of David and the king donned the Star of David himself as a symbol of solidarity with them. However, in Denmark, unlike other Nazi-controlled territories, Jews were never forced to wear the Star of David. The legend likely stems from a 1942 British report that claimed he threatened to don the star if this was forced upon Danish Jews, and was popularised when it was included in Leon Uris's best-selling novel, Exodus.[25]

It is true, however, that the King intended to wear the star in case the Danish Jews were forced to do so. In his personal diary, he wrote this entry: "When you look at the inhumane treatment of Jews, not only in Germany but occupied countries as well, you start worrying that such a demand might also be put on us, but we must clearly refuse such this due to their protection under the Danish constitution. I stated that I could not meet such a demand towards Danish citizens. If such a demand is made, we would best meet it by all wearing the Star of David."[26]

The myth may originate from a Swedish newspaper cartoon, in which the King is asked what to do if Nazi-supported prime minister Erik Scavenius makes the Jews wear yellow stars. The King replied that in that case, all Danes would have to wear such stars.[27]

Titles, styles and honours

Titles and styles

Royal Monogram of King Christian X of Denmark
  • 26 September 1870 – 29 January 1906: His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Denmark[28]
  • 29 January 1906 – 14 May 1912: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Denmark[29]
  • 14 May 1912 – 1 December 1918: His Majesty The King of Denmark[30]
  • 1 December 1918 – 17 June 1944: His Majesty The King of Denmark and Iceland[31]
  • 17 June 1944 – 20 April 1947: His Majesty The King of Denmark[32]

Honours

King Christian X Land in Greenland is named after him.

Danish and Icelandic honours[33]
Foreign honours[36]
Honorary military appointments

Ancestors

See also: Descendants of Christian IX of Denmark

Issue

Name Birth Death Spouse Children
Frederik IX of Denmark
 11 March 1899 14 January 1972 Princess Ingrid of Sweden
Benedikte, Dowager Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Anne-Marie, Queen of the Hellenes
Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark 27 July 1900 14 June 1976 Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark Princess Elisabeth of Denmark
Count Ingolf of Rosenborg
Count Christian of Rosenborg

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Thorsøe 1889, p. 529.
  2. ^ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh, ed. (1977). Burke's Royal Families of the World. Vol. 1. London, UK: Burke's Peerage Ltd. p. 71.
  3. ^ "H.C. Andersens dagbøger" (in Danish). The Royal Library, Denmark. 30 September 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2006.
  4. ^ Allerh. approb. Program for høitidelige Daabshandling i Christiansborg Slotskirke d. 31. Oct 1870 (in Danish). Copenhagen. 1870.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "Baptismal font, basins and gowns". kongehuset.dk. Monarchy of Denmark. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  6. ^ Bramsen 1992, p. 274.
  7. ^ Jensen, Tina Knudsen. "Thorsgade Kaserne" (in Danish). Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  8. ^ Jespersen 2007, p. 71-76.
  9. ^ Griberg, Sara (12 November 2014). "Trekongemødet i Malmø". altomhistorie.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  10. ^ Wiberg, Jacob (2008). "Trekungamötet i Malmö 1914". Populär Historia (in Swedish) (12).
  11. ^ Baltzersen, Jan. "Denmark and Southern Jutland during the First World War". ddb.byhistorie.dk. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  12. ^ Jespersen 2007, p. 235-236.
  13. ^ William Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990), p. 663.
  14. ^ Peter Rochegune Munch: Erindringer 7, p. 29.
  15. ^ The German occupation of Denmark Archived 15 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Danish Royal Family (27 November 2012). "The History Behind the King's Emblem". Kongehuset.dk/ (in Danish). The Danish Royal Family. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  17. ^ Christian X gav penge til jødetransporter – Kultur| www.b.dk
  18. ^ "2005 – Besættelsen – Kilder". FaktaLink. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007.
  19. ^ Vilhjálmur Örn Vilhjálmsson. "The King and the Star - Myths created during the Occupation of Denmark" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  20. ^ Official website of the Danish Monarchy – Biography of King Christian X Archived 25 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Vilhjálmsson, Vilhjálmur Örn (2003). Bastholm Jensen, Mette; Jensen, Steven B. (eds.). "Denmark and the Holocaust". In: Bastholm Jensen, Mette & Steven B. Jensen (Eds.), Denmark and the Holocaust. Published by the Institute for International Studies (Diis), Department for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Copenhagen. Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies: 107. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  22. ^ United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Frequently asked questions.
  23. ^ "Der rider en Konge". Lyrics by Hans Hartvig Seedorff Pedersen. Published e.g. in Emilius Bangert et al., "Dansk Alsang-Bog", Copenhagen: Egmont H. Peterens Forlag, 1941.
  24. The Australasian. Melbourne, Victoria: National Library of Australia
    . p. 12. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  25. ^ Islandsk forsker: Christian X red aldrig med jøde-armbind – Nationalt| www.b.dk
  26. ^ Christian X var parat til at lade alle bære jødestjerne – Politiken.dk
  27. ^ Mikkelson, David (5 July 2000). "The King of Denmark Wore a Yellow Star". Snopes. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  28. ^ "The London Gazette, Issue 26765, Page 4501". 6 August 1896.
  29. ^ "The London Gazette, Supplement 28535, Page 7085". 26 September 1911.
  30. ^ "The London Gazette, Issue 28622, Page 4663". 28 June 1912.
  31. ^ "The London Gazette, Issue 34540, Page 5114". 9 August 1938.
  32. ^ "The London Gazette, Supplement 37909, Page 1314". 18 March 1947.
  33. ^ Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1912) [1st pub.:1801]. Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1912 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1912] (PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. p. 4. Retrieved 16 September 2019 – via da:DIS Danmark.
  34. ^ Levin, Sergey (15 June 2018). "Order of the Dannebrog (Dannebrogordenen). Denmark". Tallinn Museum of Orders of Knighthood. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  35. ^ "The Order of the Falcon". Website of the President of Iceland. English.forseti.is. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  36. ^ Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1943) [1st pub.:1801]. Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1943 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1943] (PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. p. 15. Retrieved 16 September 2019 – via da:DIS Danmark.
  37. Royal Decree
    of 22 July 1907.
  38. ^ "Kolana Řádu Bílého lva aneb hlavy států v řetězech" (in Czech), Czech Medals and Orders Society. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  39. ^ "Cross of Liberty: Christian X of Denmark". Estonian State Decorations (in Estonian). Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  40. ^ "Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun Suurristi Ketjuineen". ritarikunnat.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  41. ^ "Schwarzer Adler-orden", Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (supp.) (in German), vol. 1, Berlin, 1886, p. 5 – via hathitrust.org{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  42. ^ Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach Archived 6 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine (1900), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 17
  43. ^ Sallay, Gergely Pál (2018), "The Collar of the Hungarian Order of Merit", A Had Tör Té Ne Ti Mú Ze um Értesítôje 18. Acta Musei Militaris in Hungaria, Budapest: Hadtörténeti Múzeum: 81
  44. ^ Italy. Ministero dell'interno (1920). Calendario generale del regno d'Italia. p. 58.
  45. ^ Norway (1908), "Den kongelige norske Sanct Olavs Orden", Norges Statskalender (in Norwegian), pp. 869–870, retrieved 17 September 2021
  46. ^ Kawalerowie i statuty Orderu Orła Białego 1705–2008 (in Polish). 2008. p. 298.
  47. ^ "Ordinul Carol I" [Order of Carol I]. Familia Regală a României (in Romanian). Bucharest. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  48. Royal Thai Government Gazette (in Thai). 19 March 1898. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
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  52. ^ Sveriges statskalender (in Swedish), 1940, p. 345, retrieved 6 January 2018 – via runeberg.org
  53. ^ "No. 27364". The London Gazette. 11 October 1901. p. 6640.
  54. ^ "No. 28131". The London Gazette. 24 April 1908. p. 3077.
  55. ^ "Das Regiment". husaren14.de (in German). Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  56. ^ "The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)" (PDF). Kent Fallen. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  57. ^ "Connection with The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment". The Danish Royal House. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christian X of Denmark.
Christian X
House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg
Born: 26 September 1870 Died: 20 April 1947
Regnal titles
Preceded by
King of Denmark

1912–1947 		Succeeded by
Frederik IX
New title
King of Iceland

1918–1944 		Vacant
Republic of Iceland
created
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