175 Years Since Christian Married Louise: Their Descendants Today

On May 26, 1842 at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg married Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel. They would become King and Queen of Denmark in 1863, and Louise was successful in making glittering matches for the couple’s six children that links them to almost all of Europe’s reigning royal houses.

To mark the 175th anniversary of this wedding, we have put together an overview of the descendants – both reigning and non-reigning – of this marriage. More about the couple can be found in the Danish Royal History forum.

The Danish Royal Family

We begin in the Kingdom of Denmark, where Christian and Louise’s great-great-granddaughter, Queen Margrethe II, is the reigning monarch. There have been three reigning Kings and one reigning Queen in Denmark descended from the couple. The succession is secure for two generations.

Queen Margrethe’s  line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Christian X of Denmark — Frederik IX of Denmark — Margrethe II of Denmark

The Belgian Royal Family

Another currently reigning monarch to descend from Christian and Louise is King Philippe of the Belgians, a great-great-great-grandson of the couple. There have been three reigning Kings in Belgium who have Christian and Louise as their ancestors. The succession is secure for two generations.

King Philippe’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Ingeborg of Denmark — Princess Astrid of Sweden — Albert II of Belgium — Philippe of the Belgians

The British Royal Family

In the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II is a great-great-granddaughter of Christian and Louise. Other members of the Royal Family are also descended from the couple in seperate lines: the Duke of Edinburgh through his father, a Prince of Greece and Denmark, and the Duke of Kent and his siblings through their mother, a Princess of Greece and Denmark. There have been two reigning Kings and one reigning Queen in the United Kingdom who have Christian and Louise as their ancestors. The succession is secure for three generations.

Queen Elizabeth’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Alexandra of Denmark — George V of the United Kingdom — George VI of the United Kingdom — Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

The Duke of Edinburgh’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark — Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Kent’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Alexandra of Denmark — George V of the United Kingdom — Prince George, Duke of Kent — Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark — Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark — Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

The Liechtenstein Princely Family

Members of the extended Princely Family of Liechtenstein are also descended from Christian and Louise, through the marriage of Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg to Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, son of the late Franz Josef II.

The line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Ingeborg of Denmark — Princess Astrid of Sweden — Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium — Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein — her children

The Luxembourg Grand Ducal Family

In Luxembourg, the reigning Grand Duke – Henri – is a great-great-great-grandson of Christian and Louise. He is the first reigning Grand Duke of Luxembourg to be their descendant. The succession is secure for two generations.

Grand Duke Henri’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Ingeborg of Denmark — Princess Astrid of Sweden — Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium — Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

The Norwegian Royal Family

One of Christian and Louise’s grandsons, Prince Carl of Denmark, became the first King of an independent Norway in over 500 when he was elected to the Norwegian throne after the Swedish-Norwegian union was dissolved in 1905. There have been three reigning Kings of Norway descended from the couple, including the current King, Harald V. The succession is secure for two generations.

King Harald’s lines of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Haakon VII of Norway — Olav V of Norway — Harald V of Norway
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Ingeborg of Denmark — Princess Märtha of Sweden — Harald V of Norway
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Alexandra of Denmark — Princess Maud of Wales — Olav V of Norway — Harald V of Norway

The Spanish Royal Family

The current reigning monarch of Spain, Felipe VI, is the first descendent of Christian and Louise to sit on the Spanish throne. He is the couple’s great-great-great-grandson through two lines of descent. The succession is secure for the next generation.

King Felipe’s lines of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Constantine I of Greece — Paul of Greece — Queen Sofia of Spain — Felipe VI of Spain
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thrya of Denmark — Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick — Princess Frederica of Hanover — Queen Sofia of Spain — Felipe VI of Spain

The House of Austria-Este

A cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, the heir to the Headship of the House of Austria-Este is a great-great-great-great-grandson of Christian and Louise.

Prince Amedeo’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Ingeborg of Denmark — Princess Astrid of Sweden — Albert II of Belgium — Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este — Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este

The House of Baden

The current Margrave of Baden, Maximilian, is a great-great-grandson of Christian and Louise through two lines. He is the second Head of the House to be their descendant. The Headship is secure for two generations.

Margrave Maximilian’s lines of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark — Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark — Maximilian, Margrave of Baden
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thrya of Denmark — Princess Marie Luise of Hanover — Berthold, Margrave of Baden — Maximilian, Margrave of Baden

The House of Bentheim-Steinfurt

The head of the House of Bentheim-Steinfurt, 93-year-old Christian, 6th Fürst zu Bentheim-Steinfurt, is a great-great-grandson of King Christian and Queen Louise. He will be the only Head of the House who is descended from the couple, as Christian has no children and his full siblings pre-deceased him, themselves with no children.

Prince Christian’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Louise of Denmark — Princess Stephanie of Schaumburg-Lippe — Christian, 6th Fürst zu Bentheim-Steinfurt

The House of Bourbon-Parma

A Bourbon-Parma Prince – Michel – through a junior line is a great-grandson of Christian and Louise, while several more are great-grandchildren through the same line. It is through this line of descent that the future Head of the former Royal House of Romania is a Christian and Louise descendant.

Prince Michel’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Prince Valdemar of Denmark — Princess Margrethe of Denmark — Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma

The House of Glücksburg, Greek Branch

In 1863, Christian and Louise’s second son, Wilhelm, was elected King of the Hellenes and took the name George. Six reigning Greek Kings have descended from the couple, including the last King, Constantine II. King Constantine’s wife, Anne-Marie, is herself a descendent of Christian and Louise. The succession to the defunct Greek throne is secure for two generations.

King Constantine’s lines of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Constantine I of Greece — Paul of Greece — Constantine II of Greece
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thrya of Denmark — Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick — Princess Frederica of Hanover — Constantine II of Greece

Queen Anne-Marie’s  line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Christian X of Denmark — Frederik IX of Denmark — Queen Anne-Marie of Greece

The House of Habsburg

Descendants of Christian and Louise can be found in the House of Habsburg, the former ruling house of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The five children of Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, born a Princess of Luxembourg, are great-great-great-great-grandchildren of the couple. Another portion of the Habsburg family is descended through the former Countess Helene zu Toerring-Jettenbach.

The line of descent through Archduchess Marie-Astrid:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Ingeborg of Denmark — Princess Astrid of Sweden — Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium — Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria — her children (Marie Christine, Imre, Christoph, Alexander and Gabriella)

The line of descent through Countess Helene:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark — Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark — Archduchess Helene of Austria — her children (Elisabeth, Sophie and Maximilian)

The House of Hanover

The former ruling House of Hanover, also the Duke of Brunswick and claimant to the Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale title in Britain, are descended from Christian and Louise through the couple’s youngest daughter Princess Thyra. The current Head of the House, Ernst August V, is their great-great-grandson. Succession to the Headship is secure for a generation.

Other junior members of the family – Georg and Friederike – are also descended through Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark.

Prince Ernst August’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thyra of Denmark — Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick — Ernst August IV, Prince of Hanover — Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover

Prince Georg and Princess Friederike’s lines of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark — Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark — Prince Georg / Princess Friederike of Hanover
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thrya of Denmark — Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick — Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover — Prince Georg / Princess Friederike of Hanover

The House of Hesse-Kassel

Junior members of the Hesse-Kassel family are descended from Christian and Louise via the Greek line of their family. Their great-granddaughter Sophie married Prince Christoph of Hesse, with whom she had five children. The line creates a circle back to ancestress Louise, who was a Princess of Hesse-Kassel.

Line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark — Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark — her children (Dorothea, Karl, Rainer, Clarissa)

The House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Through the Greek descendants of Christian and Louise, the Head of the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Prince Philipp, is their great-great-great-grandson. He is the second Head of the House to have the couple as their ancestor.

Prince Philipp’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark — Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark — Kraft, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg — Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

The House of Karađorđević

The head of the House of Karađorđević, the former ruling house of Serbia, is descended from the marriage of Christian and Louise. Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia is their great-great-great-grandson. There are three other lines of the family who are descended from the couple: the descendants of Paul, Prince Regent (including the actress Catherine Oxenberg), and the descendants of Alexander’s uncles Prince Tomislav and Prince Andrej. The succession to the Headship of the House is secure for one generation.

Crown Prince Alexander’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Constantine I of Greece — Alexander of Greece — Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark — Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia

Descent through Prince Paul:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark — Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark — Prince Paul of Yugoslavia — Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia — his children (Alexander, Nikola and Elizabeth) — their descendants

Descent through Prince Tomislav:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark — Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark — Princess Margarita of Baden — her children (Nikola and Katarina)

Descent through Prince Andrej:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark — Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark — Princess Christina Margarethe of Hesse — her children (Maria Tatiana and Christopher)

The House of Leiningen

The current Heir to the Headship of the House of Leiningen, Prince Ferdinand, is a descendant of Christian and Louise through his mother, a Princess of Hanover.

Prince Ferdinand’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thyra of Denmark — Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick — Ernst August IV, Prince of Hanover — Alexandra, Princess of Leiningen — Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Leiningen

The House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

The Mecklenburg-Schwerin house is descended from Christian and Louise through their granddaughter Alexandra of Hanover. Today there are only two living members of the House, Duchesses Donata and Edwina, who claim the couple as their ancestors (and only one other member of this branch of the Mecklenburg Houses).

Duchesses Donata and Edwina’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thyra of Denmark — Princess Alexandra of Hanover — Duke Christian Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin — Duchess Donata / Duchess Edwina of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

The House of Radziwiłł

A small number of members of the Polish princely House of Radziwiłł are descended from the marriage of one of Christian and Louise’s descendants. Princess Eugénie of Greece and Denmark married and divorced Prince Dominic Radziwiłł. They had two children, one of whom – Princess Tatiana – is still alive.

Princess Tatiana’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince George of Greece — Princess Eugénie of Greece and Denmark — Princess Tatiana Radziwiłł

The House of Romania

The last King of Romania, Mihai I, great-great-grandson of Christian and Louise. He is the first and only descendant of the couple to have sat on the Romanian throne. His heir, Crown Princess Margareta, is also descended from the couple via her mother, Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma.

King Mihai’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Constantine I of Greece — Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark — Mihai I of Romania

Crown Princess Margareta’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Prince Valdemar of Denmark — Princess Margrethe of Denmark — Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma — Crown Princess Margareta of Romania

The House of Romanov

One of the claimants to the Headship of the House of Romanov, Prince Andrew Andreevich Romanov, is a descendant of Christian and Louise through their second daughter, Dagmar, who became Empress of Russia through her marriage to Tsar Alexander II. Prince Andrew has three sons.

Prince Andrei’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Dagmar of Denmark — Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia — Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia — Prince Andrew Andreevich Romanov

The House of Savoy-Aosta

The Head of the House of Savoy-Aosta, Prince Amedeo (who is also a claimant to the Headship of the House of Savoy), is descended from Christian and Louise through the Greek line. The succession to Prince Amedeo’s claim to the Headship is secure for two generation; his heir is also married to another descendent of the couple, Princess Olga of Greece.

Prince Amedeo’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Constantine I of Greece — Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark — Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta

Princess Olga’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark — Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark — Princess Olga, Duchess of Apulia

The House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

The new head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Gustav, is a great-great-great-grandson of Christian and Louise. He is likely to be the only descendant of the couple to head the House, as he has no children and his sisters are unable to inherit.

Prince Gustav’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Christian X of Denmark — Frederik IX of Denmark — Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg — Gustav, 7th Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

The House of Schaumburg-Lippe

Junior members of the House of Schaumburg-Lippe have Christian and Louise as their ancestors. Their granddaughter Louise of Denmark married a grandson of the first Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe. The most senior of their descendants in the Schaumburg-Lippe line is Prince Wilhelm, who has two brothers and a sister.

Prince Wilhelm’s lines of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Princess Louise of Denmark — Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe — Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe
Christian IX of Denmark — Frederik VIII of Denmark — Prince Harald of Denmark — Princess Feodora of Denmark — Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe

The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Junior members of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg are descendants of Christian and Louise, the line coming full circle: Christian was originally a Prince from the House. The descendants today are great-great-granddaughers of the couple, the four daughters of Prince Friedrich Ferdinand and Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thyra of Denmark — Princess Alexandra of Hanover — Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin — her children (Elisabeth, Irene, Margaretha and Sibylla)

The House of Windisch-Graetz

The heir to the Headship of the House of Windisch-Graetz, Prince Maximilian, is a great-great-great-great-grandson of Christian and Louise. He will be the first Head of the House who is their descendent.

Prince Maximilan’s line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — George I of Greece — Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark — Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark — Archduchess Helene of Austria — Sophie, Princess of Windisch-Graetz — Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Windisch-Graetz

The House of Ysenburg und Büdingen in Wächtersbach

Two junior Princes in one of the Ysenburg und Büdingen branches are descended from Christian and Louise: Princes Johann Georg and Ludwig.

Their line of descent:
Christian IX of Denmark — Princess Thyra of Denmark — Princess Alexandra of Hanover — Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin — Princess Elisabeth of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg — Prince Johann Georg / Prince Ludwig

Filed under Denmark, Germany, Historical Royals
Tagged Christian IX of Denmark, House of Hesse-Kassel, Louise of Hesse-Kassel, Wedding Anniversary.

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