Denmark

The Danish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world, with a line of Kings and Queens going back to the mists of time. The territory they ruled expanded and imploded with the historic tides, and descendants of the Danish Kings ruled or married into royal families all over Europe. Where the British Queen Victoria was the grandmother of Europe, King Christian IX was known as the father-in-law of Europe.

From the legendary Viking Kings to the current Queen Margrethe II, the Danish monarchy has evolved over the past millenia to one of the most modern and popular royal families in the world.

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Danish Monarchs from 1448

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Today in Royal History

Francis II of France was born on 19 January 1544, 10 years after his parents' wedding. His mother, Catherine de' Medici, had no power at her husband's court, having to defer to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Henri II died when Francis was only 15, and Catherine finally had the power she craved as regent. Francis, who was married to Mary Queen of Scots, lived for only a year as king, dying in 1560.

Charlotte of Belgium, daughter of Leopold I (Queen Victoria's maternal uncle), married Maximilian of Austria in 1857; he was offered the Mexican throne in 1864, at which Charlotte became Empress Carlota. By 1867 Maximilian had been executed by revolutionary forces and Carlota was having mental problems. She spent the rest of her life in Europe, dying in Belgium on 19 January 1927.

Princess Margriet of The Netherlands, younger sister of Queen Beatrix, was born on 19 January 1943 in Ottawa, Canada, where her parents had lived since the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands in 1940. In order that she should hold Dutch citizenship only, not Canadian citizenship, the Canadian government declared the maternity ward where she was born to be temporarily extraterritorial.