The Danish monarchy is among the oldest in the world, with a history spanning more than 1,000 years. Its origins can be traced back to Gorm the Old, who ruled Denmark from c. 936 until his death in c. 958. The monarchy in Denmark was elective until absolutism was introduced in the early 1660s, replacing the elective system with a hereditary monarchy.
Per the Danish Royal House, the direct lines of the ancient Danish dynasty became extinct with Christoffer III's death in 1448. Duke Christian of Oldenborgm was subsequently chosen as King. He was the founder of the Royal Family of Oldenborg, which reigned until 1863 when the last sovereign of that line, Frederik VII, died without children. The throne then passed to his relative, Prince Christian of Glücksborg, in accordance with the Act of Succession of 1853.
Christian was the first monarch of the current House of Glücksborg, which celebrated 150 years in 2013. His daughters' marriages helped earn Christian the nickname "father-in-law of Europe." Princess Alexandra married Edward VII of England, while Princess Dagmar married Czar Alexander III of Russia. Another daughter, Thyra, married Duke Ernst August of Cumberland. Christian's son Vilhelm became King of Greece in 1863, and his grandson Carl became King Haakon VII of Norway, further cementing the Danish royal family's connections to other royal houses.
So, just who are the Danish royals? Continue reading to learn about Denmark's current monarch and family.
Denmark's royal family tree
© HELLO!Queen Margrethe
© INGRID RIISBorn on 16 April 1940, Margrethe became Queen of Denmark on 14 January 1972, following the death of her father, Frederik IX. However, at the time of her birth, only males were allowed to ascend to the throne, and as such, the heir presumptive was Margrethe's uncle, Prince Knud. Due to Frederik's personal popularity and of Margrethe and her two sisters, Benedikte and Anne-Marie, laws were changed by successive parliaments and a referendum.
On 5 October 1966, her engagement to Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, a French nobleman, was announced and they wed on 10 June 1967. The couple, parents to sons King Frederik and Prince Joachim, remained together until Prince Henrik's death on 13 February 2018.
In 2023, Margrethe was recognised as the longest-serving ruler in Danish history, and she held her Golden Jubilee in 2022. On 31 December 2023, the monarch announced her decision to abdicate.
"In two weeks time I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of ailments increases," she said in her New Year's Eve speech. "One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past."
"In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation. I have decided that now is the right time."
She was succeeded by her older son Frederik on 14 January 2024, 52 years after her reign began.
Prince Henrik
© Max Mumby/IndigoBorn on 11 June 1934 as Henrik de Laborde de Monpezat, Henrik met Queen Margrethe when she was studying in London and he was working at the French embassy. During his life, Henrik supported the queen in her royal duties, but also grew frustrated at his own lack of seniority, famously heading to France for three weeks in 2002 when his son Frederik was appointed to host a New Year's gala due to Margrethe's absence.
On 1 January 2016, Henrik stood back from his royal duties, and a year later on 6 September 2017, it was confirmed that the royal had been diagnosed with dementia. Henrik was hospitalised on 28 January 2018 due to a benign tumor in his lung, and on 13 February 2018, he was transferred from hospital to the Fredensborg Palace, where he died later that day at the age of 83. Henrik was cremated and half of his ashes were scattered at sea while the other half were interred in a private part of the gardens at the Palace.
Princess Benedikte
© Milos BicanskiBorn on 29 April 1944, Benedikte is Margrethe's younger sister and King Frederik's maternal aunt. She is currently tenth and last in line to the Danish throne. On 3 February 1968, Benedikte married Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and the pair welcomed three children: Prince Gustav, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie. Benedikte's father Frederik IX decreed that her children would have to be raised in Denmark to have succession rights, however, this was not met.
On 13 March 2017, Richard died at the age of 82. Benedikte is able to act as regent when the King and Crown Prince are abroad.
Queen Anne-Marie
© Max Mumby/IndigoAnne-Marie is Margrethe's youngest sister and sister-in-law to Spain's Queen Sofia. She was born on 30 August 1946. On 18 September 1964, just two weeks after her 18th birthday, Anne-Marie married King Constantine of Greece, whom she had first met in 1959 during a stop he made in Copenhagen. The Danish royal became his Queen Consort and together they welcomed five children: Princess Alexia, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora and Prince Philippos.
Her husband reigned from 1964 until 1973. The "Crowned Democracy of Greece" came to an end in 1974. Constantine died on 10 January 2023 at the age of 82.
King Frederik
© Pierre SuuBorn on 26 May 1968, Frederik is the current King of Denmark. He ascended the throne on 14 January 2024 following his mother's abdication. He is the eldest of Margrethe and Henrik's children.
During the 2000 Olympics Games in Sydney, Australia, Frederik met Mary Donaldson and the pair married in 2004. The royal couple have welcomed four children: Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
On his accession day, the Danish King said, "Today, the throne passes on. My hope is to become a gathering king of tomorrow. It is a task I have approached all my life."
Queen Mary
© Carlos AlvarezMary Donaldson, born on 5 February 1972 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the "beloved wife" of Frederik. She became Denmark's Queen Consort when her husband ascended the throne in 2024.
The royal met her future husband during the 2000 Olympic Games, which were held in her home country of Australia. Mary, who learned Danish, and Frederik tied the knot on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral.
The royal couple share four children: Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Prince Joachim
© Pascal Le SegretainBorn on 7 June 1969, Prince Joachim is the youngest son of Queen Margrethe and the younger brother of King Frederik X. Joachim was first married to Alexandra Manley, a sales and marketing executive from Hong Kong. The former couple are parents to two sons: Count Nikolai and Count Felix. The pair split and in 2005, their divorce was finalised.
Joachim has since walked down the aisle again. On 24 May 2008, the 73rd anniversary of his grandparent's royal wedding, Joachim married French-born Marie Cavallier, whom he shares son Count Henrik and daughter Countess Athena with.
In 2023, Joachim's mother changed the titles of his children, discontinuing their Prince and Princess titles.
Princess Marie
© Pierre SuuBorn on 6 February 1976 in Paris, France, Marie is the second wife of Prince Joachim and mother to his younger kids: Count Henrik and Countess Athena.
The Princess previously worked in advertising. "I had a great life – I didn't need to be rescued by some prince from Denmark," she once told the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.
The couple wed on 24 May 2008 at Møgeltønder Church, followed by a wedding banquet held at Schackenborg Castle.
Crown Prince Christian
© Martin Sylvest AndersenBorn on 15 October 2005, Crown Prince Christian is the heir to the Danish throne and eldest of Mary and Frederik's four children.
After graduating from Ordrup Gymnasium in 2024, the Crown Prince went abroad for an extended stay in East Africa. He then began his military service in 2025 and later that year started at the Army Basic Officer training. In 2026, he was appointed as a second lieutenant.
Christian became Denmark's new Crown Prince when his father ascended the throne. At his 18th birthday gala dinner, his grandmother Margrethe told him: "Dear Christian, your 18th birthday is an important day, with it you come of age, just as it happens for all other young Danes. But there is still a difference. Your path in life is already set, for one day you will follow your father, just as he will follow me one day. You become a link in the long historical chain that has bound our country together for centuries."
Princess Isabella
© Ole JensenBorn on 21 April 2007, Princess Isabella is Mary and Frederik's older daughter. She is currently second in line to the throne.
Isabella graduated from Øregård Gymnasium in June 2026. She followed in her brother's footsteps after graduation starting her 11-month military service at the Guard Hussar Barracks in Slagelse..
Prince Vincent
© IDA MARIE ODGAARDPrince Vincent was born on 8 January 2011 and is the twin brother of Princess Josephine, and the third child of Frederik and Mary.
Princess Josephine
© IDA MARIE ODGAARDPrincess Josephine is the youngest child of Frederik and Mary and was born 26 minutes after her twin brother, Prince Vincent. In 2025, it was revealed that Josephine had made the decision to study at a different school than her twin.
Count Nikolai
© Pascal Le SegretainBorn on 28 August 1999, Count Nikolai, formerly known as Prince Nikolai, is the oldest child of Prince Joachim and his first wife Alexandra. On 1 January 2023, his and his younger siblings' Prince and Princess titles were discontinued following their grandmother's decision to change them. Discussing his grandmother's deicison in 2023, Nikolai shared: "It's still quite a touchy subject but, I mean, I am the same person as I’ve always been. It’s more just a formality or sort of change of belonging, in a way.”
King Frederik's nephew signed with the modeling agency Scoop Models in 2018 and made his catwalk debut that February during London Fashion Week. Nikolai Count Nikolai graduated from Copenhagen Business School with a degree in Economics and Business Administration - Sales Management.
Count Felix
© MIKKEL BERG PEDERSENBorn on 22 July 2002, Count Felix is Joachim and Alexandra's younger son. In 2022, he began his International Shipping and Trade education at the Copenhagen Business School. He and his older brother were awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog by their uncle Frederik on May 26, 2025.
Count Henrik
© Patrick van KatwijkBorn on 4 May 2009 in Copenhagen, Henrik is the oldest of Joachim and Princess Marie's kids. He's attended schools in Denmark and France, but currently studies in Washington, D.C., where his family have been living since 2023.
Countess Athena
© Patrick van KatwijkBorn on 24 January 2012, Countess Athena is Joachim's only daughter and second child with Princess Marie. Like her older brother, Athena is currently studying at a school in Washington, D.C. She was confirmed in 2026 at D.C.'s Georgetown Lutheran Church.
Line of succession
- Crown Prince Christian
- Princess Isabella
- Prince Vincent
- Princess Josephine
- Prince Joachim
- Count Nikolai
- Count Felix
- Count Henrik
- Countess Athena
- Princess Benedikte
