Titled Danish Gentry and Nobles


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I couldn't find a thread that really covered this, so I thought that I would create this thread to discuss this article in the Copenhagen Post:

Titled gentry increasing plenty

It says that the numbers of barons, counts, and nobles are increasing in Denmark. There are now 7500. They have the privilege of carrying a title, but that is the extent of it. Interestingly, the authors used Facebook to track down some of these nobles.
 
I didn't realise there were so many! I wonder how that compares to other countries, it could just be that it sounds a lot but isn't really...
 
I thought the same thing! I didn't realize that there were so many. I would imagine that the number of Danish nobles is comparable to or greater than that of their neighbors. Belgium seems to have a lot, and so does Germany. I think that Denmark has more nobles than the Netherlands.
 
Oh, I didn't know Belgium had a lot - although, then again, I don't have a clue how many there are even in my own country :whistling:.
 
Which noble danish family gave their farm/castle to Prince Joachim ?
 
It's actually changed hands several times; it originally belonged to the Bishops of Ribe, when it was known as Møgeltønderhus and was then given to the King after the Reformation. After that, in 1661, the castle was transferred to General Hans Schack as a thanks for his service in the war against the Swedish. It came back into royal hands in 1978 and was given to Prince Joachim in 1993.
 
I find it interesting that they used facebook as tool in their research.
 
yes how do you do th reserchin facebook, i wonder?
 
I find it interesting that they used facebook as tool in their research.

I know. In my opinion, it kind of sounds questionable. I could state that I'm a noble on my Facebook page, and there really wouldn't be a way to verify that 1. I was truly a noble, and 2. that I was the person I was claiming to be. For example, if I wanted to, I could set up a Facebook page as Crown Princess Mary, and it wouldn't be an issue unless the Danish government demanded that I remove the page. I could also make claims of being a descendant of Noble XYZ, and unless one really dug deep into Noble XYZ's family tree, I could get away with it (on the internet, at least).
 
Thats exactly what I was thinking. Do you think they maybe used Facebook to make contact then did some more heavy duty research?
 
That would have been the ethical thing to do, but I would be surprised if they did that for all of the people that they located on Facebook. That sounds cynical, but I would have thought that if they did do painstaking research, they would have stated that in their article to try to firm up their credibility.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt, though.
 
I thinki we can safely say it would have taken a very long time. Do you know if the researchers published an academic article using the research? You're right they'd have been likely to have explaimed in the research methods
 
It does sound like they published an academic article. It was collected by something called the "Institute of History and Civlisation", which sounds official, but a representative of this institute said directly in the article that they used Facebook for their research. Very strange, IMO.
 
It does sound like they published an academic article. It was collected by something called the "Institute of History and Civlisation", which sounds official.

It is. According to the article it is a research made by the University of Southern Denmark which is a very acknowledged University.

but a representative of this institute said directly in the article that they used Facebook for their research. Very strange, IMO.

I don't think so as Facebook was used to get into contact with the nobles not only living in Denmark.

In the article it is written, that many of the ‘newly accounted’ nobles (about 2000) were descendants of Danes who emigrated from Denmark to the US, Canada and Argentina in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and that they, although retaining rights to their titles - according to the 1849 constitution - don't have any special rights and social privileges associated with the titles.
 
My family was a former royal family of Denmark too. The Canute family came to America in 1727 and later changed their name to Cornett. The Cornett Family of America Is a descendent of King Canute the Great.
 
Danish noblity

Hello Denmark!

Can anyone point the way to an index of Danish nobility? I'm curious as to the divisions of Danish nobility and whether or not it too follows absolute cognatic primogeniture for succession to their titles.


Thank you!

PS. The Danish royal family is one of my "favorites" :)
 
Countess Marina of Rosenborg has a new boyfriend:
Billed-Bladet - Komtesse Marina viste kæresten frem

His name is Christian Mellentin, and they made their first public appearance as a couple at the christening of Prince Henrik. Marina's mother was Princess Benedikte's LIW.

The article states that they are both scientist. The field they are studying and researching is unfortunately not mentioned.

Baroness Helle Reedz-Thott, a stylish Baroness:
Billed-Bladet - Helle Reedtz-Thott - en stilfuld baronesse

Helle is a commoner married to Baron Otto Reedtz-Thott.

He is twize her senior.

She has studied law and eventually worked as a lawyer.

She is now working with the estate brewing beer etc.

Otto has been a playboy but also very into tv.

Hello Denmark!

Can anyone point the way to an index of Danish nobility? I'm curious as to the divisions of Danish nobility and whether or not it too follows absolute cognatic primogeniture for succession to their titles.


Thank you!

PS. The Danish royal family is one of my "favorites" :)

Danske adelsslægter - Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi

There are two main lists of Danish nobility:

Denmark Adel Yearbook
Adel Danish Yearbook (DAA) have been published since 1884 and published by the Danish nobility Association. It contains comprehensive overviews of all the family around. 725 Danish nobility. Each volume contains pedigree charts and summaries of contemporary members of approx. 200 noble families.

Danish nobility Calendar
Ferdinand von Krogh, Danish nobility Calendar, Copenhagen 1878, is a second major survey, which lists only those at that time flourishing nobility.
 
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Queen can confern any title?

Hello,

The Danish monarch can confer any title to non-member of the Royal Family?

KR,

LS:cool:
 
I have a general question about Denmark. Is there a titled nobility/aristocracy in Denmark? In England, Belgium, Germany and in Spain, there are Sir/Ladies to Dukes (Dons in Spain) but I don't know whether such thing exists in other monarchies.

Not sure this the proper thread for this question mods.
 
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I have a general question about Denmark. Is there a titled nobility/aristocracy in Denmark? In England, Belgium, Germany and in Spain, there are Sir/Ladies to Dukes (Dons in Spain) but I don't know whether such thing exists in other monarchies.

Not sure this the proper thread for this question mods.

There is a titled aristocracy here in DK, but they rarely use their titles as there are no privileges connected to being a noble.
The Monarch is the only one who can ennoble anyone but that is extremely rare. Alexandra is an example and that title is personal and cannot be inherited.

The aristocratic titles in use here in DK are: baron and count (greve). There are no earls or dukes, nor prinzen or fürsten as in the German sense.

The title of say Knight of the Order of Dannebrog, is just that, an honorary title. There is nothing equivalent to Sir, OBE or MBE in connection with your name here.
It may be mentioned in your biography, obituary or in the magazines that you have a particular order or because you wear your Knights Cross or whatever at special occasions. Apart from that there is nothing to distinguish you from everybody else.
 
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There is a titled aristocracy here in DK, but they rarely use their titles as there are no privileges connected to being a noble.
The Monarch is the only one who can ennoble anyone but that is extremely rare. Alexandra is an example and that title is personal and cannot be inherited.

The aristocratic titles in use here in DK are: baron and count (greve). There are no earls or dukes, nor prinzen or fürsten as in the German sense.

The title of say Knight of the Order of Dannebrog, is just that, an honorary title. There is nothing equivalent to Sir, OBE or MBE in connection with your name here.
It may be mentioned in your biography, obituary or in the magazines that you have a particular order or because you wear your Knights Cross or whatever at special occasions. Apart from that there is nothing to distinguish you from everybody else.

Thanks Muhler, I knew you'd have the answer:flowers:
 
A Danish komtesse (daughter of a count) looses her title upon marriage and after that she carries the title of her husband. If he doesn't have one then neither does she. If a female member of the nobility marries a commoner she looses her status as a noble and won't get it back after a divorce.
The three Rosenborg sisters got the Queen's permission to keep their names when they married, but not their titles. In spite of this they still go by their birth title in the tabloids (where some of them are frequently mentioned) and other media.

So, what about Alexandra; did she loose her title as princess of S-W-B when she married count Jefferson or did she loose it now she married the Danish count Michael? Or is she considered royal and do these rules (female member of nobility looses her own titles/status and confirms to her husband's) only apply to nobles? Or does it not apply because it's not a Danish title even though she is a Danish citizen (I assume).
 
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So, what about Alexandra; did she loose her title as princess of S-W-B when she married count Jefferson or did she loose it now she married the Danish count Michael? Or is she considered royal and do these rules (female member of nobility looses her own titles/status and confirms to her husband's) only apply to nobles? Or this it not apply because it's not a Danish title even though she is a Danish citizen (I assume).

Her title is German , so I am not sure Danish rules are relevant in this case.

It should be noted also that Alexandra is not a princess of Denmark as she ( controversially) is not in the line of succession to the Danish throne.
 
The wife of a Danish count ( “greve”) is called “ grevinde” whereas the unmarried daughter of a Danish count is called “ komtesse”.

What are the Danish words for the wife and the unmarried daughter of a Danish baron ( “ friherre”) ?

Thanks.
 
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The wife of a Danish count ( “greve”) is called “ grevinde” whereas the unmarried daughter of a Danish count is called “ komtesse”.

What are the Danish words for the wife and the unmarried daughter of a Danish baron ( “ friherre”) ?

Thanks.

Baronesse or friherreinde. It also applies to both a wife and daughters.
To distinguish you use Mrs. Baronesse or Miss Baronesse.

- That is in accordance to a tradition that existed basically into my childhood, where a wife was often known and addressed by the title of her husband.
Example: a director (manager) would in Danish often be addressed as Fru Direktør Olsen. = Mrs. Director Olsen. If she was a director in her own right, she would be Direktørinde, using the now archaic female addition "inde" (or "esse") = directress.
Or a the wife of a master carpenter: Fru tømrermester Olsen = Mrs. Master Carpenter Olsen.
It even went down to workman (unskilled): Fru Arbejdsmand Olsen = Mrs. Workman Olsen.
It wasn't just snobbery but had a practical application as well. As late as around 1990, wives were filed under their husband's name and social security number in the municipalities. Her papers were even placed in her husband's folder.

Try check how the rules are in Germany, the Danish titles regarding counts and barons follow the German tradition.
 
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So, what about Alexandra; did she loose her title as princess of S-W-B when she married count Jefferson or did she loose it now she married the Danish count Michael? Or is she considered royal and do these rules (female member of nobility looses her own titles/status and confirms to her husband's) only apply to nobles? Or does it not apply because it's not a Danish title even though she is a Danish citizen (I assume).

Princess Benedikte's daughters have always been styled Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and have never used the names of their husbands even while married. See for example Alexandra's separation announcement:

https://www.kongehuset.dk/presse/meddelelser/pressemeddelelse-0


Try check how the rules are in Germany, the Danish titles regarding counts and barons follow the German tradition.

Since 1919, when the nobility of Germany was legally abolished and its titles were converted into legal surnames, surnames including noble titles have followed the same rules as other surnames. Private nobility associations have their own rules as to who "should" use noble titles, but as private clubs they do not have the power to enforce them.


- That is in accordance to a tradition that existed basically into my childhood, where a wife was often known and addressed by the title of her husband.
Example: a director (manager) would in Danish often be addressed as Fru Direktør Olsen. = Mrs. Director Olsen. If she was a director in her own right, she would be Direktørinde, using the now archaic female addition "inde" (or "esse") = directress.
Or a the wife of a master carpenter: Fru tømrermester Olsen = Mrs. Master Carpenter Olsen.
It even went down to workman (unskilled): Fru Arbejdsmand Olsen = Mrs. Workman Olsen.
It wasn't just snobbery but had a practical application as well. As late as around 1990, wives were filed under their husband's name and social security number in the municipalities. Her papers were even placed in her husband's folder.

Thank you for the explanation. This practice was known among the commoner classes of many countries, as I understand it - which is why arguments that a wife being addressed by the title of her royal or noble husband is a royal or noble tradition which should not be modernized according to changes in general society miss the mark.
 
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