Arveprins Knud & Arveprinsesse Caroline Mathilde

[dlws92]

Thanks for the great analysis, Norwegianne! I always think that "what-if" histories would be interesting. It's facinating to me that if the law hadn't been changed in 1953, that Anne-Marie would be on the throne...but through her husband.

Debby

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by Daneborn

That was really interesting reading, Norwegianne.

First of all, Christian and Ingolf may not have married commoners without the King's consent had they still been in line and within the possibility of becoming King themselves.

I agree. Being second and third in line might have changed it - or it might have changed the Danish attitude towards the whole "Counts of Rosenborg" thing.

It's not such a big deal when number four (Ingolf's number in the line in 1968) marries, and loses his rights, and even less when number 6 does it (Christian.), after number 1 (Margrethe has provided two heirs) but it might've been considerably different if Ingolf was second in line to the throne in '68, and did what he'd done.

But then again, love is something that is difficult to factor in.

[Fürstin Taxis]

I saw a docu yesterday about the Danish monarchy. And they said, Knut was stupid or the people thought he was stupid. Just like his children.
I find it really sad. Is is true, or did he do some stupid things?

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Fürstin Taxis

I saw a docu yesterday about the Danish monarchy. And they said, Knut was stupid or the people thought he was stupid. Just like his children.
I find it really sad. Is is true, or did he do some stupid things?

Well, I remember older members of my family telling about this.
He was not stupid but generally considered less suited, intellectually speaking. There certainly wasn't a public outcry when the Parliament decided to do the "politically correct" thing and change the Law of Succession and put that change up for a referendum.
So Princess Margrethe ended up being the heir for the throne and (almost) everybody was happy.
And looking at his son, Count Ingolf, there is a general relief that he is not king of Denmark. Hard words, yes, but that's how it is.

A prominent politician at the time, Jens Otto Kragh, said: "I understand she (Margrethe) is intelligent. A pity". - He believed it was a waste of her intellect to become a monarch. He was wrong.
Anyway, as a Social Democrat, he was in favour of abolishing the monarchy anyway. That is still the official policy of the Social Democrats today, even though few politicians would dream of suggesting that.

The change in the Law of Succession meant that no one lost face, officially. But had Knud been considered more "suitable" it's doubtful whether the change would have taken place. Gender egality in that respect wasn't that big an issue, or the law would have been changed so that the firstborn, regardless of sex, would become heir. It wasn't. So this was just a law used to bypass a problem and everybody knew that.
Knud harboured a considerable bitterness because he was in effect cheated of the crown.

[maria-olivia]

Prince Knud's daughter Elisabeth , altough she is absolutely not handsome, is a clever lady speaking a lot of foreign languages.

[Fürstin Taxis]

Thanks Muhler and Maria! I felt sorry for him, too. It had been fair if they made him the king and then changed the law, so that Elisabeth would be queen today. But the Danish people didn´t want him