List of Danish monarchs
This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queens regnant of Denmark. This includes:
- The Kingdom of Denmark
- * Personal union of Denmark and Norway
- The Kalmar Union
- *Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden
- *Union of Denmark and Norway
- The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway
- The Kingdom of Denmark
- * Iceland
- * Greenland
- * Faroe Islands
Pre ''[House of Knýtlinga]'' Danish monarchs
The exact date of origin of the Kingdom of Denmark is not established, but names of Danish kings begins to emerge in foreign sources from the 8th century and onwards. Danish and Nordic legendary stories, chronicles and sagas often have accounts of Danish kings and dynasties stretching further back in time than the 7th century, but the historicity of the content and interpretations of these stories are often put to doubt.- Chochilaicus—see Hugleik and Hygelac— 515 AD, mentioned by Gregory of Tours. Hugleik, according to the written sources, suffered a defeat in 515 during a naval expedition to the Frankish Empire. Hugleik is the first Danish king mentioned in European sources.
- Ongendus : Saint Willibrord wrote about when he visited the Danes, at the time ruled by Ongendus.
- Harald, named as former king in relating 9th-century events, perhaps model for legendary Harald Wartooth. Related to the Frisian king Redbad II who in 754 had to flee to "the land of the Danes" where King Harald reigned.
- Sigfred: 770s–790s
- Gudfred: 804–810, mentioned as Danish king in the Treaty of Heiligen 811.
- Hemming: 810–811/812 The Treaty of Heiligen was signed in 811 between the Danish King Hemming and Charlemagne.
- Sigfred, nephew of Gudfred, and Anulo, grandson or nephew of Harald, fought for the throne and both were killed, perhaps model for the legendary Sigurd Hring:
- Harald Klak and his brothers Ragnfrid and Hemming Halfdansson: 812–813 and again from 819/827. From 826 he and his household lived in exile with the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious, he was baptized by the bishop of Mainz in Ingelheim am Rhein. The last reference of Harald in the written sources are in the Annals of Fulda which records his execution for treason in 852.
- Sons of Gudfred: 814–820s
- *Horik I: 827–854, King of the Danes. The Frankish annals mention Horik on numerous occasions during the next couple of decades.
- Horik II: 854–860s. He is believed to have been the immediate successor of Horik I, but the annals are silent about the name of the Danish king for a few years after the disaster of 854. In 857, Horik II allowed Rorik to occupy the part of the kingdom between the sea and the Eider. Horik II was still alive in 864, when a letter was addressed to him by Pope Nicholas I.
- Late 9th century kings
- *Bagsecg:
- *Halfdan: 871–877
- *Sigfred: It is generally assumed that he was the immediate successor of Horik II, although that is not certain. His year of succession is unknown, but it was between 864 and his first appearance as king in the Frankish annals in 873. Sigifrid was baptized in 882.
- *Gudfred: 880s
- *Heiligo : 890s, described by Adam of Bremen as the immediate predecessor of the House of Olof.
- The "House of Olaf": late 9th century and early 10th century. This dynasty is described by Adam of Bremen, and members of this claimed dynasty are commemorated by the two Sigtrygg Runestones, which represent contemporary evidence that some of these kings controlled at least part of Denmark.
- *Olof the Brash, said by Adam to have been a Swede who defeated Heiligo and took the crown.
- *Gyrd and Gnupa, sons and joint successors of Olof, according to Adam. Gnupa is named by Widukind of Corvey as leader of the Danes in 934, and appears on the Sigtrygg Runestones.
- *Sigtrygg, son of Gnupa, memorialized on the Sigtrygg Runestones, presumably dating from shortly after 934.
Semi-legendary kings
- Ragnar Lodbrok, a legendary king probably in the 9th century, only appears in sagas and late histories, and these accounts are wildly inconsistent. He may be a composite character, a chimera of several historical kings and Vikings.
- Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. Mentioned by late Chronicon Roskildense and Ragnarssona þáttr. Said to be king of Zealand and Scania, and son of Ragnar Lodbrok. He may be inspired by late 9th century King Sigfred.
- Harthacnut. According to the sagas he is son of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, but some historians identify him with Adam's Hardegon, Svein's son, who invaded Denmark from Northmannia and supplanted the House of Olof. He may have ruled only part of Denmark, as Adam places the commencement of his long reign between 909 and 915, while the House of Olof was still ruling at least part of Denmark as late as 934. He was father of Gorm the Old.
List of monarchs of Denmark
[House of Gorm] (c. 936–1042)
House of Fairhair">Fairhair dynasty">Fairhair (1042–1047)
[House of Estridsen] (1047–1375)
[House of Bjelbo] (1376–1387)
House of Estridsen (1376–1412)
[House of Pomerania] (1397–1439)
[House of Palatinate-Neumarkt] (1440–1448)
[House of Oldenburg] (1448–1863)
House of [Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg] (since 1863)
Timeline of Danish monarchs
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from: 940 till: 1042 color: al text:Gorm
from: 1042 till: 1047 color: du text:Fairhair
from: 1047 till: 1375 color: fa text:Estridsen
from: 1376 till: 1387 color: ba text:Bjelbo
from: 1387 till: 1412 color: fa text:Estridsen
from: 1397 till: 1439 color: br text:Pomerania
from: 1440 till: 1448 color: cw text:Palatinate-Neumarkt
from: 1448 till: 1863 color: sw text:Oldenburg
from: 1863 till: 2019 color: su text:Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
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from: 940 till: 958 color:al text:Gorm the Old
from: 958 till: 986 color:al text:Harald I Bluetooth
from: 986 till: 1014 color:al text:Sweyn I Forkbeard
from: 1014 till: 1018 color:al text:Harald II Svendsen
from: 1018 till: 1035 color:al text:Cnut the Great
from: 1035 till: 1042 color:al text:Harthacnut
from: 1042 till: 1047 color:du text:Magnus the Good
from: 1047 till: 1076 color:fa text:Sweyn II Estridsson
from: 1076 till: 1080 color:fa text:Harald III the Soft
from: 1080 till: 1086 color:fa text:Canute IV the Holy
from: 1086 till: 1095 color:fa text:Olaf I Hunger
from: 1095 till: 1103 color:fa text:Eric I Evergood
from: 1104 till: 1134 color:fa text:Niels
from: 1134 till: 1137 color:fa text:Eric II the Memorable
from: 1137 till: 1146 color:fa text:Eric III Lamb
from: 1146 till: 1157 color:fa text:Sweyn III Grathe
from: 1146 till: 1157 color:fa text:Canute V
from: 1146 till: 1182 color:fa text:Valdemar I the Great
from: 1182 till: 1202 color:fa text:Canute VI
from: 1202 till: 1241 color:fa text:Valdemar II the Victorious
from: 1215 till: 1231 color:fa text:Valdemar the Young
from: 1232 till: 1250 color:fa text:Eric IV Ploughpenny
from: 1250 till: 1252 color:fa text:Abel
from: 1252 till: 1259 color:fa text:Christopher I
from: 1259 till: 1286 color:fa text:Eric V Klipping
from: 1286 till: 1319 color:fa text:Eric VI Menved
from: 1319 till: 1326 color:fa text:Christopher II
from: 1321 till: 1326 color:fa text:Erik Christoffersen
from: 1326 till: 1329 color:fa text:Valdemar III
from: 1329 till: 1332 color:fa text:Christopher II
from: 1329 till: 1332 color:fa text:Erik Christoffersen
from: 1332 till: 1340 color:fa text:Interregnum
from: 1340 till: 1375 color:fa text:Valdemar IV Atterdag
from: 1376 till: 1387 color:ba text:Olaf II
from: 1376 till: 1412 color:fa text:Margrethe I
from: 1397 till: 1439 color:br text:Eric VII
from: 1440 till: 1448 color:cw text:Christopher III
from: 1448 till: 1481 color:sw text:Christian I
from: 1481 till: 1513 color:sw text:John
from: 1513 till: 1523 color:sw text:Christian II
from: 1523 till: 1533 color:sw text:Frederick I
from: 1533 till: 1534 color:sw text:Interregnum
from: 1534 till: 1559 color:sw text:Christian III
from: 1559 till: 1588 color:sw text:Frederick II
from: 1588 till: 1648 color:sw text:Christian IV
from: 1648 till: 1670 color:sw text:Frederick III
from: 1670 till: 1699 color:sw text:Christian V
from: 1699 till: 1730 color:sw text:Frederick IV
from: 1730 till: 1746 color:sw text:Christian VI
from: 1746 till: 1766 color:sw text:Frederick V
from: 1766 till: 1808 color:sw text:Christian VII
from: 1808 till: 1839 color:sw text:Frederick VI
from: 1839 till: 1848 color:sw text:Christian VIII
from: 1848 till: 1863 color:sw text:Frederick VII
from: 1863 till: 1906 color:su text:Christian IX
from: 1906 till: 1912 color:su text:Frederick VIII
from: 1912 till: 1947 color:su text:Christian X
from: 1947 till: 1972 color:su text:Frederick IX
from: 1972 till: 2019 color:su text:Margrethe II
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