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This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the Kings and Queens regnant of Denmark. This includes:
The house of Oldenburg held the Danish Crown between 1448 and 1863, when it passed to the house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a cadet branch of the same house, descended from King Christian III of Denmark. The kingdom had been elective (although the eldest son or brother of the previous king was usually elected) until 1660, when it became hereditary and absolutist. Until 1864 Denmark was also united in a personal union with the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.
Danish name forms are given in parenthesis.
Contents |
Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gorm the Old (Gorm den Gamle) 936–958 |
c. 908/18 son of Harthacnut I |
Thyra four children |
c. 958 aged about 50 |
[1][2][3] | |
Harald Bluetooth (Harald Blåtand) 958–985/86 |
c. 925/35 son of Gorm the Old and Thyra |
(1) Gyrid of Sweden by 950 four or six children (2) Tove of the Obotrites c. 970 no issues |
1 November 985/86 Jomsborg aged about 50-60 |
[1][4][5][6] | |
Sweyn Forkbeard (Svend Tveskæg) 986–1014 |
c. 960 son of Harald Bluetooth and Gyrid of Sweden |
(1 & 2) Gunhild of Wenden or Sigrid the Haughty eight or more children |
3 February 1014 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire aged 53–54 |
[1][7][8][9] | |
Harald II Svendsen (Harald 2.) 1014–1018 |
? eldest son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhild or Sigrid |
unknown | c. 1018 | [1][10][11] | |
Cnut the Great (Knud den Store) 1018–1035 |
c. 985/95 younger son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhild or Sigrid |
(1) Ælfgifu of Northampton two children (2) Emma of Normandy 2/31 July1017 two children |
12 November 1035 Shaftesbury aged about 40-50 |
[1][12][13][14] | |
Harthacnut (Knud 3. Hardeknud) 1035–1042 |
c. 1020 England son of Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy |
never married | 8 June 1042 Lambeth aged 21–22 |
[1][15][16][17] |
Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Magnus the Good (Magnus den Gode) 1042–1047 |
April/June 1024 Norway illegitimate son of Olaf II of Norway and Alfhild |
never married | 25 October 1047 Zealand aged 23 |
[18][19][20] |
Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sweyn II Estridson (Svend Estridsen) 1047–1074/76 |
c. 1019 England son of jarl Ulf Torgilsson and Estrid Svendsdatter |
(1) Gyda of Sweden c. 1048 (2) Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir c. 1050 |
28 April 1074 or 1076 Søderup aged 54–57 |
[1][21][22][23] | |
Harald III the Soft (Harald Hén) 1074/76–1080 |
c. 1040 illegitimate son of Sweyn II |
Margareta Hasbjörnsdatter no issues |
17 April 1080 aged 40 |
[1][24][25][26] | |
Canute IV the Holy (Knud den Hellige) 1080–1086 |
c. 1042 illegitimate son of Sweyn II |
Adela of Flanders c. 1080 three children |
10 July 1086 St. Alban's Priory aged 43–44 |
[1][27][28][29] | |
Olaf I Hunger (Oluf Hunger) 1086–1095 |
c. 1050 illegitimate son of Sweyn II |
Ingegerd of Norway c. 1070 one daughter |
18 August 1095 aged 44–45 |
[1][30][31][32] | |
Eric I Evergood (Erik Ejegod) 1095–1103 |
c. 1050 Slangerup illegitimate son of Sweyn II |
Boedil Thurgotsdatter before 1086 one son |
10 July 1103 Paphos, Cyprus aged 42–43 |
[1][33][34][35] | |
Niels (Nils) 1104–1134 |
c. 1065 illegitimate son of Sweyn II |
(1) Margaret Fredkulla c. 1105 two sons (2) Margaret Fredkulla c. 1130 no issues |
25 June 1134 Schleswig aged 68–69 |
[1][36][37][38] | |
Eric II the Memorable (Erik Emune) 1134–1137 |
c. 1090 illegitimate son of Eric I |
Malmfred of Kiev c. 1130 no issues |
18 July 1137 Urnehoved aged 46–47 |
[1][39][40][41] | |
Eric III Lamb (Erik Lam) 1137–1146 (abdicated) |
c. 1120 son of Hakon Sunnivasson and Ragnhild Eriksdatter |
Lutgard of Salzwedel c. 1144 no issues |
27 August 1146 St. Canute's Abbey aged 25–26 |
[1][42][43][44] | |
Sweyn III Grathe (Svend Grathe) 1146–1157 |
c. 1125 illegitimate son of Eric II |
Adela of Meissen c. 1152 two children |
23 October 1157 Grathe Heath aged 31–32 |
[1][45][46][47] | |
Canute V (Knud 5.) 1146–1157 |
c. 1129 eldest son of Magnus I of Sweden and Richeza of Poland |
Helena of Sweden c. 1156 no issues |
9 August 1157 Roskilde aged 27–28 |
[1][48][49][50] | |
Valdemar I the Great (Valdemar den Store) 1146–1182 |
14 January 1131 only son of Canute Lavard and Ingeborg of Kiev |
Sophia of Minsk c. 1157 Viborg Cathedral eight children |
12 May 1182 Vordingborg Castle aged 51 |
[1][51][52][53][54] | |
Canute VI (Knud 6.) 1182–1202 |
c. 1163 eldest son of Valdemar I and Sophia of Minsk |
Gertrude of Bavaria February 1177 Lund Cathedral no issues |
12 November 1202 aged 38–39 |
[1][55][56] | |
Valdemar II the Victorious (Valdemar Sejr) 1202–1241 |
9 May/28 June 1170 second son of Valdemar I and Sophia of Minsk |
(1) Dagmar of Bohemia c. 1205 Lübeck one son (2) Berengaria of Portugal 18/24 May 1214 four children |
28 March 1241 Vordingborg Castle aged 70 |
[1][57][58][59][60] | |
Valdemar the Young (Valdemar den Unge) 1215–1231 |
c. 1209 only son of Valdemar II and Dagmar of Bohemia |
Eleanor of Portugal 24 June 1229 Ribe Cathedral one child |
28 November 1231 Refsnæs aged 21–22 |
[1][61][62][63] | |
Eric IV Ploughpenny (Erik Plovpenning) 1232–1250 |
c. 1216 eldest son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal |
Jutta of Saxony 17 November 1239 six children |
9 August 1250 on the Schlei aged 33–34 |
[1][64][65][66] | |
Abel 1 November 1250–1252 |
c. 1218 second son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal |
Matilda of Holstein 25 April 1237 Schleswig Cathedral four children |
29 June 1252 Eiderstedt aged 33–34 |
[1][67][68][69] | |
Christopher I (Christoffer) 25 December 1252–1259 |
c. 1219 third son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal |
Margaret Sambiria c. 1248 five children |
29 May 1259 Ribe aged 39–40 |
[1][70][71] | |
Eric V Klipping (Erik Klipping) 1259–1286 |
c. 1249 eldest son of Christopher I and Margaret Sambiria |
Agnes of Brandenburg 11 November 1273 Schleswig Cathedral seven children |
22 November 1286 Finderup aged 36–37 |
[1][72][73] | |
Eric VI Menved (Erik Menved) 1286–1319 |
c. 1274 eldest son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg |
Ingeborg of Sweden June 1296 Kärnan Castle fourteen children |
13 November 1319 Roskilde aged 44–45 |
[1][74][75] | |
Christopher II (Christoffer 1.) 25 January 1320–1326 (desposed) |
29 September 1276 second son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg |
Euphemia of Pomerania c. 1300 six children |
2 August 1332 Nykøbing Castle aged 55 |
[1][76][77] | |
Valdemar III (Valdemar 3.) 1326–1329 (desposed) |
c. 1314 only son of Eric II, Duke of Schleswig and Adelheid of Holstein |
Richardis of Schwerin two sons |
c. 1364 aged 49–50 |
[78][79][80] | |
Christopher II (Christoffer 2.) 1329-1332 (restored) |
29 September 1276 second son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg |
Euphemia of Pomerania c. 1300 six children |
2 August 1332 Nykøbing Castle aged 55 |
[1][76][77] | |
Interregnum (1332–1340) | |||||
Valdemar IV Atterdag (Valdemar Atterdag) 21 June 1340–1375 |
c. 1320 third son of Christopher II and Euphemia of Pomerania |
Helvig of Schleswig c. 1340 Sønderborg Castle six children |
24 October 1375 Gurre Castle aged 54–55 |
[1][81][82] |
Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olaf II (Oluf 2.) 3 May 1376–1387 |
December 1370 Akershus Castle only son of Haakon VI of Norway and Margaret I |
never married | 23 August 1387 Falsterbo Castle aged 16 |
[1][83][84] |
Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Margaret I (Margrete 1.) 1376–1412 (de facto) |
c. 1353 Vordingborg Castle youngest daughter of Valdemar IV and Helvig of Schleswig |
Haakon VI of Norway 9 April 1363 Church of Our Lady one son |
28 October 1412 Ship on Flensburg Fjord aged 58–59 |
[1][85][86] |
Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eric VII (Erik af Pommern) 17 June 1397-1439 (deposed) |
c. 1381/82 Rügenwalde Castle only son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania and Mary of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
Philippa of England 26 October 1406 Lund Cathedral no issues |
3 May 1459 Rügenwalde Castle aged 76–78 |
[1][87][88] |
Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christopher III (Christoffer af Bayern) 9 April 1440– 5/6 January 1448 |
26 February 1416 Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz fifth son of John, Count Palatine of Neumarkt and Catherine of Pomerania |
Dorothea of Brandenburg 12 September 1445 Copenhagen no issues |
5/6 January 1448 Kärnan Castile aged 31 |
[1][89][90] |
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