The Danish Royal Family’s website has gained a new section, and it is one that is sure to interest many people.
There was always a way to look back at previous kings in the Danish dynasty, and those sections were often linked when the Royal Court published updates about certain items on the agenda for which those references were relevant.
The novelty is the section about previous queens. They are in-depth profiles of past queen consorts, from Queen Ingrid all the way back to Queen Caroline Amalie.
Queen Ingrid was the mother of Queen Margrethe and her two sisters, Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie; she was born a Princess of Sweden, but after marrying King Frederick IX of Denmark, she became the Queen Consort of the Viking country.
The new page highlights her commitment to various causes concerning her adoptive country, including the Southern Jutland issue, and her work in Greenland, as well as her role in key aspects of the modernisation process of the monarchy. She passed away in 2000, a short time after her grandson, Crown Prince Frederik, came back from Australia, where he was on a private visit.
Her predecessor, Queen Alexandrine, is described as a woman of musical talent and a keen practicer of sports. She was “more welcoming than her husband, and thus has a significant share in the increase of popularity the Royal Family experiences during her husband’s reign,” according to her page. She was also very involved in the process that ultimately led to legislation allowing women to vote, which could also be a contributing factor in the popularity rise.
Before Alexandrine, two queens named Louise held her place; the first, wife to King Frederick VIII, was only Queen of Denmark for six years, and yet left a priceless legacy: one of her children ended up being King of Denmark as Christian X, whereas another went on to rule over Norway as King Haakon VII. She was also an avid collector of jewellery, and many of the pieces still in use today come from her possession.
The previous queen consort was also named Louise, and she was the wife of King Christian IX. She was one of the few consorts to pass away before her husband, so her legacy is mainly connected to her work in supporting him, as well as a children’s hospital named after her.
The last queen to have a page dedicated is Queen Caroline Amalie, who ended up becoming the wife of King Christian VIII. It is widely speculated that it was because their marriage produced no children that she dedicated much of her life to the support of children in need, whether it be through education, healthcare or the fight against poverty.
It is not clear whether this project will gain more entries in the future, but even if it remains the way it currently is, it is set to become a valuable resource for historians and writers, as well as curious members of the public.
The page is currently available just in Danish here.
