List of Greenlandic rulers

This is a list of the rulers of Greenland:

• The Norse Colony of Greenland (982–1261)
• The Kingdom of Norway (1261–1814)
  • The personal union of Norway and Sweden (1319–1343)
  • The personal union of Norway and Denmark (1380–1385)
  • The personal union of Norway, Sweden and Denmark (1385–1387)
  • The Kalmar Union (1397–1523)
  • The personal union of Norway and Denmark (1523–1814)
• The Kingdom of Denmark (1814–1979)
  • The Home Rule of Greenland (since 1979)

Part of the Kingdom of Norway, from 1261 to 1814

Greenland as an integral part of Norway under the Monarchy of Norway

From the 1260s, the Norse colony on Greenland recognised the King of Norway as their overlord. Norway entered into a personal union with Denmark in 1380 and from 1397 was part of the Kalmar Union. From 1536, after Sweden had broken out of the union, Norway entered into a closer dependency with Denmark in the kingdom of Denmark–Norway, which existed until 1814. From the Middle Ages up until 1814, official Danish documents made clear that Greenland was a part of Norway.

The House of Sverre

• 1261–1263 : Haakon IV Haakonsson
• 1263–1280 : Magnus VI Haakonsson
• 1280–1299 : Eric II Magnusson
• 1299–1319 : Haakon V Magnusson

The House of Bjelbo

• 1319–1343 : Magnus VII Eriksson
• 1343–1380 : Haakon VI Magnusson
• 1380–1387 : Olaf IV Haakonsson

The House of Estridsen

• 1387–1412 : Margaret I

The House of Griffins

• 1412–1442 : Eric of Pomerania

The House of Palatinate-Neumarkt

• 1442–1448 : Christopher of Bavaria

The House of Bonde

• 1449–1450 : Charles I

The House of Oldenburg

• 1450–1481 : Christian I
• 1481–1513 : John I
• 1513–1523 : Christian II
• 1523–1533 : Frederick I
• 1534–1559 : Christian III
• 1559–1588 : Frederick II
• 1588–1648 : Christian IV
• 1648–1670 : Frederick III
• 1670–1699 : Christian V
• 1699–1730 : Frederick IV
• 1730–1746 : Christian VI
• 1746–1766 : Frederick V
• 1766–1808 : Christian VII
• 1808–1814 : Frederick VI

Part of the Kingdom of Denmark, from 1814 to the present

Greenland as a dependency of the Kingdom of Denmark

In 1814, Denmark-Norway found itself on the losing side of the Napoleonic Wars. In gratitude to Sweden for its assistance in defeating Napoleon (and as a consolation for the recent loss of Finland to Russia), mainland Norway and certain Norwegian territories were transferred to Sweden — thus, the personal union of Norway and Denmark ended. The dependencies of Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, however, remained part of the reorganised Kingdom of Denmark. Unlike Iceland, which was recognised as a sovereign monarchy united with Denmark under the same monarch in 1918, Greenland has remained a Danish dependency, currently under the reigning monarch Margrethe II of Denmark.

The House of Oldenburg

• 1814–1839 : Frederick VI
• 1839–1848 : Christian VIII
• 1848–1863 : Frederick VII

The House of Glücksburg

• 1863–1906 : Christian IX
• 1906–1912 : Frederick VIII
• 1912–1947 : Christian X
• 1947–1972 : Frederick IX
• 1972–present : Margrethe II

See also

References