After 52 years, Denmark has a king again: King Frederik X. The regnal number X means that Frederik has nine predecessors. Who are they?
Denmark is one of the oldest monarchies in the world. The first monarch, not being legendary, was Gorm the Old, who died around 958. After kings with names as Harald, Svend, Knud, Magnus, Oluf, Niels, Erik, Valdemar, Abel and Christoffer, and one Queen called Margrethe I, the House of Oldenburg inherited the throne in 1448. The first king from that dynasty was called Christian I., and since most kings were called either Christian or Frederik, except for Hans, son of Christian I, and Queen Margrethe II.
King Frederik I
The tradition of calling Danish kings either Christian or Frederik only started in the early 16th century. The first Frederik was born in 1471 as son of King Christian I and his wife Dorothea von Brandenburg. He became Co-Duke of Schleswig and Holstein, together with his elder brother Hans, who died in 1513. The son of Hans then became King Christian II. Only after his death in 1523 Frederik started his reign in both Denmark and Norway, and occupied the throne until his death in 1533. His coronation took place at Copenhagen Cathedral in 1524. He was married to Anna von Brandenburg. Frederik was succeeded by his eldest son Christian III, while his younger sons Hans or Johan II and Adolf divided the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein.
King Frederik II
After the death of King Christian III on 1 January 1559 his eldest son Frederik II took the Danish and the Norwegian throne and was crowned later that year. Although the throne of Denmark was not yet hereditary, but elective, the throne usually passed on to the eldest son. Frederik II had been born in 1534, his mother being Dorothea von Sachsen-Lauenburg. He was married to his cousin Sophie zu Mecklenburg-Güstrow, with whom he had seven children, the eldest being a son called Christian IV. Christian IV is still the longest reigning Scandinavian monarch in history with 59 years and 330 days.
King Frederik III
In 1609 the later King Frederik III of Denmark and Norway was born as son of Christian IV and Anna Catharina von Brandenburg. The young prince became Prince-Archbishop of Bremen and Verden, and coadjutor of Halberstadt, and was not expected to succeed to the throne. He only became the heir after the death of his elder brother Christian in 1647, and therefore took the throne in 1648, after the death of his father. He was crowned in the same year. During his reign the throne, as of 1665, officially became hereditary in male line. Frederik was married to Sophie Amalie von Braunschweig-Lüneburg, and among others the father of King Christian V, who succeeded to the throne in 1670. Another son, Jørgen, became the consort of Queen Anne of Great Britain and Ireland under the name of George.
King Frederik IV
The son of Christian V and Charlotte Amalie von Hessen-Kassel, Frederik IV, was Crown Prince from birth, as he was born in 1671. When his father died in 1699, Frederik became the next Danish and Norwegian king, and was crowned in 1700. Frederik reigned until his death in 1730. He married firstly Louise zu Mecklenburg-Güstrow, secondly (without divorcing) Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, and finally Countess Anne Sophie Reventlow. His second son from the first marriage became King Christian VI, his elder brother Christian having died as a toddler.
King Frederik V
Christian VI and his wife Sophie Magdalena von Brandenburg-Kulmbach only had one son. Frederik, was born in 1723. He became King of Denmark and Norway in 1746, as Frederik V, and was crowned in 1747. He was first married to Princess Louise of Great Britain and Ireland, and secondly to Juliana Maria von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. The son from the first marriage became King Christian VII in 1766. The son from the second marriage, Frederik, was installed as a regent in 1772, as his elder half-brother was mentally unstable. However this Frederik never became the King.
King Frederik VI
In 1768 Frederik was born as son of the unhappily married King Christian VII and Princess Caroline Mathilde of Great Britain and Ireland. The little prince was crown prince at birth. Frederik was declared a major in 1784 and became the regent for his father, whom he succeeded in 1808 as Frederik VI. The coronation took place in 1815. He was married to Marie Sophie von Hessen-Kassel. Despite of having eight children, none of his sons survived infancy. Christian VIII, son of his uncle Prince Frederik, succeeded to the throne in 1839, when Frederik died. 1814 Christian had been the last King of Norway from the Danish royal house.
King Frederik VII
Frederik had been born in 1808 as child of Christian VIII and Charlotte Friederike zu Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who divorced only two years later. When his father died in 1848, Frederik as Frederik VII, succeeded to the throne. He was the first Danish king not to be crowned. Frederik himself would marry three times: to Wilhelmine Marie, daughter of King Frederik VI, Caroline Marianne zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Louise Rasmussen. He didn’t have any legitimate offspring and died in 1863, being the last Danish monarch of the older royal branch of the House of Oldenburg. He also was the last absolute monarch, as he signed a constitution in 1849 making Denmark a constitutional monarchy. Frederik was succeeded by Christian IX, son of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm zu Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise Caroline von Hessen-Kassel, a daughter of Princess Louise of Denmark (daughter of King Frederik V).
King Frederik VIII
Christian IX and his wife Louise von Hessen-Kassel, who was his double second cousin, had a bunch of children. Because of the great marriages of their children, Christian was also called the father-in-law of Europe. The eldest son, Frederik, was born in 1843, and became the Crown Prince of Denmark when his father succeeded to the Danish throne in 1863. He remained the Crown Prince until 1906, when his father died. Frederik VIII married Princess Louise of Sweden, with whom he had eight children. Frederik only reigned for six years and died in 1912. The eldest son then became King Christian X of Denmark (1918-1944 also of Iceland), the younger one, Carl, had already become King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905.
King Frederik IX
The eldest of the two sons of Christian X and Alexandrine zu Mecklenburg-Schwerin was another Frederik, born in 1899. When his father died in 1947 he became King Frederik IX. He died in 1972. Frederik married Princess Ingrid of Sweden and with her had three daughters. The eldest, Margrethe, became Queen Margrethe II, and was Denmarks monarch for exactly 52 years. She abdicated on 14 January 2024.
King Frederik X
Frederik was born in 1968 as eldest son of Queen Margrethe II and Henri de Laborde de Monpezat. In 2004 he married Mary Donaldson from Australia. They have four children: Christian (2005), Isabella (2007), Vincent and Josephine (2011). With Mary Denmark will have a Queen, the first one in many centuries born as a commoner. For the first time in history there will be as many kings called Christian, as kings called Frederik.
The Danish Act of Succession, dated 27 March 1953, restricts the throne to the legitimate descendants of King Christian X. Only in 2009 absolute primogeniture was adopted. The eldest child of a monarch, regardless of gender, will succeed to the throne. The new Crown Prince therefore is Christian.