The article is interesting albeit IMO mistaken.
Prince Knud and as such Count Ingolf were hardly cheated, their line was instead voted out by democratic vote.
We can of course discuss whether that is fair, but it's actually more consistent with Danish royal practice than automatically inheriting the throne, which has "only" been the rule for less than 350 years. For the remaining 650++ years of the Danish monarchy the kings were elected by vote.
In reality that vote (or rather political support/pledge) was decided way before it actually took place. In fact I don't know of historical instances where someone voted against (or more correctly spoke) against the new king. If you were against the new king, you either ducked and covered, went into exile, rebelled or assassinated the king.
So what happened before Absolutism was introduced in 1660 was that a new king gathered enough support to ensure he could be crowned. Then he toured the realm (which he did for the rest of his life BTW, there was no capital until well into the 1400s) meeting up with assemblies of local freemen, local nobility, yeomanry and burghers who met and pledged their allegiance to their new king. I.e. voted for him so to speak. In a similar manner as these very same assemblies voted when handling all sorts of local administrative matters.
Denmark didn't really become feudal until well into the 1300s and not for real until after the Feud of the Count in the 1530s, which was also the last public rebellion in DK by ordinary people. Prior to that people would and did take up arms at the drop of a hat.
And these pretty democratic assemblies were basically abolished in 1660 when the king took over all power in the land. But before Absolutism was introduced in DK, a Parliamentary system like in England was very much considered.
Because royals all over Europe were well aware of what went on in other kingdoms and the pro and cons of having a parliament against a king with absolute power was very much debated and considered. After all royals were usually educated to the limit of their intellect and interests and many if not most were just as idealist, in their way, as royals are today.
For example: Henry VIII was very well educated and informed, he was also very much an idealist. That he ended up becoming a tyrant is an interesting but hardly unique story.
But back to Denmark. If the new king already had a son, he made sure that son was acknowledged as the legal heir by these same assemblies. Otherwise he would soon after his first son was born, travel the realm to make sure his newborn was presented to and acknowledged as the heir by the local assemblies.
- So what happened in 1953 was the modern, democratic, equivalent of the high lords of DK and especially the local assemblies rejecting Prince Knud's firstborn son as the heir (and as such also Prince Knud himself) in favor of the eldest daughter of King Frederik IX.
So Danes in 1253 might have found the process in 1953 peculiar and interesting, but they would not have found it sensational or even particular novel.
BTW: These assemblies were called Stænderforsamlinger = assemblies of representatives of various strata of the society: Nobility, peasantry (who owned their land, that is) clergy and burghers. - Naturally that did not include women, servants, peasant who did not own land, young people and poor. That goes without saying. The mere thought is laughable. ?
But the previous name is perhaps more familiar to you: Ting.
That word is still in use today more than a thousand years later, in say the name of the Danish Parliament: Folketinget = The People's Assembly.
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The new home of Count Ingolf is more than 400 square meters, with the upper floor not being used by him, so I don't think lack of room is that big a concern. IMO it's more a question of there not being immediate heirs so why not sell things? And perhaps the DRF will buy some of it, so it remains in the family?
And finally while Ingolf has lived a pretty comfortable life I would not call it a life of luxury. I don't think such a life would really appeal to him to be honest. I think he was for the most part pretty content with the life he got. And his dynasty would end with him anyway...
