House of Glücksburg facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
Country:	Duchy of Schleswig (1863-1866) Duchy of Holstein (1863-1864) Kingdom of Denmark (1863–present) Kingdom of Greece (1863–1924 and 1935–1973) Kingdom of Iceland (1918–1944) Kingdom of Norway (1905–present)
Parent House:	House of Oldenburg
Titles:	List Current: King/Queen of Denmark King of Norway King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Former: King of the Goths King of the Wends King of the Hellenes King of Iceland Duke of Schleswig-Holstein Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Founder:	Friedrich Wilhelm (August Philipp as Beck)
Current Head:	Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein, Duke of Glücksburg
Founding Year:	6 July 1825; 199 years ago (1825-07-06) (17 December 1633; 390 years ago (1633-12-17) as Beck)
Cadet Branches:	Danish royal family Greek royal family Norwegian royal family

The House of Glücksburg is a collateral branch of the German House of Oldenburg. Its members have reigned at various times in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greece, and several northern German states.

Current monarchs King Charles III of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and King Harald V of Norway, as well as former queens consort Anne-Marie of Greece and Sofía of Spain, are patrilineal members of cadet branches of the House of Glücksburg.

Glücksburg Castle, one of the most important Renaissance castles in northern Europe

Etymology

The House of Glücksburg is also spelled Glücksborg or Lyksborg. It is a shortened name stemming from House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg—a collateral branch of the House of Oldenburg.

The family takes its name from Glücksburg, a town in Schleswig and the Holstein region in Germany.

History

2 rigsdaler - death of Frederik VII and accession of Christian IX marking the transfer of the throne to the Glucksburg branch of the House of Oldenburg

Glücksburg is a small coastal town on the German southern side of the fjord of Flensburg that divides Germany from Denmark. In 1460, Glücksburg came, as part of the conjoined Dano-German duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, to Count Christian of Oldenburg whom, in 1448, the Danes had elected their king as Christian I, the Norwegians likewise taking him as their hereditary king in 1450.

In 1564, Christian I's great-grandson, King Frederick II, in re-distributing Schleswig and Holstein's fiefs, retained some lands for his own senior royal line while allocating Glücksburg to his brother Duke John the Younger (1545–1622), along with Sønderborg, in appanage. John's heirs further sub-divided their share and created, among other branches, a line of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg dukes at Beck (an estate near Minden bought by the family in 1605), who remained vassals of Denmark's kings.

By 1825, the castle of Glücksburg had returned to the Danish crown (from another ducal branch called Glücksburg, extinct in 1779) and was given that year by King Frederick VI, along with a new ducal title, to his kinsman Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck. Frederick suffixed the territorial designation to the ducal title he already held, in lieu of "Beck" (an estate the family had, in fact, sold in 1745). Thus emerged the extant Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

The Danish line of Oldenburg kings died out in 1863, and the elder line of the Schleswig-Holstein family became extinct with the death of the last Augustenburg duke in 1931. Thereafter, the House of Glücksburg became the senior surviving line of the House of Oldenburg. Another cadet line of Oldenburgs, the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp, consisted of two branches which held onto sovereignty into the 20th century. But members of the Romanov line were executed in or exiled from their Russian Empire in 1917, while the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg was abolished in 1918, although its dynastic line survives.

Neither the Dukes of Beck nor of Glücksburg had been sovereign rulers; they held their lands in fief from the ruling Dukes of Schleswig and Holstein, i.e. the Kings of Denmark and (until 1773) the Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp.

Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, the fourth son of Duke Friedrich of Glücksburg, was recognized in the London Protocol of 1852 as successor to the childless King Frederick VII of Denmark. He became King of Denmark as Christian IX on 15 November 1863.

Prince Vilhelm, the second son of Crown Prince Christian and Crown Princess Luise, was elected King of the Hellenes on 30 March 1863, succeeding the ousted Wittelsbach Otto of Greece and reigning under the name George I.

Prince Carl, the second son of Frederick VIII of Denmark, Christian IX's eldest son, became King of Norway on 18 November 1905 as Haakon VII of Norway.

Christian IX's daughters, Alexandra and Dagmar (as Maria Feodorovna) became the consorts of, respectively, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Emperor Alexander III of Russia. As a result, by 1914 descendants of King Christian IX held the crowns of several European realms, and he became known as the "Father-in-law of Europe".

Christian IX's older brother inherited formal headship of the family as Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, followed by their brother Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. It is his descendants who now represent the senior line of the Schleswig-Holstein branch of the House of Oldenburg, with Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein, as its current head.

Patrilineal ancestry of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm

1. Elimar I, Count of Oldenburg
2. Elimar II, Count of Oldenburg
3. Christian I, Count of Oldenburg (Christian the Quarrelsome)
4. Maurice, Count of Oldenburg
5. Christian II, Count of Oldenburg
6. John I, Count of Oldenburg
7. Christian III, Count of Oldenburg
8. John II, Count of Oldenburg
9. Conrad I, Count of Oldenburg
10. Christian V, Count of Oldenburg
11. Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg
12. Christian I of Denmark
13. Frederick I of Denmark
14. Christian III of Denmark
15. John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
16. Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
17. August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
18. Frederick Louis, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
19. Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
20. Karl Anton August, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
21. Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
22. Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Coat of arms of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein

The Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg constitute the senior male line of the branch. They hold the headship by primogeniture of the cadet house of Glücksburg. The headship by agnatic primogeniture of the entire House of Oldenburg is held by Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein.

Portrait	Name	Life	Reign
	Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg	1785–1831	1825–1831
	Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg	1813–1878	1831–1878
	Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg	1814–1885	1878–1885
	Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein	1855–1934	1885–1934
	Wilhelm Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein	1891–1965	1934–1965
	Peter, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein	1922–1980	1965–1980
	Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein	born 1949	1980–present

The heir apparent is Friedrich Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Schleswig-Holstein (born 1985).

Denmark

Coat of arms of the Queen of Denmark

In 1853, Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg became heir to the Kingdom of Denmark, and in 1863, he ascended the throne. He was the fourth son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, whose elder brother (and male-line descendants) retained the Glücksburg dukedom. The Danish royal family call itself Glücksborg, using a slightly Danicized form of Glücksburg.

Portrait	Name	Life	Reign	Additional titles
	Christian IX	1818–1906	1863–1906	King of the Wends King of the Goths Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg and Oldenburg Prior to ascending the throne: Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (Danish: Prins af Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Glückborg)
	Frederick VIII	1843–1912	1906–1912	King of the Wends King of the Goths Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg and Oldenburg
	Christian X	1870–1947	1912–1947	King of Iceland (used 1918–1944) King of the Wends King of the Goths Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg and Oldenburg
	Frederick IX	1899–1972	1947–1972	King of the Wends King of the Goths Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg and Oldenburg
	Margrethe II	born 1940	1972–present

The heir apparent is Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark (born 1968), who belongs agnatically to the Monpezat family. See the present line of succession. Although there are no more male members of the dynastic line of Glücksburgs domiciled in Denmark, there are descendants of Christian IX who married without the monarch's permission, thus forfeiting their royal status.

Greece

Coat of arms of the King of the Hellenes

Thirty-drachma coin of 1963, commemorating the centennial of the reign of the House of Glücksburg. Clockwise from the top: Paul, George II, Alexander, Constantine I and George I.

In 1863 and with the name George I, Prince Wilhelm of Denmark was elected King of the Hellenes on the recommendation of Europe's Great Powers. He was the second son of King Christian IX of Denmark.

Portrait	Name	Life	Reign	Additional titles
	George I	1845–1913	1863–1913	Prince of Denmark Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
	Constantine I	1868–1923	1913–1917 1920–1922	Prince of Denmark Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
	Alexander	1893–1920	1917–1920	Prince of Denmark Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
	George II	1890–1947	1922–1924 1935–1947	Prince of Denmark Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
	Paul	1901–1964	1947–1964	Prince of Denmark Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
	Constantine II	1940–2023	1964–1973	Prince of Denmark Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
	Crown Prince Pavlos	born 1967	Crown Prince of Greece from birth, until monarchy abolished	Prince of Denmark Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

The Hellenic constitutional monarchy was usurped in a coup d'état by a military junta in 1967 and the royal family fled into exile. The monarchy was abolished in 1973. After the collapse of the military dictatorship in 1974, 69.18% of votes recorded in a republic referendum were against the return of the monarchy.

Norway

Coat of arms of the King of Norway

In 1905, Prince Carl of Denmark became Norway's first independent monarch in 518 years, taking the regnal name Haakon VII. His father was King Frederick VIII of Denmark, and one of his uncles was King George I of Greece.

Portrait	Name	Life	Reign	Additional titles
	Haakon VII	1872–1957	1905–1957	Prince of Denmark, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
	Olav V	1903–1991	1957–1991	Prince of Denmark, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olympic Sailing Champion
	Harald V	born 1937	1991–present	Prince of Denmark, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Sailing World Champion

The heir apparent is Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (born 1973). See the present line of succession.

Iceland

Kingdom of Iceland

In 1918, Iceland was elevated from an autonomous Danish province to a separate Kingdom of Iceland. Christian X of Denmark was henceforth King of Denmark and Iceland until 1944, when Iceland dissolved the personal union between the two countries.

Portrait	Name	Life	Reign	Additional titles
	Kristján 10	1870–1947	1918–1944	King of Denmark King of the Wends King of the Goths Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg and Oldenburg

The heir apparent was his son, Frederick IX of Denmark (1899–1972).

United Kingdom

Arms of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom

In 1947, Philip Mountbatten married Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II). Born into the house of Glücksburg as a prince of Denmark and Greece, he later relinquished these titles and was created Duke of Edinburgh by his father-in-law, King George VI of the United Kingdom.

Portrait	Name	Life	Tenure	Additional titles
	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh	1921–2021	1947–2021	Earl of Merioneth Baron Greenwich
	Charles III	Born 1948	2021-2022 (as Duke of Edinburgh) 2022- (as monarch)	As Duke of Edinburgh: Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall Earl of Chester Duke of Rothesay Earl of Carrick Baron of Renfrew Lord of the Isles Prince and Great Steward of Scotland Earl of Merioneth Baron Greenwich As Monarch: Duke of Lancaster Head of the Commonwealth

Line of succession

By agnatic primogeniture:

See also

In Spanish: Casa de Glücksburg para niños