List of Danish monarchs

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This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queen regnants 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 (1523–1536/1537)
• The United Kingdoms of Denmark–Norway (1536/1537–1814)
• The Kingdom of Denmark (1814–present)
  • Iceland (since the union between Denmark and Norway in 1380; independent kingdom in a personal union with Denmark 1918–1944; a sovereign republic since 1944)
  • Folketinget
    )
  • Folketinget
    )

The

Pre-Knýtlinga Danish monarchs

The exact date of origin of the Kingdom of Denmark is not established, but names of Danish kings begins to emerge in foreign sources from the 8th century and onwards. Danish and Nordic legendary stories, chronicles and sagas often have accounts of Danish kings and dynasties stretching further back in time than the 7th century, but the historicity of the content and interpretations of these stories are often put to doubt.

• Chochilaicus—see Hugleik and Hygelac—c. 515 AD, mentioned by Gregory of Tours (538–594).^[1][2][3] Hugleik, according to the written sources, suffered a defeat in 515 during a naval expedition to the Frankish Empire. Hugleik is the first Danish king mentioned in European sources.^[4]
• Saint Willibrord wrote about when he visited the Danes, at the time ruled by Ongendus.^[5]
• Harald, named as former king in relating 9th-century events, perhaps model for legendary
  Redbad II who in 754 had to flee to "the land of the Danes" where King Harald reigned ("Daniae Regi Heraldi").^[6]
• Sigfred: 770s–790s
• Gudfred: 804–810, mentioned as Danish king in the Treaty of Heiligen 811.^[1] Alternate spellings: Godfred, Göttrick (German), Godric(Anglicized English), Gøtrik (Danish), Gudrød (Danish)
• Hemming: 810–811/812 The Treaty of Heiligen was signed in 811 between the Danish King Hemming and Charlemagne.^[1]
• Sigurd Hring
  : c. 812
• Annals of Fulda which records his execution for treason in 852.^[7]
• Sons of Gudfred (Godrik): 814–820s
  • Horik I: (814) 827–854, King of the Danes (at first ruling jointly with his unnamed brothers). The Frankish annals mention Horik on numerous occasions during the next couple of decades.^[5]
• Horik II: 854–860s. He is believed to have been the immediate successor of Horik I, but the annals are silent about the name of the Danish king for a few years after the disaster of 854. In 857, Horik II allowed Rorik to occupy the part of the kingdom between the sea and the Eider. Horik II was still alive in 864, when a letter was addressed to him by Pope Nicholas I.^[5]
• Late 9th century kings
  • Bagsecg: c. 860s–871
  • Halfdan: 871–877
  • Sigfred: c. 873–891. It is generally assumed that he was the immediate successor of Horik II, although that is not certain. His year of succession is unknown, but it was between 864 (when Horik II was still king) and his first appearance as king in the Frankish annals in 873. Sigifrid was baptized in 882.^[5]
  • Gudfred: 880s
  • Heiligo (Halga): 890s (?), described by Adam of Bremen as the immediate predecessor of the House of Olof.
• The "House of Olaf": late 9th century and early 10th century. This dynasty is described by Adam of Bremen, and members of this claimed dynasty are commemorated by the two Sigtrygg Runestones, which represent contemporary evidence that some of these kings controlled at least part of Denmark.^[8]
  • Olof, said by Adam to have come from Sweden and defeated Heiligo, taking the crown.
  • Gyrd and Gnupa, sons and joint successors of Olof, according to Adam. Gnupa is named by Widukind of Corvey as leader of the Danes in 934, and appears on the Sigtrygg Runestones.
  • Sigtrygg, son of Gnupa, memorialized on the Sigtrygg Runestones, presumably dating from shortly after 934.
• Sweyn II. The Stone of Eric also describes an attack on Hedeby from the same period. Since Eric also, according to another source of Adam of Bremen, invaded the Holy Roman Empire. It virtually requires Eric to have been the king of Denmark. Therefore two independent sources describe Eric as the king of Denmark. ^{[9] [10]}

• Ragnar Lodbrok, a legendary king probably in the 9th century, only appears in sagas and late histories, and these accounts are wildly inconsistent. He may be a composite character, a chimera of several historical kings and Vikings.
• Ragnarssona þáttr. Said to be king of Zealand and Scania, and son of Ragnar Lodbrok
  . He may be inspired by late 9th century King Sigfred (above).
• Harthacnut (Hardeknud). According to the sagas he is son of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, but some historians identify him with Adam's Hardegon, Svein's son, who invaded Denmark from Northmannia and supplanted the House of Olof. He may have ruled only part of Denmark, as Adam places the commencement of his long reign between 909 and 915, while the House of Olof was still ruling at least part of Denmark as late as 934. He was father of Gorm the Old.

List of monarchs of Denmark

House of Gorm

(c. 936–1042)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Gorm the Old (Gorm den Gamle) by c. 936 – 958/64	Non-contemporary	? son of Harthacanute I	Thyra four children	958/64
Harald I Bluetooth (Harald Blåtand) 958/64–985/6	Non-contemporary	932 son of Gorm the Old and Thyra	(1) Gunhild (perhaps identical with Tove) (2) Tove of the Obotrites January 963 (3) Gyrid of Sweden [legendary]	1 November 985 (or 986 or 987) Jomsborg aged 53
Sweyn I Forkbeard (Svend Tveskæg) 986–1014	Non-contemporary	17 April 963 son of Tove of the Obotrites and Harald Bluetooth	(1 & 2) Gunhild of Wenden or Sigrid the Haughty eight children	3 February 1014 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire aged 50
Harald II Svendsen 1014–1018(?)	Non-contemporary	? son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhild or Sigrid	unknown	c. 1018
Cnut II the Great (Knud den Store) 1019–1035		c. 985/95 son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhild or Sigrid	(1) Ælfgifu of Northampton two children (2) Emma of Normandy 2/31 July 1017 three children	12 November 1035 Shaftesbury aged about 40–50
Harthacnut III (Hardeknud) 1035–1042	Non-contemporary	c. 1020 Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy	never married	8 June 1042 Lambeth aged 21–22

House of Fairhair (1042–1047)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Magnus the Good (Magnus den Gode) 1042–1047		c. 1024 Norway illegitimate son of Olaf II of Norway and Alfhild	never married one daughter	25 October 1047 Zealand aged 23

House of Estridsen (1047–1375)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Sweyn II Estridsson (Svend Estridsen) 1047–1076		c. 1019 jarl Ulf Torgilsson and Estrid Svendsdatter (daughter of Sweyn I Forkbeard )	(1) Gyda of Sweden c. 1048 (2) Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir c. 1050	28 April 1076 Søderup aged 57–58
Harald III the Soft (Harald Hén) 1076–1080	Non-contemporary	c. 1040 illegitimate son of Sweyn II	Margareta Hasbjörnsdatter no issue	17 April 1080 aged 40
Cnut IV the Holy (Knud den Hellige) 1080–1086	Non-contemporary	c. 1042 illegitimate son of Sweyn II	Adela of Flanders c. 1080 three children	10 July 1086 St. Alban's Priory aged 43–44
Olaf I Hunger (Oluf Hunger) 1086–1095	Non-contemporary	c. 1050 illegitimate son of Sweyn II	Ingegerd of Norway c. 1070 one daughter	18 August 1095 aged 44–45
Eric I Evergood (Erik Ejegod) 1095–1103	Non-contemporary	c. 1060 Slangerup illegitimate son of Sweyn II	Boedil Thurgotsdatter before 1086 one son	10 July 1103 Paphos, Cyprus aged 42–43
Niels 1104–1134	Non-contemporary	c. 1065 illegitimate son of Sweyn II	(1) Margaret Fredkulla c. 1105 two sons (2) Ulvhild Håkansdotter c. 1130 no issue	25 June 1134 Schleswig aged 68–69
Eric II the Memorable (Erik Emune) 1134–1137	Non-contemporary	c. 1090 illegitimate son of Eric I	Malmfred of Kiev c. 1130 no issue	18 July 1137 Urnehoved aged 46–47
Eric III Lamb (Erik Lam) 1137–1146 (abdicated)	Non-contemporary	c. 1120 son of Hakon Sunnivasson and Ragnhild Eriksdatter (she was daughter of Eric I)	Lutgard of Salzwedel c. 1144 no issue	27 August 1146 St. Canute's Abbey aged 25–26
Sweyn III Grathe (Svend Grathe) 1146–1157	Non-contemporary	c. 1125 son of Eric II	Adela of Meissen c. 1152 two children	23 October 1157 Grathe Heath aged 31–32
Cnut V (Knud 5.) 1146–1157		c. 1129 eldest son of Magnus I of Sweden and Richeza of Poland	Helena of Sweden c. 1156 no issue	9 August 1157 Roskilde aged 27–28
Valdemar I the Great (Valdemar den Store) 1154–1182		14 January 1131 only son of Canute Lavard (who was son of Eric I) and Ingeborg of Kiev	Sophia of Minsk c. 1157 Viborg Cathedral eight children	12 May 1182 Vordingborg Castle aged 51
Cnut VI (Knud 6.) 1170–1202		c. 1163 eldest son of Valdemar I and Sophia of Minsk	Gertrude of Bavaria February 1177 Lund Cathedral no issue	12 November 1202 aged 38–39
Valdemar II the Victorious (Valdemar Sejr) 1202–1241		9 May/28 June 1170 second son of Valdemar I and Sophia of Minsk	(1) Dagmar of Bohemia c. 1205 Lübeck one son (2) Berengaria of Portugal 18/24 May 1214 four children	28 March 1241 Vordingborg Castle aged 70
Valdemar the Young ("Valdemar III") (Valdemar den Unge) 1215–1231		c. 1209 only son of Valdemar II and Dagmar of Bohemia	Eleanor of Portugal 24 June 1229 Ribe Cathedral one child	28 November 1231 Refsnæs aged 21–22
Eric IV Ploughpenny (Erik Plovpenning) 1232–1250		c. 1216 eldest son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal	Jutta of Saxony 17 November 1239 six children	9 August 1250 on the Schlei aged 33–34
Abel 1 November 1250 – 1252	Non-contemporary	c. 1218 second son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal	Matilda of Holstein 25 April 1237 Schleswig Cathedral four children	29 June 1252 Eiderstedt aged 33–34
Christopher I (Christoffer 1.) 25 December 1252 – 1259	Non-contemporary	c. 1219 third son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal	Margaret Sambiria c. 1248 five children	29 May 1259 Ribe aged 39–40
Eric V Klipping (Erik Klipping) 1259–1286		c. 1249 eldest son of Christopher I and Margaret Sambiria	Agnes of Brandenburg 11 November 1273 Schleswig Cathedral seven children	22 November 1286 Finderup aged 36–37
Eric VI Menved (Erik Menved) 1286–1319		c. 1274 eldest son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg	Ingeborg of Sweden June 1296 Kärnan Castle fourteen children	13 November 1319 Roskilde aged 44–45
Christopher II (Christoffer 2.) 25 January 1320 – 1326 (deposed)		29 September 1276 second son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg	Euphemia of Pomerania c. 1300 six children	2 August 1332 Nykøbing Castle aged 55
Eric (Erik Christoffersen) 1321–1326 (deposed)		c. 1307 eldest son of Christopher II and Euphemia of Pomerania	Elizabeth of Holstein-Rendsburg 1330 no issue	early 1332 aged approximately 25
Valdemar III (Valdemar 3.) 1326–1329 (deposed)	Non-contemporary	c. 1314 only son of Eric II, Duke of Schleswig and Adelaide of Holstein-Rendsburg	Richardis of Schwerin two sons	c. 1364 aged 49–50
Christopher II (Christoffer 2.) 1329–1332 (restored)		29 September 1276 second son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg	Euphemia of Pomerania c. 1300 six children	2 August 1332 Nykøbing Castle aged 55
Eric (Erik Christoffersen) 1329–1331/32		c. 1307 eldest son of Christopher II and Euphemia of Pomerania	Elizabeth of Holstein-Rendsburg 1330 no issue	late 1331 or early 1332 aged approximately 25
Interregnum (1332–1340)
Valdemar IV Atterdag (Valdemar Atterdag) 21 June 1340 – 1375		c. 1320 third son of Christopher II and Euphemia of Pomerania	Helvig of Schleswig c. 1340 Sønderborg Castle six children	24 October 1375 Gurre Castle aged 54–55

House of Bjelbo (1376–1387)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Olaf II (Oluf 2.) 3 May 1376 – 1387	Non-contemporary	December 1370 Akershus Castle only son of King Haakon VI of Norway and Sweden and Margaret I	never married	3 August 1387 Falsterbo Castle aged 16

House of Estridsen (1387–1412)

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Margaret I (Margrete 1.) 1387–1412 (de facto)		c.  1353 Søborg Castle youngest daughter of Valdemar IV and Helvig of Schleswig	Church of Our Lady one son	28 October 1412 Ship on Flensburg Fjord aged 58–59

House of Griffin (1396–1439)

Name	Portrait	Arms	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Eric VII (Erik af Pommern) 24 January 1412 – 1439 (deposed)			c. 1381/82 Rügenwalde Castle (Poland) only son of Polish Duke of Pomerania Wartislaw VII and Mary of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Philippa of England 26 October 1406 Lund Cathedral no issue	24 September 1459 Rügenwalde Castle (Poland) aged 76–78

House of Wittelsbach, Palatinate-Neumarkt branch (1440–1448)

Name	Portrait	Arms	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Christopher III (Christoffer af Bayern) 9 April 1440 – 5/6 January 1448			26 February 1416 Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz fifth son of John, Count Palatine of Neumarkt and Catherine of Pomerania	Dorothea of Brandenburg 12 September 1445 Copenhagen no issue	5/6 January 1448 Kärnan Castile aged 31

House of Oldenburg (1448–1863)

Name	Portrait	Arms	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Christian I 1 September 1448 – 21 May 1481 (32 years, 263 days)			February 1426 Oldenburg eldest son of Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg and Helvig of Schauenburg	Church of Our Lady five children	21 May 1481 Copenhagen Castle aged 55
John (Hans) 21 May 1481 – 20 February 1513 (31 years, 276 days)			2 February 1455 Aalborghus Castle third son of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg	Christina of Saxony 6 September 1478 Copenhagen five children	20 February 1513 Aalborghus Castle aged 58
Christian II 22 July 1513 – 20 January 1523 (9 years, 183 days) (deposed)			1 July 1481 Nyborg Castle second son of John and Christina of Saxony	Isabella of Austria 12 August 1515 Copenhagen six children	25 January 1559 Kalundborg Castle aged 77
Frederick I 13 April 1523 – 10 April 1533 (9 years, 363 days)			7 October 1471 Haderslevhus Castle fourth son of Christian I and Dorothea of Brandenburg	(1) Anna of Brandenburg 10 April 1502 Stendal two children (2) Sophie of Pomerania 9 October 1518 Kiel Castle six children	10 April 1533 Gottorp Castle aged 61
Interregnum (1533–1534)
Christian III 4 July 1534 – 1 January 1559 (24 years, 182 days)			12 August 1503 Gottorp Castle only son of Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg	Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg 29 October 1525 Lauenburg Castle five children	1 January 1559 Koldinghus Castle aged 55
Frederick II 1 January 1559 – 4 April 1588 (29 years, 95 days)			1 July 1534 Haderslevhus Castle eldest son of Christian III and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg	Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 20 July 1572 Copenhagen eight children	4 April 1588 Antvorskov Castle aged 53
Christian IV 4 April 1588 – 28 February 1648 (59 years, 331 days)			12 April 1577 Frederiksborg Palace eldest son of Frederick II and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow	(1) Anne Catherine of Brandenburg 27 November 1597 Haderslevhus Castle seven children (2) Kirsten Munk 31 December 1615 Copenhagen twelve children	28 February 1648 Rosenborg Castle aged 70
Frederick III 6 July 1648 – 9 February 1670 (21 years, 219 days)			18 March 1609 Haderslevhus Castle third son of Christian IV and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg	Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1 October 1643 Glücksburg Castle eight children	9 February 1670 Copenhagen Castle aged 60
Christian V 9 February 1670 – 25 August 1699 (29 years, 198 days)			15 April 1646 Duborg Castle eldest son of Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg	Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel 25 June 1667 Nykøbing Castle eight children	25 August 1699 Copenhagen Castle aged 53
Frederick IV 25 August 1699 – 12 October 1730 (31 years, 49 days)			11 October 1671 Copenhagen Castle eldest son of Christian V and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel	(1) Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 5 December 1695 Copenhagen five children (2) Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg 6 September 1703 one son (3) Anne Sophie Reventlow 4 April 1721 Copenhagen three children	12 October 1730 Odense Palace aged 59
Christian VI 12 October 1730 – 6 August 1746 (15 years, 299 days)			30 November 1699 Copenhagen Castle second son of Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow	Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 7 August 1721 Pretzsch Castle three children	6 August 1746 Hirschholm Palace aged 46
Frederick V 6 August 1746 – 14 January 1766 (19 years, 162 days)			31 March 1723 Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach	(1) Frederiksborg Palace one son	14 January 1766 Christiansborg Palace aged 42
Christian VII 14 January 1766 – 13 March 1808 (42 years, 60 days)			29 January 1749 Christiansborg Palace second son of Frederick V and Louise of Great Britain	Caroline Matilda of Great Britain 8 November 1766 Christiansborg Palace two children	13 March 1808 Rendsburg aged 59
Frederick VI 13 March 1808 – 3 December 1839 (31 years, 266 days)			28 January 1768 Christiansborg Palace only son of Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Great Britain	Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel 31 July 1790 Gottorp Castle eight children	3 December 1839 Amalienborg Palace aged 71
Christian VIII Christian Frederick 3 December 1839 – 20 January 1848 (8 years, 49 days)			18 September 1786 Christiansborg Palace grandson of Frederick V and Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel	(1) Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg 22 May 1815 Augustenborg Palace no issue	20 January 1848 Amalienborg Palace aged 61
Frederick VII Frederik Carl Christian 20 January 1848 – 15 November 1863 (15 years, 300 days)			6 October 1808 Amalienborg Palace second son of Christian VIII and Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	(1) Frederiksborg Palace no issue	15 November 1863 Glücksburg Castle aged 55

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg branch

(1863-present)

Name	Portrait	Arms	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death	Claim	Ref.
Christian IX 15 November 1863 – 29 January 1906 (42 years, 76 days)			8 April 1818 Gottorf Castle fourth son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel	Amalienborg Palace six children	29 January 1906 Amalienborg Palace aged 87	Great-grandson of Frederick V and male-line descendant of Christian III	[11]
Frederik VIII Christian Frederik Vilhelm Carl 29 January 1906 – 14 May 1912 (6 years, 107 days)			3 June 1843 Yellow Palace eldest son of Christian IX and Louise of Hesse-Kassel	Louise of Sweden 28 July 1869 Stockholm eight children	14 May 1912 Jungfernstieg, Hamburg aged 68	Son of Christian IX	[12]
Christian X Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm 14 May 1912 – 20 April 1947 (34 years, 343 days)			26 September 1870 Charlottenlund Palace eldest son of Frederik VIII and Louise of Sweden	Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 26 April 1898 Cannes two sons	20 April 1947 Amalienborg Palace aged 76	Son of Frederik VIII	[13]
Frederik IX Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg 20 April 1947 – 14 January 1972 (24 years, 269 days)			11 March 1899 Sorgenfri Palace eldest son of Christian X and Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Ingrid of Sweden 24 May 1935 Storkyrkan Cathedral, Stockholm three daughters	14 January 1972 Amalienborg Palace aged 72	Son of Christian X	[14]
Margrethe II Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid 14 January 1972 – 14 January 2024 (abdicated) (52 years, 1 day)			16 April 1940 Amalienborg Palace eldest daughter of Frederik IX and Ingrid of Sweden	Henri de Laborde de Monpezat 10 June 1967 Holmen Church, Copenhagen two sons	Age 84 years, 11 days	Daughter of Frederik IX	[15]
Frederik X Frederik André Henrik Christian 14 January 2024 – present (105 days)			26 May 1968 Henri de Laborde de Monpezat	Copenhagen Cathedral, Copenhagen four children	Incumbent Age 55 years, 337 days	Son of Margrethe II	[16]

Timeline of Danish monarchs

See also

• Family tree of Danish monarchs
• Succession to the Danish throne
• List of Danish royal consorts
• Coronation of the Danish monarch
• Style of the Danish sovereign
• Danish Crown Regalia
• Danish Orders of Chivalry
• Lists of office-holders

Notes