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==Reign==
==Reign==
Her father [[King Frederik IX]] died on 14 January 1972. On the occasion of her accession to the throne, Queen Margrethe II became the first female Danish [[Monarch|Sovereign]] under the new Act of Succession.
Her father [[King Frederik IX]] died on 14 January 1972. On the occasion of her accession to the throne, Queen Margrethe II became the first female Danish [[Monarch|Sovereign]] under the new Act of Succession.

[[File:Monarchy Of Denmark April 2010.jpg|270px|thumb|Her Majesty waving to crowds on her 70th birthday in [[April]], [[2010]].]]
[[File:Monarchy Of Denmark April 2010.jpg|270px|thumb|Her Majesty waving to crowds on her 70th birthday in [[April]], [[2010]].]]
Queen Margrethe II's official motto is: ''God's help, the love of The People, Denmark's strength''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_fam_oue|title=The Danish Monarchy|accessdate=11 May 2010}}</ref>
⚫
She is an accomplished [[artist]] and [[costume designer]]. She suffers from [[arthritis]] and has had both her knees replaced as a result.


In 2008 the Queen announced that her male-line descendants would bear the additional title of Count of Monpezat.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Laborde_de_Monpezat#Danish_titles</ref>
In 2008 the Queen announced that her male-line descendants would bear the additional title of Count of Monpezat<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Laborde_de_Monpezat#Danish_titles</ref>


She is the 1,188th [[knight|Dame]] of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]] in [[Spain]] and the 961st Lady of the [[Order of the Garter]].
She is the 1,188th [[knight|Dame]] of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]] in [[Spain]] and the 961st Lady of the [[Order of the Garter]].
Line 89: Line 88:
In addition to her roles in her own country, the queen is also the [[Colonel-in-Chief]] of the [[Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment|Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)]], an infantry regiment of the [[British Army]], following a tradition in her family.
In addition to her roles in her own country, the queen is also the [[Colonel-in-Chief]] of the [[Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment|Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)]], an infantry regiment of the [[British Army]], following a tradition in her family.


== Other interests ==
== interests ==
The official residences of the Queen and the Prince Consort are [[Amalienborg Palace]] and [[Fredensborg Palace]] in Copenhagen. Their summer residence is Gravenstein Castle near [[Sønderborg]], the dower of the Queen's mother, Ingrid, who died in 2000.
⚫
The Queen is an accomplished [[Painting|painter]], and has held many art shows over the years. It is said that were she not the queen, she could make a living as a professional [[artist]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}} Her illustrations—under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer—were used for the Danish edition of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' published in 1977 and the re-issue in 2002. She is also an accomplished [[Translation|translator]] and is said to have participated in the Danish translation of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}} She also designs some of her own clothes. Margrethe is a [[Chain smoking|chain smoker]], and she is famous for her [[tobacco]] habit. She is smoking [[Karelia (cigarette)|Karelia]] Agriniou, a greek brand of non-filtered cigarettes.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} However, on 23 November 2006 the Danish newspaper B.T. reported an announcement from the Royal Court stating that the queen would never again be seen smoking in public. Still, the queen does continue to smoke but in the future she will do so only privately. The announcement is probably due to the fact that the Danish parliament recently has decided on strict rules concerning smoking.<ref>[http://www.bt.dk/royalt/artikel:aid=484298/ bt.dk]</ref>

The Queen is an accomplished [[Painting|painter]], and has held many art shows over the years <ref>[http://www.royalinsight.net/content/margrethe-henrik-biography/ Margrethe and Henrik Biography]</ref>. Her illustrations—under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer—were used for the Danish edition of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' published in 1977 and the re-issue in 2002<ref>[http://www.kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_fam_oue/ The Danish Monarchy Website - Queen's fact page]</ref>. She is also an accomplished [[Translation|translator]] and is said to have participated in the Danish translation of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''<ref>[http://www.royalinsight.net/content/margrethe-henrik-biography/ Margrethe and Henrik Biography]</ref>. She is also a costume designer and designs some of her own clothes.

⚫
Margrethe is a [[Chain smoking|chain smoker]], and she is famous for her [[tobacco]] habit. ]. However, on 23 November 2006 the Danish newspaper B.T. reported an announcement from the Royal Court stating that the queen would never again be seen smoking in public. Still, the queen does continue to smoke but in the future she will do so only privately. The announcement is probably due to the fact that the Danish parliament recently has decided on strict rules concerning smoking.<ref>[http://www.bt.dk/royalt/artikel:aid=484298/ bt.dk]</ref>

⚫
She suffers from [[arthritis]] and has had both her knees replaced as a result.


A statement in a 2005 authorized biography about the Queen (entitled ''Margrethe'') focused on Islam: "We are being challenged by Islam these years. Globally as well as locally. There is something impressive about people for whom religion imbues their existence, from dusk to dawn, from cradle to grave. There are also Christians who feel this way. There is something endearing about people who give themselves up completely to their faith. But there is likewise something frightening about such a totality, which also is a feature of Islam. A counterbalance has to be found, and one has to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on you. For there are some things for which one should display no tolerance. And when we are tolerant, we must know whether it is because of convenience or conviction."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/15/wqueen15.xml telegraph.co.uk]</ref>
A statement in a 2005 authorized biography about the Queen (entitled ''Margrethe'') focused on Islam: "We are being challenged by Islam these years. Globally as well as locally. There is something impressive about people for whom religion imbues their existence, from dusk to dawn, from cradle to grave. There are also Christians who feel this way. There is something endearing about people who give themselves up completely to their faith. But there is likewise something frightening about such a totality, which also is a feature of Islam. A counterbalance has to be found, and one has to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on you. For there are some things for which one should display no tolerance. And when we are tolerant, we must know whether it is because of convenience or conviction."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/15/wqueen15.xml telegraph.co.uk]</ref>


==Honours and decorations==
==Honours and decorations==

Revision as of 10:34, 11 July 2011

For other people named Margaret of Denmark (disambiguation), see Margaret of Denmark (disambiguation) (disambiguation).
Margrethe II
Queen Margrethe in 2005.
Queen of Denmark
Reign14 January 1972 – present
52 years, 281 days
PredecessorFrederik IX
Heir apparentFrederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Prime Ministers
See list
Born (1940-04-16) 16 April 1940 (age 84)
Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen
ConsortHenrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
IssueCrown Prince Frederik
Prince Joachim
Names
Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid
HouseHouse of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
FatherFrederik IX of Denmark
MotherIngrid of Sweden
ReligionChurch of Denmark
Styles of
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
Reference styleHer Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Alternative styleMa'am

Margrethe II (Danish pronunciation: [mɑˈg̊ʁæːˀd̥ə]; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, sometimes anglicised as Margaret II) (born 16 April 1940) is the queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1388-1412 during the Kalmar Union.

Early life

Princess Margrethe was born at Amalienborg Palace, to the future Frederik IX and Ingrid of Sweden, then Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark. She was baptised on 14 May 1940. Since her paternal grandfather, the then-reigning King Christian X, was also the King of Iceland at the time, as a tribute to the people of Iceland, the Princess was given an Icelandic name, Þórhildur (spelled with the Icelandic thorn character, simplified as "th"). This middle name is sometimes anglicized as "Thorhildur."[1]

Margrethe has two younger sisters: Princess Benedikte (born 1944), who lives in Germany, and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (born 1946), who lives in London.

The princess's godparents were King Christian X of Denmark, Prince Knud of Denmark, Prince Axel of Denmark, King Gustaf V of Sweden, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn.

In mid-1960, together with the Princesses of Sweden and Norway, she traveled to the United States, which included a visit to Los Angeles, California, and to the Paramount Studios, where they were met by several celebrities, including Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Elvis Presley.

Heiress presumptive

Margrethe was not born to be Monarch of Denmark. At the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark, owing to the changes in succession laws enacted in the 1850s when the Glücksburg branch was chosen to succeed. As she had no brothers, it was assumed that her uncle Prince Knud would one day assume the throne.

The process of changing the constitution started in 1947, not long after her father ascended the throne as Frederick IX and it became clear that Queen Ingrid would have no more children. The popularity of Frederik and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life started the complicated process of altering the constitution. That proposal had to be passed by two Parliaments in succession and then by a referendum, which was held on 27 March 1953. The new Act of Succession permitted female succession to the throne of Denmark, according to male-preference primogeniture, where a female can ascend to the throne only if she does not have a brother. Princess Margrethe therefore became the Heiress Presumptive.

Queen Margrethe II and her consort, Prince Henrik.

On her eighteenth birthday, 16 April 1958, the Heiress Presumptive was given a seat in the Council of State, and the Princess subsequently chaired the meetings of the Council in the absence of the King.

Education and marriage

She studied prehistoric archaeology at Girton College, Cambridge during 1960–61, political science at Aarhus University between 1961–1962, at the Sorbonne in 1963, and at the London School of Economics in 1965, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

On 10 June 1967, Princess Margrethe of Denmark married a French diplomat, Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, at the Naval Church of Copenhagen. Laborde de Monpezat received the style and title of "His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark" because of his new position as the spouse of the Heiress Presumptive to the Danish throne.

Queen Margrethe is fluent in her native tongue, Danish; the native tongue of her husband, French; as well as English, Swedish and German.[2]

Reign

Her father King Frederik IX died on 14 January 1972. On the occasion of her accession to the throne, Queen Margrethe II became the first female Danish Sovereign under the new Act of Succession. She was proclaimed the Queen and coronated in Christiansborg Palace Square by Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag on the 15th January 1972. The Queen chose the motto: God's help, the love of The People, Denmark's strength.[3]

Her Majesty waving to crowds on her 70th birthday in April, 2010.

In 2008 the Queen announced that her male-line descendants would bear the additional title of Count of Monpezat,[4] which they inherit from the Queen's husband and consort, Henri-Marie-Jean André Count de Laborde de Monpezat.

She is the 1,188th Dame of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain and the 961st Lady of the Order of the Garter.

Constitutional role

After an election where the incumbent Prime Minister does not have a majority behind him, a “Dronningerunde” (Queen's meeting) between the chairmen of each of the Danish political parties attends a meeting with the monarch.

Each party has the choice of selecting a Royal Investigator to lead these negotiations or alternatively, give the incumbent Prime Minister the mandate to continue his government as is.

In theory each party could choose its own leader as Royal Investigator, the globalistic party Det Radikale Venstre did so in 2006, but often only one Royal Investigator is chosen plus the Prime Minister, before each election.

The leader who, at that meeting succeeds in securing a majority of the seats in the Folketing, is by royal decree charged with the task of forming a new government. (It has never happened in more modern history that any party has held a majority on its own.)

Once the government has been formed, it is formally appointed by the Queen. Officially, it is the Queen who is the head of government, and she therefore presides over the Council of State, where the acts of legislation which have been passed by the parliament are signed into law. In practice, however, nearly all of the Queen's formal powers are exercised by the Council of State, and she is required by convention to act on its advice.

The Queen's main tasks are to represent the Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figurehead at home. The queen performs the latter task by accepting invitations to open exhibitions, attending anniversaries, inaugurating bridges, etc. As an unelected public official, the Queen takes no part in party politics and does not express any political opinions. Although she has the right to vote, she opts not to do so to avoid even the appearance of partisanship.

In addition to her roles in her own country, the queen is also the Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires), an infantry regiment of the British Army, following a tradition in her family.

Personal life and interests

The official residences of the Queen and the Prince Consort are Amalienborg Palace and Fredensborg Palace in Copenhagen. Their summer residence is Gravenstein Castle near Sønderborg, the dower of the Queen's mother, Ingrid, who died in 2000.

The Queen is an accomplished painter, and has held many art shows over the years [5]. Her illustrations—under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer—were used for the Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings published in 1977 and the re-issue in 2002[6]. She is also an accomplished translator and is said to have participated in the Danish translation of The Lord of the Rings[7]. She is also a costume designer and designs some of her own clothes.

Margrethe is a chain smoker, and she is famous for her tobacco habit.[8]. However, on 23 November 2006 the Danish newspaper B.T. reported an announcement from the Royal Court stating that the queen would never again be seen smoking in public. Still, the queen does continue to smoke but in the future she will do so only privately. The announcement is probably due to the fact that the Danish parliament recently has decided on strict rules concerning smoking.[9]

She suffers from arthritis and has had both her knees replaced as a result.

A statement in a 2005 authorized biography about the Queen (entitled Margrethe) focused on her views of Islam: "We are being challenged by Islam these years. Globally as well as locally. There is something impressive about people for whom religion imbues their existence, from dusk to dawn, from cradle to grave. There are also Christians who feel this way. There is something endearing about people who give themselves up completely to their faith. But there is likewise something frightening about such a totality, which also is a feature of Islam. A counterbalance has to be found, and one has to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on you. For there are some things for which one should display no tolerance. And when we are tolerant, we must know whether it is because of convenience or conviction."[10]

Honours and decorations

Danish decorations

Order of the Elephant
Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog
One hundred anniversary Commemorative Medal of King Frederik IX's birth
One hundred anniversary Commemorative Medal of King Christian X's birth
Queen Ingrid's Commemorative Medal
Commemorative Medal for the 50-year anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Ingrid's arrival in Denmark
Home Guard fortjensttegn
Home Guard 25-year mark
Civil Defense League glory sign
Danish Reserve Officers Association Medal
Queen Margrethe II in Vágur, Faroe Islands, 21 June 2005
Queen Margrethe II and her husband Prince Henrik of Denmark welcome President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush at Fredensborg Palace, July 5, 2005.

Foreign decorations

Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martin (Argentina)
Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
Order of the Southern Cross with chain (Brazil)
Order of Stara Planina with scarf (Bulgaria)
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Chile)
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Estonia)
Order of Al Kamal (United Arab Emirates)
Chain of the Order of the Nile (Egypt)
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece)
Order of Saints Olga and Sophia (Greece)
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Falcon (Iceland)
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Order of the Precious Crown, First Class (Japan))
Order of the Chrysanthemum with chain (Japan)
Order of al-Hussain ibn-Ali (Jordan)
Order of the Yugoslav Grand Star
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia)
Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great (Lithuania)
Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg)
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Netherlands)
Order of Pratap Bhasker first class (Nepal)
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of St. Olav (Norway)
Order of the White Eagle (Poland)
Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Grand Cross with chain of the Order of Prince Henry (Portugal)
Grand Cross with chain of the Order of Saint James of the Sword (Portugal)
Grand Cross with chain of the Order of the Star of Romania
Collar of the Order of Abdulaziz al Saud (Saudi Arabia)
Golden Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia
Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain)
Grand Cross with chain of the Order of Charles III (Spain)
Knight of the Order of the Garter (United Kingdom)
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (Commonwealth realms)
Chain of the Order of the Seraphim (Sweden)
Grand Cross with chain of the Order of Good Hope (South Africa)
Order of Maha Chakrkri first pm. with chain (Thailand)
Order of Rajamitrabhorn (Thailand)
Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Austria)

Symbols of Margrethe II

  • Royal Coat of Arms
    Royal Coat of Arms
  • Royal Standard
    Royal Standard
  • Royal Monogram of Margrethe II
    Royal Monogram of Margrethe II
  • Private Monogram of Margrethe II
    Private Monogram of Margrethe II
  • Dual Monogram of Margrethe II and husband Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
    Dual Monogram of Margrethe II and husband Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark

Family

The Queen and The Prince Consort have two children and seven grandchildren:

Ancestry

Family of Margrethe II
16. Christian IX of Denmark
8. Frederick VIII of Denmark
17. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel
4. Christian X of Denmark
18. Charles XV of Sweden
9. Princess Louise of Sweden
19. Princess Louise of the Netherlands
2. Frederick IX of Denmark
20. Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
10. Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
21. Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz
5. Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
22. Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia
11. Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
23. Princess Cecilie of Baden
1. Margrethe II of Denmark
24. Oscar II of Sweden
12. Gustav V of Sweden
25. Princess Sophia of Nassau
6. Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
26. Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden
13. Princess Victoria of Baden
27. Princess Louise of Prussia
3. Princess Ingrid of Sweden
28. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
14. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
29. Victoria of the United Kingdom
7. Princess Margaret of Connaught
30. Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
15. Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia
31. Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau

Patrilineal descent

Margrethe's patriline is the line from which she is descended father to son. Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations—which means that if Margrethe II were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Oldenburg.

  1. Egilmar I of Lerigau, dates unknown
  2. Egilmar II of Lerigau, d. 1142
  3. Christian I of Oldenburg, d. 1167
  4. Moritz of Oldenburg, d. 1209
  5. Christian II of Oldenburg, d. 1233
  6. John I, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1275
  7. Christian III, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1285
  8. John II, Count of Oldenburg, d. 1314
  9. Conrad I, Count of Oldenburg, 1300–1347
  10. Christian V, Count of Oldenburg, 1340–1423
  11. Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg, 1398–1440
  12. Christian I of Denmark, 1426–1481
  13. Frederick I of Denmark, 1471–1533
  14. Christian III of Denmark, 1503–1559
  15. John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, 1545–1622
  16. Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, 1573–1627
  17. August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1612–1675
  18. Frederick Louis, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1653–1728
  19. Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1696–1775
  20. Prince Karl Anton August of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1727–1759
  21. Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, 1757–1816
  22. Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, 1785–1831
  23. Christian IX of Denmark, 1818–1906
  24. Frederick VIII of Denmark, 1843–1912
  25. Christian X of Denmark, 1870–1947
  26. Frederick IX of Denmark, 1899–1972
  27. Margrethe II of Denmark, b. 1940

See also

References

  1. ^ "Those Apprentice Kings and Queens Who May -- One Day -- Ascend a Throne," New York Times. 14 November 1971.
  2. ^ "The Danish Monarchy". Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  3. ^ "The Danish Monarchy". Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  4. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Laborde_de_Monpezat#Danish_titles
  5. ^ Margrethe and Henrik Biography
  6. ^ The Danish Monarchy Website - Queen's fact page
  7. ^ Margrethe and Henrik Biography
  8. ^ BBC News
  9. ^ bt.dk
  10. ^ telegraph.co.uk
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Margrethe II of Denmark.
Margrethe II
Cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg
Born: 16 April 1940
Regnal titles
Preceded by Queen of Denmark
1972 – present 		Incumbent
Heir:
Crown Prince Frederik
British royalty
Preceded by Line of succession to the British Throne Succeeded by

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