Denmark
Denmark, 1814 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
The adoption of the Constitution of Denmark on 5 June 1849 ended the absolute monarchy. In the Second Schleswig War, Denmark lost Schleswig-Holstein, which led to changes in Danish politics henceforth emphasising social cohesion in the diminished realm. Danish neutrality was violated in World War II by a rapid German invasion in April 1940. In 1973, Denmark, together with Greenland but not the Faroe Islands, became a member of what is now the European Union.
Seat of power: Copenhagen
Rulers
Frederick VI of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1808–1839
He was the last king of Denmark–Norway. His tenure as regent is highlighted by the abolition of stavnsbånd, the end of hanging as a capital punishment in the kingdom, and the withdrawal of Dano-Norwegian involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
Portrait of Frederick VI of Denmark: Friedrich Carl Gröger, Public domain, file
Christian VIII of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1839–1848
Christian VIII was King of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, King of Norway in 1814.
Portrait of Christian VIII of Denmark: Johan Vilhelm Gertner, Public domain, file
Frederick VII of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1848–1863
He was the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch. During his reign, he signed a constitution that established a Danish parliament and made the country a constitutional monarchy.
Portrait of Frederick VII of Denmark: August Schiøtt, Public domain, file
Christian IX of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1863–1906
The beginning of his reign was marked by the Danish defeat in the Second Schleswig War and the subsequent loss of the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg which made the king immensely unpopular. He became one of the most influential monarchs of 19th-century Europe through the dynastic marriages of his children, earning the sobriquet "father-in-law of Europe".
Portrait of Christian IX of Denmark: The original uploader was Anathema at German Wikipedia., Public domain, file
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Frederik VIII of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1906–1912
In many ways, Frederick VIII was a liberal monarch who was much more favorable to the new parliamentary system introduced in 1901 than his father had been, being reform-minded and democratically inclined. Due to his late accession to the throne, however, Frederick's reign would last only six years, throughout which he was plagued by ill health.
Portrait of Frederik VIII of Denmark: Peter Elfelt, Public domain, file
Christian X of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1912–1947
His reluctance to fully embrace democracy resulted in the Easter Crisis of 1920, in which he dismissed the democratically elected Social Liberal cabinet with which he disagreed, and installed one of his own choosing. Faced with mass demonstrations, a general strike organized by the Social Democrats, and the risk of the monarchy being overthrown, he was forced to accept that a monarch could not keep a government in office against the will of parliament as well as his reduced role as a symbolic head of state. During the German occupation of Denmark, Christian became a popular symbol of resistance, particularly because of the symbolic value of the fact that he rode every day through the streets of Copenhagen unaccompanied by guards.
Portrait of Christian X of Denmark: {{Creator:https://www.loc.gov/pictures/related/?fi=name&q=Bain%20News%20Service; publisher; Bain News Service}}, Public domain, file
Frederik IX of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1947–1972
During Frederik's reign, Danish society changed rapidly, the welfare state was expanded and, as a consequence of the booming economy of the 1960s, women entered the labour market.
Portrait of Frederik IX of Denmark: unknow person, Public domain, file
Margrethe II of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 1972–2024
Margrethe II reigned as Queen of Denmark from 14 January 1972 until her abdication on 14 January 2024. Support for the monarchy in Denmark, alongside her personal popularity, gradually rose throughout the course of her reign, attaining around eighty per cent by the time of her abdication.
Portrait of Margrethe II of Denmark: Johannes Jansson, CC BY 2.5 dk, file
Frederik X of Denmark
Monarch of Denmark, 2024 to today
Frederik X is King of Denmark, reigning since 14 January 2024.
Portrait of Frederik X of Denmark: Finnish Government, CC BY 2.0, file
Culture
- Denmark is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy, high standard of living, and robust social welfare policies.
- Denmark was the first country to legally recognise same-sex partnerships.
- During occupation, a resistance movement emerged in 1943, while Iceland declared independence in 1944; Denmark was liberated after the end of the war in May 1945.
- The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the philosophical essays of Søren Kierkegaard have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen.
Picture
Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses.
Image: European Commission, CC BY 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.