General Questions and Information about the Danish Royal Family


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I would have thought Per Thornit would have been closer to them?

Very much so, after Mary arrived.

But Søren Haslund Christensen had, what I without hesitation would label, a decisive influence on Frederik, in particular, in his teens and youth - and as such their ties were strong and it would be next to inconceivable to me to believe that did not extend to Mary, simply by association.
 
Any word on whether any member of the DRF (ie Frederik or Mary) will be attending the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference? The conference lasts from 10/31 to 11/12. Seems Prince William is attending and the IG page stated that there would be other Royal heirs attending. Sounds like a conference right up Frederik's alley tbh.
 
Both Frederik and Mary have events on November 1st and 2nd.
 
Both Frederik and Mary have events on November 1st and 2nd.

Mary's calendar is clear so far for November 3rd and 4th.
CPC's calendar is clear so far for November 6 through November 9th

The conference runs from October 31st through November 12th. Maybe something will show up for one of the days listed above with the next calendar update. ?
 
Without going into too many details, which I won't, apart from the royal residences that are protected by the Royal Lifeguard Regiment, the most important members of the DRF have PET officers to protect them.
The other DRF members don't except on travels to certain places abroad and a uniformed police officer or two around when on the job.

When at home they no doubt have extensive alarms, both personal and perimeter and I guess also a safe room. And probably regular police patrols in the general area.

The PET officers, being from the police, are typically armed with pistols and must be considered a close-in defensive precaution. It's up to the ordinary police to secure the rest of the area.

FET agents are from the military and used in unsafe areas, like Afghanistan and the Sahel countries that Mary visited recently. They are considerably heavier armed, i.e. pistols, assault rifles and submachine guns, and there are typically more of them around, providing both close protection as well as perimeter security. In contrast to PET officers, FET agents are not trying to be particularly discreet.
 
Will crosspost this unanswered question from the Swedish subforum in case someone in the Danish forum knows the answer:

Does anybody have an explanation for why Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her sisters are regarded as Bernadottes? In addition to Margrethe and Benedikte apparently being the only foreign royals invited to the Bernadotte jubilee in 2010, they and Anne-Marie were recently added to the Ätten Bernadotte (The House of Bernadotte) section of the Royal House's official site.

https://www.kungahuset.se/kungl.-huset/atten-bernadotte

Also added were profiles of Kings Frederik VIII and Frederik IX of Denmark. Prior to the update, the two them were listed in the family tree but did not have their own pages.

ETA: It may be connected to the Danish royal house specifically, since in that section, Queen Louise of Denmark and Queen Ingrid of Denmark are the only Swedish princesses of the blood who are referred to by their married titles, and Princess Ingeborg, by birth a Princess of Denmark, is the only consort who is not referred to by her maiden territorial designation or surname.
 
Will crosspost this unanswered question from the Swedish subforum in case someone in the Danish forum knows the answer:


Maybe I don't understand your question (which is often the case) but I think it's pretty straight forward, Margarethe and her sister are decendants of Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, just like King Carl Gustaf. Why wouldn't they be included in the family tree?
 
Maybe I don't understand your question (which is often the case) but I think it's pretty straight forward, Margarethe and her sister are decendants of Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, just like King Carl Gustaf. Why wouldn't they be included in the family tree?

I am wondering about their inclusion because aside from the three of them, no other Bernadotte descendants who were not Swedish royals have been included in the section "House of Bernadotte". For example, neither the children of Queen Ingrid's brothers Count Sigvard or Count Carl Johan, nor the children of Queen Astrid of Belgium or Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, are listed.
 
I am wondering about their inclusion because aside from the three of them, no other Bernadotte descendants who were not Swedish royals have been included in the section "House of Bernadotte". For example, neither the children of Queen Ingrid's brothers Count Sigvard or Count Carl Johan, nor the children of Queen Astrid of Belgium or Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, are listed.
The only answer I have to offer is about the non-inclusion of the children of Count Carl-Johan on the list. I'm fairly certain that the reason is that both Christian and Monica were adopted.

That said I'm surprised that none of the children of any of the demoted princes are even mentioned except those of Prince Oscar. They are, I suspect, only featured to get a chance to mention Count Folke and his White busses.
 
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The exclusion of the non-royal Bernadottes (whether adopted or born from a marriage) is consistent with what seems to be the general principle of listing the current and former members of the Swedish Royal House. What puzzles me is that exceptions were made for Frederik VIII, Frederik IX, and Margrethe II of Denmark and her sisters. (An exception was also made for Christopher O'Neill, but that I can understand.)
 
The first part of the programme series "The Queen's Treasury" will be broadcast tonight at 20:30 on DR1, the other parts will follow the next Tuesdays, the Palace has shared:


** instagram post **
 
The first part of the programme series "The Queen's Treasury" will be broadcast tonight at 20:30 on DR1, the other parts will follow the next Tuesdays, the Palace has shared:


** instagram post **


Will that only be about the Crown Jewels (as HM is holding some of the emeralds in the Video) or also about the other Jewels which are now diosplayed at Amalienborg?
 
The first part of the programme series "The Queen's Treasury" will be broadcast tonight at 20:30 on DR1, the other parts will follow the next Tuesdays, the Palace has shared:


** instagram post **

It is. I'm going to watch it and provide a link.
And if I get time a running commentary to the programme. It lasts only half an hour.

You can watch it here live in 40 minutes afteR this posted:
https://www.dr.dk/drtv/kanal/20875
 
Right, I watched the first part of four about the preparations of two exhibitions.
One about the private jewellery owned and used by QMII but also featuring the crown jewels.
There a lot of short clips where QMII talks about some of the various pieces.

The second exhibition is the one a Koldinghus about recent crown princesses, who married into the DRF, with Mary being the latest addition so to speak and that also feature the preparation with clips where Mary adds her comments and inputs.

I didn't know QMII had narrated the audio guide for the jewellery exhibition.

Jewellery is not really my area, I must confess so it's difficult for me to say how interesting this series is here on TRF.
I think I'll do a running summary to a permanent link and see how it lands.
 
Excellent. No need for a summery then.

What do you think?
 
I enjoyed it. Seeing how the exhibits were being put together and the extensive cataloguing! Hearing about the history of some of the pieces and how in some ways they are just part of the work outfit. Never thought of it that way!
 
Why are the kings of Denmark always called Frederik and Christian? and how did this tradition begin?
 
Why are the kings of Denmark always called Frederik and Christian? and how did this tradition begin?

Frederick I was the first Frederick; he reigned between Christian II and III; after that they alternated. But part of that is by chance as if some older brothers had lived or others had died young or had died at a different point in time, it wouldn't have been such as strong track record.

  • Christian I (1448-1481) - he was the first king of the House of Oldenburg
  • John (1481-1513) - he was the third son of Christian I; his elder brothers were Olaf and Canute.
  • Christian II (1513-1523) - he was the third son (his elder brothers were Hans and Ernst); he had 6 children (his heir was: John!) but only his 2 daughters reached adulthood
  • Frederick I (1523-1533) - he was the fourth/youngest son of Christian I and deposed his nephew to take the throne
  • Christian III (1534-1559) - eldest son
  • Frederick II (1559-1588) - eldest son
  • Christian IV (1588-1648) - eldest son
  • Frederick III (1648-1670) - third son (his elder brothers were Frederick and Christian; Christian died only 1 year before his father, so was expected to reign as Christian V; because he was childless his younger brother Frederick became the next king)
  • Christian V (1670-1699) - eldest son
  • Frederick IV (1699-1730) - eldest son
  • Christian VI (1730-1746) - second son (his elder brother Christian died after 15 months; a little over a year before this Christian was born)
  • Frederick V (1746-1766) - only son
  • Christian VII (1766-1808) - second son (his elder brother Christian died a month before his 2nd birthday); he was mentally ill, so had regents for most of his reign, including his half-brother Frederick from 1772 until 1784 and his son from 1784 - who was only 16 at that time)
  • Frederick VI (1808-1839) - only son; was regent for a large part of his father's reign; had no surviving legitimate sons, so was succeeded by a cousin.
  • Christian (Frederick) VIII (1839-1848) - eldest son of Frederick; who was a regent for his elder brother Christian VII
  • Frederick VII (1848-1863) - only child; no children
  • Christian IX (1863-1906) - descendant of Christian III (in male-line (his great(*7)grandfather) whose junior lines were 'prince(ss) of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg' and from Frederick V (his great-grandfather) in female line while his wife was a first cousin of Frederick VII; he was named after his mother's cousin king Christian VIII who was also his godfather. He was not the first in line to the throne but hand-picked to become the future king.
  • Frederick VIII (1906-1912) - eldest son
  • Christian X (1912-1947) - eldest son
  • Frederick IX (1947-1972) - eldest son
  • Margrethe (1972-now) - eldest daughter

Expected successors:
Frederick X
Christian XI

I wonder whether Christian will name his daughter 'Frederika' if his first child is a girl...
 
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Frederick I was the first Frederick; he reigned between Christian II and III; after that they alternated. But part of that is by chance as if some older brothers had lived or others had died young or had died at a different point in time, it wouldn't have been such as strong track record.


  • [...]
  • Christian IV (1588-1648) - eldest sonn
  • Frederick III (1648-1670) - third son (his elder brothers were Frederick and Christian; Christian died only 1 year before his father, so was expected to reign as Christian V;

As King Christian IV's oldest son died in infancy long before the birth of another child, Christian IV's next son Christian was born as the eldest son of the King. So, we can conclude that as of 1603, King Christian IV was not committed to alternating the names Christian and Frederik.
 
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Okay, time for another DRF health question. Is it known exactly what Margrethe's mobility issues are? I was under the impression she's always had an unspecified issue with her leg (that left her "clumsy" and self-conscious, although she loves dancing), that has now apparently deteriorated, and problems with her knees, but now I hear "depth perception" as well?

(Ironically it's now known her grandfather's aunt Alexandra developed a skillfully concealed case of scoliosis after limping around with a bad leg for decades.)

Also, has she really been able to smoke like an industrial chimney all this time without it affecting anything other than her teeth?
 
Okay, time for another DRF health question. Is it known exactly what Margrethe's mobility issues are? I was under the impression she's always had an unspecified issue with her leg (that left her "clumsy" and self-conscious, although she loves dancing), that has now apparently deteriorated, and problems with her knees, but now I hear "depth perception" as well?

(Ironically it's now known her grandfather's aunt Alexandra developed a skillfully concealed case of scoliosis after limping around with a bad leg for decades.)

Also, has she really been able to smoke like an industrial chimney all this time without it affecting anything other than her teeth?

Her knees have both been replaced.
Her back of course is a major problem.

But I think the main reason for her sometimes unsteady gait, is down to her not exercising anymore. - A thing that is very common for elderly. Hence the reason with care homes and elder centers put so much emphasis on training in mobility, balance and coordination. Otherwise these skills deteriorate. And the more unsteady you feel and are, the more unsteady you become and the bigger the risk of a fall. And once you are past 80 any fall is potentially dangerous.

As for her lungs, it must have been a first class pair she was issued! It hasn't exactly been mild filter-cigarettes she has been smoking since she was seventeen! For a long time at least she smoked only heavy-duty Greek (I think) cigarettes.
So I guess her heart and cardiac system is first class as well. She must have a fine metabolism as well, because apart form ballet, I don't think she has been particularly active, nor done much sports, but she has maintained her slim figure all through her life.

So in my not at all professional medical opinion, she is in remarkable good health, considering her lifestyle.
 
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Yup, Queen Ingrid probably threw a few lucky immortal Bernadotte genes in there, considering what smoking did to her dad.

So it's her back (which might have been affected by all the problems with her legs and knees...) but is it actually her back? Or her spine, or her pelvis... Or there just hasn't been any elaboration on what specifically the problem is. (And whether it's expected to get worse?) :ermm:
 
Her knees have both been replaced.
Her back of course is a major problem.

But I think the main reason for her sometimes unsteady gait, is down to her not exercising anymore. - A thing that is very common for elderly. Hence the reason with care homes and elder centers put so much emphasis on training in mobility, balance and coordination. Otherwise these skills deteriorate. And the more unsteady you feel and are, the more unsteady you become and the bigger the risk of a fall. And once you are past 80 any fall is potentially dangerous.

As for her lungs, it must have be first class pair she was issued! It hasn't exactly been mild filter-cigarettes she has been smoking since she was seventeen! For a long time at least she smoked only heavy-duty Greek (I think) cigarettes.
So I guess her heart and cardiac system is first class as well. She must have a fine metabolism as well, because apart form ballet, I don't think she has been particularly active, nor done much sports, but she has maintained her slim figure all through her life.

So in my not at professional medical opinion, she is in remarkable good health, considering her lifestyle.

She seems quite unsteady at times and maybe using a cane would be beneficial. Also, as she uses a hearing aid, having issues with your hearing will affect your balance and sense of orientation. I also do notice that her posture has deteriorated. Her tilt is very pronounced and her feet no longer plant themselves on the ground evenly. Now whether that is due to spine issues, hip issues, osteoarthritis or advancing osteoporosis is the question which as a non-medical professional I cannot answer. But, that tilt also lends to instability with gait. Looking at photos of her through the years you can see the progression.

As for the smoking....I can't imagine that it has not caused some issues to her lungs/respiratory system no matter how healthy your genes are. The habit will take a toll no matter what. (My godfather is paying the price of his long time habit now and he was always in good health and then suddenly it all caught up with him). Plus, long-time smoking can contribute to other health issues.
 
Yup, Queen Ingrid probably threw a few lucky immortal Bernadotte genes in there, considering what smoking did to her dad.

So it's her back (which might have been affected by all the problems with her legs and knees...) but is it actually her back? Or her spine, or her pelvis... Or there just hasn't been any elaboration on what specifically the problem is. (And whether it's expected to get worse?) :ermm:

I believe it's her spine.

She seems quite unsteady at times and maybe using a cane would be beneficial. Also, as she uses a hearing aid, having issues with your hearing will affect your balance and sense of orientation. I also do notice that her posture has deteriorated. Her tilt is very pronounced and her feet no longer plant themselves on the ground evenly. Now whether that is due to spine issues, hip issues, osteoarthritis or advancing osteoporosis is the question which as a non-medical professional I cannot answer. But, that tilt also lends to instability with gait. Looking at photos of her through the years you can see the progression.

As for the smoking....I can't imagine that it has not caused some issues to her lungs/respiratory system no matter how healthy your genes are. The habit will take a toll no matter what. (My godfather is paying the price of his long time habit now and he was always in good health and then suddenly it all caught up with him). Plus, long-time smoking can contribute to other health issues.

Well, I use a hearing aide as well and considering that QMII is a good deal older than me, I would be more surprised if she didn't use a hearing aide at her age. You are however quite correct about the balance and poor hearing. I have problems walking straight. Especially when it's dark, oddly enough.

Osteoporosis sure runs in the family! Just look at Queen Ingrid towards the end. But there is much more attention that today than back in the 90's and the medication is much better.

However, considering that QMII is quite stubborn when it suits her, I don't think we will see her use a cane until it is absolutely necessary.
 
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