It was 150 years ago this past weekend when Denmark’s Christian X was born, and the Royal House shared a series of five photos to mark the occasion.
On 26 September 1870, Crown Princess Lovisa gave birth to a little prince, the future Christian X, at Charlottenlund Palace north of Copenhagen. He was the first-born child of Lovisa and her husband, Crown Prince Frederick, who later ascended the throne as Frederick VIII of Denmark.
The morning after the birth, 21 shots were fired from the Sixtus Battery on Holmen to announced the new heir. The Royal House shared an excerpt from the diary of poet Hans Christian Andersen about the prince’s arrival: “Saw a fireball in the sky. In the night before 12 a Prince was born by the Crown Princess, the whole City flagged today in the beautiful Veir.”
Later that year, the poet presented a book of illustrated fairy tales to Prince Christian, sharing that “this is probably the first book he has received.”
The Royal House also released the birth certificate that Crown Prince Frederick sent to his father, King Christian IX, in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birthday. It reads:
“Your Majesty,
On the evening of the 26th of September, between 11 and 12 o’clock, my much-loved wife, Crown Princess Louise Josephina Eugenia, born Princess of Sweden and Norway, happily descended on Charlottenlund Palace with a son. Having the honor of bringing this joyful Intelligence to the Most High Knowledge of Your Majesty, I remain with sincere devotion and submissive fidelity.
Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark.“
Prince Christian was the first heir to the throne ever to earn a high school certificate and went on to serve 22 years in the Royal Life Guard. He married Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1898, and the couple had two sons, Prince Frederick and Prince Knud, and six grandchildren, including the current monarch, Queen Margrethe.
His grandfather, Christian IX, reigned until his death in 1906 when the younger Christian became Crown Prince and his father became King Frederick VIII. In 1912, Christian X ascended the Danish throne, where he ruled until 1947.
Christian led his people through World Wars I and II and remained in the city, frequently riding his horse through Copenhagen as a symbol of strength to the public during Germany’s occupation of Denmark.
He also reigned as the first king of the Kingdom of Iceland from 1918-1944 after the federal act of 1918 which turned the island nation into an independent kingdom.
King Christian X died on 20 April 1947 at the age of 76 and was succeeded by his son Frederick, father to Denmark’s current queen, Queen Margrethe.
