A look at the Danish line of succession

This summer, we are taking a look at the various lines of successions in the world’s monarchies. Today, we are focusing on the eleven people in line to the Danish throne.

The current monarch is Queen Margrethe II. She ascended the throne on 14 January 1972 following the death of her father King Frederik IX. She is the first female monarch of Denmark since Queen Margrethe I (1353-1412). She married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat in 1967. The couple had two children who are both in the line of succession to the throne.

Varde Kommune/CC/Flickr

The Danish line of succession is as follows:

  1. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (b. 1968)
By Mogens Engelund – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Crown Prince Frederik is the eldest child of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik. He was born on 26 May 1968. He married Mary Donaldson (now Crown Princess Mary) on 14 May 2004. Together they had four children, Prince Christian (b. 2005), Princess Isabella (b. 2007), Prince Vincent (b. 2011) and Princess Josephine (b. 2011).

2. Prince Christian, Count of Monpezat (b. 2005)

Prince Christian is the elder child of the Crown Prince Couple. He has three siblings. His godparents include Prince Joachim of Denmark, the Crown Prince Couple of Norway and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, as well as Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Denmark.

Franne Voigt

3. Princess Isabella, Countess of Monpezat (b. 2007)

Princess Isabella is the second child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. She was born on  21 April 2007. Her godparents include Queen Mathilde and Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark.

Photo: Crown Princess Mary

4. Prince Vincent, Count of Monpezat (b. 2011)

Prince Vincent was born on 8 January 2011, and he has a twin sister, Princess Joséphine. He was born 26 minutes before his sister, hence why he is above her in the line of succession. It is the first time that the new absolute primogeniture law was applied since the alteration of the Danish constitution in 2009. Under the old law, Prince Vincent would have been above Princess Isabella in the line of succession even if he was born after her. King Felipe of Spain is one of his godparents.

Photo: HRH Crown Princess Mary

5. Princess Joséphine, Countess of Monpezat (b. 2011)

Princess Joséphine was born on 8 January 2011, 26 minutes after her twin brother,  Prince Vincent. Her godparents include Princess Marie of Denmark and Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro.

Photo: HRH Crown Princess Mary

6. Prince Joachim, Count of Monpezat (b. 1969)

Prince Joachim is the younger child of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik. He was born on 7 June 1969. He first married Alexandra Manley (now Countess of Frederiksborg) on 18 November 1995. They had two children together Prince Nikolai (b. 1999) and Prince Felix (b. 2002). They divorced on 8 April 2005. Prince Joachim then married Marie Cavallier (now Princess Marie) on 24 May 2008. They have two children together Prince Henrik (b. 2010) and Princess Athena (b. 2012). Prince Joachim’s children are styled as Highnesses and not Royal Highnesses to reflect their positions in the line of succession. They will not receive an apanage either during their adult life.

Alex Berger/CC/Flickr

7. Prince Nikolai, Count of Monpezat (b. 1999)

Prince Nikolai was born on 28 August 1999 and is the eldest grandchild of Queen Margrethe, as well as the eldest child of Prince Joachim and Countess Alexandra. His uncle, Crown Prince Frederik and the Earl of Wessex are his godfathers.

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8. Prince Felix, Count of Monpezat (b. 2002)

Prince Felix was born on 22 July 2002 and is the second child of Prince Joachim. He is the only grandchild of the Queen, besides his younger sister, Princess Athena, who doesn’t have a royal godparent.

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9. Prince Henrik, Count of Monpezat (b. 2010)

Prince Henrik is the first child of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie together. He was born on 4 May 2010 and was named after his grandfather, Prince Henrik. His aunt, Crown Princess Mary is one of his godmothers.

HRH Princess Marie

10. Princess Athena, Countess of Monpezat (b. 2012)

Princess Athena is the youngest child of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie and the youngest grandchild of the Queen. She was born on 24 January 2012 in Copenhagen.


11. Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Denmark (b. 1944)

Princess Benedikte is the second child of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid. She was born on 29 April 1944. She married Prince Richard of (1934 – 2017) on 3 February 1968. They had three children together and four grandchildren. The consent to their marriage was given on the condition that their children would permanently live in Denmark when they started going to school. Since the family stayed in Germany, Princess Benedikte’s children lost their rights to the throne and are not in the line of succession.

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