Monarchy of Denmark

King of Denmark
King of Denmark
Konge af Danmark
	Royal coat of arms of Denmark
Incumbent
	Frederik X; since 14 January 2024
Details
Style	His Majesty
Heir apparent	Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark
First monarch	Ongendus (first king known by name)
Formation	710; 1314 years ago
Residences	See list
Website	www.kongehuset.dk/en

The monarchy of Denmark is a

Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was already consolidated in the 8th century, whose rulers are consistently referred to in Frankish sources (and in some late Frisian sources) as "kings" (reges). Under the rule of King Gudfred in 804 the Kingdom may have included all the major provinces of medieval Denmark.^[1]

The current unified Kingdom of Denmark was founded or re-united by the

former monarch of Greece

in the direct male line.

The Danish monarchy is

his or her immediate family

undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties.

Queen Margrethe II, on 14 January 2024. Danish regnal names have traditionally (since 1513) alternated between "Frederik" (previously anglicised to Frederick) and "Christian". Accordingly, Frederik's heir apparent is Crown Prince Christian

.

History

Early kingdom

The Danish monarchy is over 1200 years old, founded in the 8th century (or earlier).

Old Norse: Gormr gamli, Danish: Gorm den gamle), who reigned in the early and mid 10th century.^[4]

The kingdom itself though is probably a couple of hundred years older than that.

The Danes were united (or more likely reunited) and officially

Cnut the Great by the middle of the eleventh century. The reign of Cnut represented the peak of the Danish Viking age; his North Sea Empire

included England (1016), Denmark (1018), Norway (1028) and held strong influence over the north-eastern coast of Germany.

The last monarch descended from Valdemar IV, Christopher III of Denmark, died in 1448 AD. Count Christian of Oldenburg, descendant of Sophia, the daughter of Valdemar IV's aunt Richeza of Denmark, Lady of Werle, who was the daughter of Eric V of Denmark, was chosen as his successor and became the next monarch of Denmark, ruling under the name Christian I. Richeza thus can be considered as a sort of female founder of the House of Oldenburg.

Absolutism

failed Swedish attack on Copenhagen in 1659

.

Originally the Danish monarchy was elective, but in practice the eldest son of the reigning monarch was elected. Later a Coronation Charter was signed by the king to restrict the powers of the Danish monarch.

In 1657, during the

Skåne, Halland, Blekinge and Bornholm), in addition to the counties of Bohuslän and Trøndelag

in Norway.

But the Second Northern War was not yet over. Three months after the peace treaty was signed, Charles X Gustav held a council of war where he decided to simply wipe Denmark from the map and unite all of Scandinavia under his rule. Once again the Swedish army arrived outside Copenhagen. However, this time the Danes did not panic or surrender. Instead, they decided to fight and prepared to defend Copenhagen. Frederick III had stayed in his capital and now encouraged the citizens of Copenhagen to resist the Swedes, by saying he would "die in his nest", rather than to evacuate to safety in Norway. Furthermore, this unprovoked declaration of war by Sweden finally triggered the alliance that Denmark–Norway had with the Netherlands, and a powerful Dutch fleet was sent to Copenhagen with vital supplies and reinforcements, which saved the city from being captured during the

Swedish attack

.

Charles X Gustav suddenly died of an illness in early 1660, while planning an invasion of Norway. Following his death, Sweden made peace in the Treaty of Copenhagen. The Swedes returned Trøndelag to Norway and Bornholm to Denmark, but kept the other territories gained two years earlier. The Netherlands and other European powers accepted the settlement, not wanting both coasts of the Øresund strait controlled by Denmark. This treaty established the boundaries between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden that still exist today. Absolutism was introduced in 1660–1661 and the elective monarchy was de jure transformed into an hereditary monarchy. An official absolutist constitution, where absolute power and male primogeniture succession was laid down in the King's Law (Lex Regia) of 1665.^[5]

Constitutional period

German occupation of World War II, King Christian X

became a powerful symbol of national identity. This image dates from the King's birthday, 26 September 1940.

When he succeeded to the throne in January 1848, King

great powers of Europe, in light of the expected extinction of the senior line of the House of Oldenburg. A justification for this choice was his marriage to Louise of Hesse-Kassel, who as a niece of Christian VIII

, was a more close relative to the incumbent king than her husband.

Upon the death of King

Haakon VII of Norway. To this day the Danish Royal Family are related to most other reigning European dynasties.^[6]

The

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.

Subsequently, Christian X dismissed the rest of the government and replaced it with a de facto conservative care-taker cabinet under Otto Liebe. 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 monarchy, Christian X backed down and dismissed his own government. This was the most recent time that a sitting Danish monarch made an executive decision without the support of a cabinet accountable to the legislature; following the crisis, Christian X accepted his drastically reduced role as symbolic head of state.^[7]

The

Queen Margrethe II

ascended to the throne and reigned until her abdication in 2024.

Following a referendum in 2009, the Act of Succession was amended so that primogeniture no longer puts males over females; a first-born child becomes heir to the throne regardless of gender.^[8]

Constitutional and official role

credentials

to the King.

According to the

1920 Easter Crisis

.

However, when reading the Danish Constitution of 1953, it is important to bear in mind that the usage of the word king, in the context of exercising acts of state, is understood by Danish jurists to be read as the Government (consisting of the Prime Minister and other ministers). This is a logical consequence of articles 12, 13 and 14, all of which in essence stipulate that the powers vested in the monarch can only be exercised through ministers, who are responsible for all acts, thus removing any political or legal liability from the monarch.^[10]

Today the monarch delegates much royal authority to Ministers in government, allowing the king to engage in the

Council of State, at which the monarch presides and gives royal assent to laws. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs report regularly to the monarch to advise him of the latest political developments. The monarch hosts official visits by foreign Heads of State, pays state visits abroad, receives letters of credence from foreign ambassadors and signs those of Danish ambassadors. The convention for appointment of a new prime minister after a general election is that after consultation with representatives of the political parties, the monarch invites the party leader who has the support of the largest number of seats in the Folketing to form a government. Once it has been formed, the monarch formally appoints it.^[11]

Greenland and the Faroe Islands

Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark and thus their head of state is also the monarch of Denmark, in accordance with the Danish Constitution.^[12]

After a referendum in Greenland in 2009, the Danish Parliament implemented a new Danish Law called Act on Greenlandic Self-rule, which, unlike any other case with the Indigenous Peoples around the world, acknowledges Greenlanders as a people in accordance to the International Law, and hereby giving the Greenlanders ability to obtain sovereignty.^[13]

Succession

absolute primogeniture

since 2009. The Danish Act of Succession^[14] adopted on 27 March 1953 restricts the throne to those descended from King Christian X and his wife, Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, through approved marriages.

Dynasts lose their right to the throne if they marry without the permission of the monarch given in the Council of State. Individuals born to unmarried dynasts or to former dynasts who married without royal permission, and their descendants, are excluded from the throne. Further, when approving a marriage, the monarch can impose conditions that must be met in order for any resulting offspring to have succession rights. Part II, Section 9 of the Danish Constitution of 5 June 1953 provides that the parliament will elect a king and determine a new line of succession should a situation arise where there are no eligible descendants of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine.

The monarch of Denmark must be a member of the

State Church. Although the monarch is not the head of the Church, the monarch, together with the Folketing, makes up the secular supreme authority of the Church. In that role, the monarch is requested to fulfil certain duties pertaining to the Church, such as appointing new bishops and authorising texts for use in the Church.^[15]

King Frederik X.^[16]

Background

The first law governing the succession to the Danish throne as a hereditary monarchy was the Kongeloven (

Schleswig (a Danish fief), Holstein and Lauenburg (German fiefs) were joined in personal union

with the Crown of Denmark.

This difference caused problems when

agnatic primogeniture

, which was accepted by the Parliament.

This order of succession remained in effect for a hundred years, then the Salic law was changed to

absolute primogeniture

.

Privileges and restrictions

Royal Standard of Denmark

.

Following the transformation of Denmark's monarchy from

by the grace of God" for King Frederick III and his posterity.^[17]

Out of the articles in this law, all except for Article 21 and Article 25 have since been repealed.

Article 21 states "No Prince of the Blood, who resides here in the Realm and in Our territory, shall marry, or leave the Country, or take service under foreign Masters, unless he receives Permission from the King".[17] Under this provision, princes of Denmark who permanently reside in other realms by express permission of the Danish Crown (i.e. members of the dynasties of Greece, Norway and the United Kingdom) do not thereby forfeit their royalty in Denmark, nor are they bound to obtain prior permission to travel abroad or to marry from its sovereign, although since 1950 those not descended in male-line from King Christian IX are no longer in the line of succession to the Danish throne.^[17] However, those who do reside in Denmark or its territories continue to require the monarch's prior permission to travel abroad and to marry.^[17]

Article 25 of the Kongelov stipulates, with respect to members of the Royal dynasty: "They should answer to no Magistrate Judges, but their first and last Judge shall be the King, or to whomsoever He decrees."^[17] Although all other articles of the Kongelov have been repealed by amendments to the Constitution in 1849, 1853 and 1953, these two articles have thus far been left intact.

The Danish monarch holds the fount of honour to bestow new titles of nobility in Denmark.

Residences

The royal palaces of Denmark became property of the state with the introduction of the constitutional monarchy in 1849. Since then, a varying number of these have been put at the disposal of the monarchy. The agreement on which is renewed at the accession of every new monarch.

Current residences

Amalienborg Palace

The monarch has the use of the four palaces at Amalienborg in Copenhagen as a residence and work palace. Currently, Queen Margrethe resides in Christian IX's Palace and the King in Frederik VIII's Palace. Christian VIII's Palace has apartments for other members of the royal family, whereas Christian VII's Palace is used for official events and to accommodate guests.

Amalienborg was originally built in the 1750s by architect Nicolai Eigtved for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace burned in 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in.

The state rooms of Christian VIII's Palace and Christian VII's Palace may be visited by the public on guided tours.

Christiansborg Palace

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monarchy_of_Denmark&oldid=1220778709"

[1] ISBN 9781139468367
– via Google Books.

[2] ISBN 978-87-85180-75-9

[3] Weekendavisen, 10 December 2020 – Anders Lundt Hansen: "Udvid kongerækken"

[4] "Den-Danske-Kongestamme". kongehuset.dk. Kongehuset. 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.

[5] S2CID 145652129
.

[kongehuset-6] "The History of the Danish Monarchy". Danish monarchy. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.

[7] "Monumenter i købstaden 1864 – 1920". dendigitalebyport.byhistorie.dk.

[8] "Referendum: Succession amendment confirmed". 8 June 2009.

[9] Constitutional Act of Denmark

[10] "My Constitution Act with Explanations 2013". Folketing. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2014.

[11] "Tasks and Duties". Danish monarchy. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.

[12] Facts about Greenland "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 March 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[13] "Selvstyreloven – Lov om Grønlands Selvstyre – retsinformation.dk". www.retsinformation.dk. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2016.

[14] "ICL — Denmark — Succession to the Throne Act". Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2008.

[15] ristendom.dk – "Dronningen og forholdet til folkekirken" Archived 20 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine – In Danish.

[16] "Denmark's King Frederik X takes throne after Margrethe abdicates". The Guardian. 14 January 2024.

[ministry-17] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Slots- og Ejendomsstyrelsen – Gråsten Palace and Palace Gardens – Gråsten Palace". 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[18] "Kongeloven". Statsministeriet. 4 September 1709. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2012.

[19] "The Royal House". Danish monarchy. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2008.

[20] "A Prince and a Princess are born". Archived from the original on 11 January 2011.

[21] "Kronprinsesse Mary har født". Archived from the original on 17 March 2011.

[22] Frederik 1 (in Danish), DK: Gravsted.

[23] Frederik 1 – utdypning (Store norske leksikon)

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Monarchy of Denmark

History

Early kingdom

Absolutism

Constitutional period

Constitutional and official role

Greenland and the Faroe Islands

Succession

Background

Privileges and restrictions

Residences

Current residences

Amalienborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace

Fredensborg Palace

Graasten Palace

Hermitage Hunting Lodge

Sorgenfri Palace

Marselisborg Palace

Royal Family

Main members

Extended members

Greek royal family

Style

See also

References

External links