The Royal House of Glucksburg

Country: Denmark

Royal House Name: Glucksburg

Current Head: Queen Margrethe II  (born: April 16, 1940)
Consort: HRH Prince Henrik 
Reigned: since 1972
Successor: HRH Crown Prince Frederick 

Queen Margrethe II 

The throne of Denmark is the oldest European royal house dating back from 899 when King Gorm took over the throne. The Danish throne has a complete royal house name of Schleswig-Holstein-Oldenburg-Sonderburg-Glucksburg. Prior to 20^th century this royal house maintained a salic law prohibiting a woman from succeeding the throne but in 1940’s when the royal family realized that Queen Ingrid could no longer provide the throne with a male heir, the government changed its succession rule to primogeniture giving way to King Frederick IX’s eldest daughter, Margrethe, from succeeding.

The multiple name of the royal house of Denmark started in 1448 when King Christoffer III died without a direct successor, he was succeeded by Count Christian of Oldenburg, but in 1863 the last Oldenburg King, Frederik, died without issue, so the throne passed to his nephew from the Schleswig-Holstein-Glucksburg branch who became King Christian IX, his wife, Princess Louise was the daughter of the Duke of Hesse-Cassel. The King was known later on as the grandfather of Europe when his children and descendants married into the existing European royal houses, His eldest daughter, Princess Alexandra, married King Edward VII of England, another daughter, Princess Marie married the Emperor of Russia, Alexander III. His eldest son, Frederick who succeeded him, married the Princess of Sweden, Lovisa and his second son, Prince Vilhelm went on to become King George I of Greece. His grandson became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905 whose wife, Princess Maud of England, was also his granddaughter through Princess Alexandra.

Today, the royal House of Denmark is ruled by Queen Margrethe since 1972 on the death of her father, King Frederick IX, her subjects affectionately called her “Queen Daisy”. She is married to Count Henri de Laborde de Montpezat of France. Queen Margrethe’s mother, Queen Ingrid, was a great grand daughter of Queen Victoria of England. Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik had two sons: Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim. Margrethe’s sisters all married into royalty, Princess Benedikte married Prince Lorenz of Germany while Princess Ana Marie married her triple second cousin, King Constantine II of Greece.

Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik

DANISH ROYAL FAMILY

HM The Queen

HRH Prince Henrik

HRH Prince Frederick

HRH Princess Mary

    HRH Prince Christian

   HRH Princess Isabella

HRH Prince Joachim

HRH Princess Marie

   HH Prince Nikolai

   HH Prince Felix
   HH Prince Henrik