Count Christian of Rosenborg

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Christian
BornPrince Christian of Denmark
(1942-10-22)22 October 1942
Lyngby-Taarbæk, Copenhagen, Denmark
Died21 May 2013(2013-05-21) (aged 70)
Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1971)​
IssueCountess Josephine
Countess Camilla
Countess Feodora
Names
Christian Frederik Franz Knud Harald Carl Oluf Gustav Georg Erik
HouseGlücksburg
FatherKnud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark
MotherPrincess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark

Count Christian of Rosenborg (Christian Frederik Franz Knud Harald Carl Oluf Gustav Georg Erik; 22 October 1942 – 21 May 2013) was a member

Margrethe
and her two younger sisters. He later gave up his princely rank and his rights to the throne in order to marry a commoner.

Family

He was born at Sorgenfri Palace, Sorgenfri, as the younger son of Hereditary Prince Knud by his wife and first cousin, Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark.

Loss of place in succession

From the death of his grandfather in 1947, Christian stood only behind his father and elder brother Prince Ingolf in the order of hereditary succession to the throne, with only future children of Ingolf possibly taking a place ahead of him. His father Prince Knud was then the heir presumptive, due to succeed Christian's uncle King Frederik IX, who had three daughters but no sons.

In 1953, the

Queen Margrethe II in 1972 and reigned until her abdication
in 2024. Christian's place in the line of succession, if he had been still eligible, would have been no higher than thirteenth in 2013.

Marriage, loss of dynastic rights and children

By 1971, Princess Margrethe had produced two children, pushing Christian to 8th in the line of succession. He then chose to forfeit his right of succession to the throne by marrying without having received the royal assent of the monarch in the Council of State. His brother Ingolf had done the same three years previously.

The king's permission to marry was not sought because it was expected to be denied, since Christian's fiancée was an untitled commoner.

dynastic rights.[citation needed
]

Prior to his elder son's wedding in 1968, Prince Knud sought to convince his brother that Ingolf should be allowed to retain his royal title after his non-dynastic marriage, a privilege which might have been subsequently extended to Christian.

rank if Ingolf were allowed to do so despite his marrying a commoner as they had done.[3]
So, in 1971, Christian renounced his rights to the throne and took the title count of Rosenborg.

On 27 February 1971, at

Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen (3 October 1947 in Frederikssund – 2 January 2014 in Copenhagen)[4] who thus became Her Excellency Countess Anne Dorte of Rosenborg. Although lacking the prior royal assent of the monarch given in the Council of State that the law required, the king expressed no personal opposition to his nephew's choice of bride and, according to Christian, the king's private consent later had to be formally registered by the King-in-Council.[5]
In a 1985 interview with Billed-Bladet, Count Christian had explained (translated from Danish):

As protocol dictates, I had to ask my uncle, King Frederik IX, if he had any objections to my getting engaged...I knew I would have to renounce my title of prince and my right of succession if I married her. I was number four in the line of succession after

Princess Margrethe, Princess Benedikte, and my father. My brother, Ingolf, had two years previously lost his princely title and succession right when he married a commoner, Countess Inge. Now I was ready to follow him. To me, it didn't matter if I were in line for the throne or not...My uncle, of course, had nothing against a union between Anne Dorte and me.[2]

Count Christian and Countess Anne Dorte had three daughters: twins Josephine and Camilla (born in 1972) and Feodora (born in 1975). All three were born “Komtesser” a lower title than “Grevinde” which translates to “Countess” from birth. And a title that all daughters of Counts in Denmark are given.

Public life

Count Christian took part in some major public events associated with the royal family, in 2004, he and Countess Anne Dorte attended the wedding on 14 May 2004 of

Prince Henrik at Fredensborg Palace on 11 June 2009;[9] and the ruby jubilee celebrations for Queen Margrethe.[citation needed
]

Death

Count Christian died on 21 May 2013 (aged 70) at

Countess Anne Dorte of Rosenborg died just 7 months later on 2 January 2014 in Copenhagen.[10]

Ancestry

References

Citations

  1. ^ The Danish Monarchy website (in Danish), guest list for gala concert in honor of Queen Margrethe's jubilee, lists Count Christian under the heading of "The Royal Family"
  2. ^ a b Billed-Bladet, (Interview with Count Christian of Rosenborg), 1985, Danish
  3. ^ a b Familie-Journalen, (Interview with Count Ingolf of Rosenborg), 14 May 1990, Danish
  4. ^ Grevinde Anne Dorte af Rosenborg er død (in Danish)
  5. ^ Billed-Bladet, (Interview with Count Christian of Rosenborg), 1992, #39, Danish
  6. ^ Kongehuset – Artikel Archived 18 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Kongehuset – Artikel Archived 18 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Kongehuset – Aktuelt – Nyheder Archived 18 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ kongehuset.dk Archived 16 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Countess Anne Dorte of Rosenborg's death". Retrieved 6 January 2014.

Bibliography

  • Bramsen, Bo (1992). Huset Glücksborg. Europas svigerfader og hans efterslægt [The House of Glücksburg. The Father-in-law of Europe and his descendants] (in Danish) (2nd ed.). Copenhagen: Forlaget Forum.
    ISBN 87-553-1843-6
    .
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