Danish Monarchs from 1448

House of Oldenburg

Christian I (1448 – 1481)
Eldest son of Count Dietrich of Oldenburg and Hedwig of Schleswig and Holstein, born February 1426. Became King of Denmark in 1448. Reigned as King of Norway (1450-1481) and Sweden (1457 -1464) under the Kalmar Union. Became Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein in 1460 (elevated to Duke of Holstein in 1474). Married Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430 – 1495), widow of his predecessor King Christopher and dowager queen in 1449. Died 21 May 1481.

John (1481 – 1513)
Third but eldest surviving son of Christian I, born 2 February 1455. Married Princess Christina of Saxony in 1478. Became King of Denmark in 1481. Became King of Norway in 1483 and reigned asKing of Sweden between 1497-1501, trying to re-establish the Kalmar Union. Died 20 February 1513.

Christian II (1513 – 1523)
Son of King John of Denmark, born 1 July 1481. Married Isabella (Elisabeth) of Austria, daughter of Philip I and Joanna of Castile and sister of Emperor Charles V. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1513, and reconquered Sweden, where he reigned between 1520-1521. Was forced to abdicate in 1523. Died on 25 January 1559.

Frederick I (1523 – 1533)
Fourth son of Christian I and younger brother of John of Denmark, born 7 October 1471. Married Anna of Brandenburg (1487-1514) in 1502. Married Sophie of Pomerania (1498-1568) in 1518. Was offered the Danish crown in 1513, upon the death of his brother, but refused. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1523, upon the abdication of his nephew, Christian II . Reigned until his death on 10 April 1533.

Interregnum (1533 - 1534)

Christian III (1534 – 1559)
Eldest son of Frederick I, born 12 August 1503. Married Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (1511 – 1571) in 1525. Became King of Denmark in 1534 and King of Norway in 1537. Died 1 January 1559.

Frederick II (1559 – 1588)
Eldest son of Christian III, born 1 July 1534. Married Sophia of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1557 – 1631) in 1572. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1559 and ruled until his death on 4 April 1588.

Christian IV (1588 – 1648)
Eldest son of Frederick II, born 12 April 1577. Married Anne Catherine of Brandenburg (1575 – 1612) in 1597. Married morganatically Kirsten (Christina) Munk (1598 – 1658) in 1615. Became King of Denmark-Norway in 1588 and reigned until his death on 28 February 1648.

Frederick III (1648 – 1670)
Second surviving son of Christian IV and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, born 18 March 1609. Married Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1628 – 1685) in 1643. Became heir to the throne upon the death of his elder brother Christian in 1647. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1648 and reigned until his death on 9 February 1670.

Christian V (1670 – 1699)
Eldest son of Frederick III, born 15 April 1646. Married Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel (1650 – 1714) in 1667. Succeeded his father as King of Denmark and Norway in 1670 and reigned until his death on 25 August 1699.

Frederick IV (1699 – 1730)
Son of Christian V, born 11 October 1671. Married Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1667 – 1721) in 1695. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1699. Married morganatically Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg (1679 – 1704) in 1703, a case of royal bigamy. Married morganatically Anne Sophie Reventlow (1693 – 1743) in 1712, thus entering a polygamous marriage. (Re)Married Anne Sophie Reventlow officially in 1721, after the death of Queen Louise, and had her crowned as Queen. He died on 12 October 1730.

Christian VI (1730 – 1746)
Son of Frederick IV, born 30 November 1699. Married Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1700 – 1770) in 1721. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1730 and reigned until his death in 1746.

Frederick V (1746 – 1766)
Son of Christian VI, born 31 March 1723. Married firstly Princess Louise of Great Britain (1724 – 1751) in 1743. Married secondly Duchess Juliana Maria of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1729 – 1796) in 1752. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1746 and reigned until his death on 14 January 1766.

Christian VII (1766 – 1808)
Only surviving son of Frederick V and Princess Louise of Great Britain, born 29 January 1749. Became King of Denmark and Norway upon his father’s death in 1766. Married Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales (1751 – 1775) in 1766. Reigned until his death on 13 March 1808, although due to his mental instability, the real power was with his stepmother, Dowager Queen Juliana Maria.

Frederick VI (1808 – 1839)
Son of Christian VII, born 28 January 1768. Proclaimed regent in 1772, but the real power remained with the Dowager Queen Juliana Maria. Upon reaching majority in 1784, he became de facto Regent of Denmark and Norway. Married Marie Sophie Frederikke of Hesse-Kassel (1767 – 1852) in 1790. Became King of Denmark and Norway in 1808, but lost Norway after the Napoleonic wars in 1814. Reigned Denmark until his death on 3 December 1839.

Christian VIII (1839 – 1848)
Eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born 18 September 1786. His father was the second son of Frederick V and half-brother of Christian VII. As of 1805, Christian was the heir presumptive to the thrones of Denmark and Norway. First marriage to Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1784 – 1840) in 1806, divorced in 1810. Married secondly Princess Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1796 – 1881) in 1815. Elected first Regent, then King of Norway in 1814, where he ruled as King Christian Frederick. Became King Christian VIII of Denmark in 1839. Ruled both countries until his death on 20 January 1848.

Frederick VII (1848 – 1863)
Only son of Christian VIII and his first wife, Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born 6 October 1808. Married firstly Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark in 1828, they separated in 1834 and divorced in 1837. Married secondly Caroline Charlotte Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1821 – 1876) in 1841, they divorced in 1846. Married morganatically Lovisa Christina Rasmussen (1815 – 1874) in 1850. Became King of Denmark in 1848 and reigned until his death on 15 November 1863.

House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Christian IX (1863 – 1906)
Fourth son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Louise Caroline, Princess of Hesse. Through his mother, Christian was a great-grandson of Frederick V of Denmark. Through his father, he was a member of a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg and a direct male-line descendant of Christian III of Denmark. Married Louise of Hesse-Kassel, a niece of Christian VIII in 1842. In 1847 he was chosen as heir presumptive to the Danish throne, after the extinction of the most senior line to the Danish throne by Christian VIII and after it became clear that the future Frederick VII would not father any children. Acceded to the throne in 1863 and ruled until his death on 29 January 1906.

Frederick VIII (1906 – 1912)
Eldest son of Christian IX and his wife, Denmark’s heiress, Louise of Hesse. Born 3 June 1843. Married Princess Louise of Sweden in 1869. Became King of Denmark in 1906 and reigned until his death on 14 May 1912.

Christian X (1912 – 1947)
Eldest son of Frederick VIII, born 26 September 1870. Married Alexandrine, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1898. Became King of Denmark in 1913, upon the death of his father, Frederick VIII. Reigned as King of Iceland between 1918 – 1944. Died 20 April 1947.

Frederick IX (1947 – 1972)
Eldest son of Christian X, born 11 March 1899. Married Princess Ingrid of Sweden (1910–2000), daughter of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf, later King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, in 1935. Became King of Denmark in 1947, upon the death of his father King Christian X. Reigned until his death on 14 January 1972.

Margrethe II (1972 – present)
Eldest daughter of Frederick IX. Born 16 April 1940. Married Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat in 1967. Became Heiress Presumptive in 1953. Became Queen of Denmark in 1972, upon the death of her father, King Frederick IX.

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