Queen Margrethe wasn’t even supposed to become Queen, and yet she is celebrating her 50th year on the Danish throne, beloved by her people and surrounded by her closest family.
The first of three daughters to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Ingrid (later King and Queen), Margrethe has two younger sisters: Benedikte and Anne-Marie.
Princess Benedikte divides her time between Denmark and Germany, where her husband was from, and she represents her sister in semi-official functions, as well as having her own agenda. She became a widow on 13 March 2017, when her husband, Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, passed away.
The couple had three children, Prince Gustav, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie, all of whom are not eligible for the Danish throne, as King Frederik IX agreed to Princess Benedikte’s marriage and stipulated that her children would only enter the succession line if they took up permanent residence in Denmark once they reached the age for mandatory education. Since all three children were raised in Germany, none of them is in the line for the Danish throne.
Prince Gustav lives in Berleburg Castle, Germany, with his long-term partner Carina Axelsson, a children’s book author native to the US. They are unable to marry because of a clause in the inheritance act put in place by Prince Gustav’s great-grandfather that prevents him from inheriting family properties if he contracts a financially unequal marriage.
Princess Alexandra has two children, Count Friedrich Richard and Countess Ingrid Alexandra, from her first marriage to Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth. She divorced him in 2017, and in 2019, she married Count Michael of Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille.
Princess Nathalie married German horse breeder Alexander Johannsmann in 2010 and 2011 (civil and religious ceremony, respectively). The couple shares two children, Konstantin and Louisa.
Because all three children reside in Germany, with current travel restrictions in place, it is not likely that they will be present for the Golden Jubilee celebrations, although the Danish Royal House has announced that Princess Benedikte will be there.
Queen Margarethe’s youngest sister went on to become Queen in her own right. Anne-Marie married then-Crown Prince Constantine of Greece; they would then go on to become King and Queen of the Hellenes, only to be forced to leave Greece when the colonels took power in a coup. Queen Anne-Marie had already given birth to Princess Alexia and Crown Prince Pavlos when the royals fled the country. She went on to have three more children: Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos.
Princess Alexia is married to Spanish architect Carlos Morales, and the couple shares four children: Arrietta, Ana-Maria, Carlos and Amelia. They currently reside in Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, in a house designed by Mr Morales.
Crown Prince Pavlos married Crown Princess Marie Chantal, and they have five children: Princess Maria-Olympia, Prince Constantine Alexios, Prince Achileas-Andreas, Prince Odysseas Kymon and Prince Aristidis Stavros. They reside in New York.
Prince Nikolaos married Princess Tatiana in 2010, and they do not have children. They are the only members of the Greek Royal Family that returned to reside in the country alongside King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie.
Princess Theodora got engaged in 2018 to attorney Matthew Kumar, and the wedding has yet to take place. The couple resides in Los Angeles, where the Princess has a career as an actress.
Prince Philippos married Princess Nina in 2020 in Switzerland and in 2021 in Greece. The Prince works in New York as a financial analyst.
Because of current travel restrictions, as well as the recent health concerns for King Constantine, who is currently recovering from a stroke he suffered in mid-December, it is not clear whether the Greek royals will make it to Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee celebrations either, with only Queen Anne-Marie’s presence having been confirmed by the Danish Royal Household.
All of the extended family mentioned above has taken part in previous milestone occasions, such as previous jubilee celebrations and round birthdays. However, with data and rules constantly changing, it is not clear whether any of them will make the trip to Copenhagen. But the most important guests will be the Queen’s children and their spouses, who represent the future of the monarchy.
Queen Margrethe married French Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, and they had two sons: Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.
Crown Prince Frederik married Crown Princess Mary in 2004, and the couple shares four children: Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. Although in other milestone occasions we have seen significant exposure for the children, the restrictions currently in place in the country leave doubts as to what events will go ahead and which ones will be cancelled.
Prince Joachim married Alexandra Christina Manley in 1999, and the couple had two children, Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, before divorcing in 2005. In 2008, Prince Joachim married Princess Marie and went on to have two more children: Prince Henrik and Princess Athena. The couple currently resides in Paris, where Prince Joachim has the role of military attaché to the Danish Embassy in the French capital, and, although the Danish Royal Household has confirmed Prince Joachim and Princess Marie’s presence for the festivities, it is not clear whether the children will make it to Copenhagen as well.
