The origins of the Danish kingdom go well beyond the early 10th century but it is only then that history becomes more certain and the realm was united by Gorm the Old. Christianity was introduced under his son Harald I but conversion was not complete until the reign of Knud I. Under Svend I and Knud I, the Danes took over England in 10131014 and 10161042, and dominated much of the Baltic and Scandinavia (Norway 10301035). Valdemar I and Knud IV expanded against the Slavs along the Baltic coast, while Valdemar II crusaded even further, into Livonia and Estonia. A decline in royal authority followed, and Erik V was forced to admit the subordination of the king to the law in 1282. Christoffer II succeeded to the throne only after making a capitulation limiting royal power in the interest of the clergy and the nobles. Nevertheless, a noble faction headed by count Gerhard III of Holstein drove Christoffer II from his throne. Valdemar IV succeeded in defeating the nobles and reasserting royal control, defeated the Hansa in a first conflict in 1363, but an alliance of the Hansa, his neighbors and some of his own barons defeated him in 1370. His daughter Margrethe I succeeded him (at first as regent for her son Oluf III), and by 1389 she ruled over Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In 1396 she abdicated in favor of her great-nephew Erik VII but in fact continued to govern until her death in 1412. The personal union of the three Scandinavian kingdoms did not long survive her. Erik VII lost effective control of Sweden in the mid-1430s, and, losing support, fled Denmark in 1439. The Danish nobility elected his nephew Christoffer III of Bavaria king, who was recognized in Sweden in 1440 and in Norway in 1442. On the death of Christoffer III, a distant descendant of Erik V was elected king in the person of Christian I of Oldenburg, who also married Christoffers widow Dorothea of Brandenburg. The House of Oldenburg has retained the crown of Denmark ever after, even though it lost those of Norway (18141905) of Sweden (permanently since 1523). The direct Oldenburg male line failing in 1863, the line of Glόcksburg, descended from Christian III, replaced it. In 1905 a son of Frederik VIII of Denmark became king of Norway.
Note that the numbering of some rulers may be in disagreement with various other works that may count a number of the obscure predecessors of Gorm the Old as Danish kings.
|
Kings of Denmark
|
|
910940 |
GORM the Old |
Son of Hardeknud; King of Denmark |
940986 |
HARALD I Bluetooth |
Son of Gorm |
9861014 |
SVEND I Forkbeard |
Son of Harald I |
10141018 |
HARALD II |
Son of Svend I |
10181035 |
KNUD I the Rich |
Son of Svend I |
10351042 |
HARDEKNUD |
Son of Knud I |
10421047 |
MAGNUS I the Good |
Son of Olav II of Norway; killed in riding accident |
10471076 |
SVEND II |
Son of Ulf by Estrid daughter of Svend I |
10761080 |
HARALD III Hιn |
Bastard son of Svend II |
10801086 |
KNUD II the Saint |
Bastard son of Svend II; murdered |
10861095 |
OLUF I the Hungry |
Bastard son of Svend II |
10951103 |
ERIK I the Evergood |
Bastard son of Svend II |
11041134 |
NIELS |
Bastard son of Svend II; murdered |
|
MAGNUS II the Strong |
Son of Niels; co-ruler 11341134; killed in battle
against Erik II |
11341137 |
ERIK II the Memorable |
Son of Erik I; murdered |
11371146 |
ERIK III the Lamb |
Son of Hagen Sunnevasψn by Ragnhild bastard daughter of
Erik I; abdicated, died 1146 |
11401142 |
OLUF II |
Son of Harald Kesja bastard son of Erik I; killed in
battle |
11461157 |
SVEND III Grathe |
Son of Erik II; in North; killed in battle against Valdemar I |
11461157 |
KNUD III |
Son of Magnus II; in Jutland; murdered |
11571182 |
VALDEMAR I the Great |
Son of Knud Lavard son of Erik I |
11821202 |
KNUD IV |
Son of Valdemar I; co-ruler 1165 |
12021241 |
VALDEMAR II the Victorious |
Son of Valdemar I |
|
VALDEMAR the Younger |
Son of Valdemar II; co-ruler 12151231 |
12411250 |
ERIK IV Ploughpenny |
Son of Valdemar II; co-ruler 1232; murdered |
12501252 |
ABEL |
Son of Valdemar II; killed in battle against the
Frisians |
12521259 |
CHRISTOFFER I |
Son of Valdemar II |
12591286 |
ERIK V Klipping |
Son of Christoffer I; murdered |
12861319 |
ERIK VI Moenved |
Son of Erik V |
13201326 |
CHRISTOFFER II |
Son of Erik V; deposed |
|
ERIK |
Son of Christoffer II; co-ruler 1321; deposed |
13261330 |
VALDEMAR III of Schleswig |
Son of Erich II of Schleswig son of Waldemar IV son of Erich I son of Abel; deposed, died 1364 |
13301332 |
CHRISTOFFER II |
Restored |
|
ERIK |
Restored as co-ruler 13301332 |
13321340 |
Gerhard III of Holstein (regent) |
Son of Heinrich I of Holstein; husband of Sofie
daughter of Nikolaus II of Werle by Regitze daughter of Erik V; murdered |
13401375 |
VALDEMAR IV Atterdag |
Son of Christoffer II |
13761387 |
OLUF III |
Son of Hεkon VI of Norway by Margrethe I daughter of
Valdemar IV |
13871396 |
MARGRETHE I |
Daughter of Valdemar IV and mother of Oluf III;
abdicated, died 1412 |
13961439 |
ERIK VII of Pomerania |
Bogusław, son of Warcisław VII of Pomerania
by Maria daughter of Heinrich I of Mecklenburg by Ingeborg daughter of
Valdemar IV; deposed, died 1459 |
14401448 |
CHRISTOFFER III of Bavaria |
Son of Johann of Bavaria-Neumarkt by Katarina sister of
Erik VII |
14481481 |
CHRISTIAN I of Oldenburg |
Son of Dietrich of Oldenburg by Hedwig daughter of
Gerhard IV of Holstein son of Heinrich II son of Gerhard III |
14811513 |
HANS |
Son of Christian I |
15131523 |
CHRISTIAN II the Cruel |
Son of Hans; deposed, died 1559 |
15231533 |
FREDERIK I |
Son of Christian I |
15341559 |
CHRISTIAN III |
Son of Frederik I |
15591588 |
FREDERIK II |
Son of Christian III |
15881648 |
CHRISTIAN IV |
Son of Frederik II |
16481670 |
FREDERIK III |
Son of Christian IV |
16701699 |
CHRISTIAN V |
Son of Frederik III |
16991730 |
FREDERIK IV |
Son of Christian V |
17301746 |
CHRISTIAN VI |
Son of Frederik IV |
17461766 |
FREDERIK V |
Son of Christian VI |
17661808 |
CHRISTIAN VII |
Son of Frederik V |
18081839 |
FREDERIK VI |
Son of Christian VII |
18391848 |
CHRISTIAN VIII Frederik |
Son of Frederik son of Frederik V |
18481863 |
FREDERIK VII |
Son of Christian VIII |
18631906 |
CHRISTIAN IX of Holstein |
Son of Wilhelm of Holstein-Sonderburg-Glόcksburg by
Luise daughter of Karl of Hesse-Cassel by Louise daughter of Frederik V |
19061912 |
FREDERIK VIII |
Son of Christian IX |
19121947 |
CHRISTIAN X |
Son of Frederik VIII |
19471972 |
FREDERIK IX |
Son of Christian X |
1972 |
MARGRETHE II |
Daughter of Frederik IX |
|
Denmark: Line of Holstein-Sonderburg-Glόcksburg
(Ancestors of Christian IX) |
|
15591622 |
JOHANN |
Son of Christian III of Denmark; Duke of Sonderburg |
16221627 |
ALEXANDER |
Son of Johann |
16271675 |
AUGUST PHILIPP |
Son of Alexander; Duke of Sonderburg-Beck |
16751689 |
AUGUST |
Son of August-Philipp |
16891719 |
FRIEDRICH WILHELM I |
Son of August |
17191728 |
FRIEDRICH LUDWIG |
Son of August Philipp |
17281749 |
FRIEDRICH WILHELM II |
Son of Friedrich Ludwig |
17491757 |
FRIEDRICH |
Son of Friedrich Wilhelm II |
17571774 |
KARL LUDWIG |
Son of Friedrich Ludwig |
17741775 |
PETER AUGUST |
Son of Friedrich Ludwig |
17751816 |
FRIEDRICH KARL |
Son of Karl Anton son of Peter August |
18161831 |
WILHELM |
Son of Friedrich Karl; Duke of Sonderburg-Glόcksburg
1825 |
18311864 |
CHRISTIAN |
Son of Wilhelm; King of Denmark from 1863; abdicated
duchies 1864, died 1906 |