The End of the Oldenburg Dynasty in Denmark
King Christian IX of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg
Oct 30, 2009
For centuries the Oldenburg dynasty ruled Denmark, but it came to an end with King Frederick VII. The Danish throne was then inherited by Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg, a German and member of a junior branch of the Oldenburg dynasty. The present royal family of Denmark is descended from King Christian IX.
The Last Oldenburg Kings of Denmark
The Oldenburg dynasty came to an end in Denmark in the mid-1800s. In 1839, King Frederick VI was succeeded by his cousin King Christian VIII, who was then succeeded by his son King Frederick VII in 1848. As King Frederick VII was twice divorced, childless, and lived with a mistress, the government knew that they needed to appoint an heir to the Danish throne.
The closest candidate was Prince Frederick of Hesse-Cassel. He was a nephew of King Christian VIII through his mother, a Danish princess. However, in 1848 there was a war between Denmark and the German territory of Holstein and Frederick took the side of the Germans. The Danes never forgave him and did not want to accept him as their king.
The next closest candidate was Prince Frederick’s sister Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel. However, although she could inherit the Danish throne, Salic Law would have prevented her, as a woman, from inheriting Denmark’s duchies. Therefore, the Danish government decided to look to her husband, Prince Christian, as a better candidate for the throne.
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg Is Appointed King of Denmark
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg had dynastic ties going back to King Frederick VI. Christian’s father, Duke William of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg, was a brother-in-law of King Frederick VI as both men had married princesses of Hesse-Cassel. When Duke William died, King Frederick VI was appointed young Prince Christian’s guardian and became a beloved father to him. Therefore, although Prince Christian was technically a German prince, he had strong ties and loyalties to Denmark.
Prince Christian had further strengthened his ties to the Danish throne when he married Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel. Princess Louise was the daughter of the Landgrave of Hesse and a Danish princess, a sister of King Christian VIII. The marriage was slightly arranged, as Prince Christian was King Christian VIII’s godson and was even named after him. But Christian and Louise had a happy marriage that produced six children and their marriage was a strong foundation for the new Danish royal dynasty of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg.
Prince Christian Becomes King Christian IX of Denmark
On May 8, 1852, the London Protocol designated Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg as heir to the Danish throne and affirmed the indissolubility of the Danish territories. It was signed by England, Russia, France, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden.
In 1863, King Frederick VII died, ending the Oldenburg dynasty in Denmark. Prince Christian ascended the throne as King Christian IX. He was initially distrusted as a foreign German, but soon won over the Danes with his good judgment and non-pretentious manner. He and his family became popular in Denmark and greater Europe, and his children and grandchildren married into so many other important royal families that King Christian IX was soon known as the “father-in-law of Europe.”
From Oldenburg to Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg
The Oldenburg dynasty in Denmark came to an end in 1863 with the death of King Frederick VII. Denmark had appointed Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg to be the new king. Although Prince Christian was only a distant relation as a member of a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg, he had personal ties to the kings and was related through his mother and wife and was therefore seen as an excellent candidate. King Christian IX proved to be a wise and popular choice, and his descendants still rule Denmark.
Source:
Kiste, John van der. Northern Crowns: The Kings of Modern Scandinavia. Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, 1996.
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