Christian X (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm) (26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and of Iceland between 1918 and 1944. He was born at Charlottenlund Palace near Copenhagen. Image File history File links Christian_X_of_Denmark. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Charlottenlund Palace Charlottenlund Palace. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Amalienborg seen from the Copenhagen Operahouse. ... Roskilde Cathedral Roskilde Cathedral (Danish: Roskilde Domkirke), in the city of Roskilde on the Island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark was the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick and its construction encouraged the spread of this Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. ... Frederik VIII (June 3, 1843 – May 14, 1912), was King of Denmark from 1906–1912. ... Frederick IX of Denmark (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg) (March 11, 1899 – January 14, 1972) was King of Denmark from April 20, 1947 until his death. ... Queen Alexandrine of Denmark (December 24, 1879- December 28, 1952) was the consort of King Christian X of Denmark She was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in the city of Schwerin. ... Frederick IX of Denmark (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg) (March 11, 1899 – January 14, 1972) was King of Denmark from April 20, 1947 until his death. ... Prince Knud of Denmark (Knud Christian Frederik Michael, in Danish usually: Arveprins Knud) (July 27, 1900 – June 14, 1976) was the second son and youngest child of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine. ... Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (in Danish: Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Lyksborg (or Glücksborg)), from Glücksburg in northernmost Germany, is a line of the House of Oldenburg (Danish: Oldenborg), to which the royal houses of Denmark, Norway, and the former royal house of Greece belong. ... Frederik VIII (June 3, 1843 – May 14, 1912), was King of Denmark from 1906–1912. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... Charlottenlund Palace Charlottenlund Palace. ... For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ...

He was the oldest son and child of King Frederick VIII of Denmark and his wife, Princess Louise, only surviving child of King Charles XV of Sweden. Among his siblings were King Haakon VII of Norway. Frederik VIII (June 3, 1843 – May 14, 1912), was King of Denmark from 1906–1912. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Karl XV (Karl Ludvig Eugén) (May 3, 1826 – September 18, 1872) was King of Sweden and Norway (where he was known as Karl IV) from 1859 until his death. ... Haakon VII (Prince Carl of Denmark, born Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel) (August 3, 1872 – September 21, 1957), was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden. ...

Christian married Princess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1898; she eventually became his Queen Consort. They had two children: Queen Alexandrine of Denmark (December 24, 1879- December 28, 1952) was the consort of King Christian X of Denmark She was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in the city of Schwerin. ... Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a Duchy (from 1815 a Grand Duchy) in northeastern Germany, formed by a partition of the Duchy of Mecklenburg. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

• Prince Frederick (1899-1972), later King Frederick IX of Denmark
• Prince Knud (1900-1976)

Being something of an authoritarian and a ruler who strongly stressed the importance of royal dignity and power in an age of growing democracy, Christian X did not seem fit for popularity. However, a reign spanning two world wars and the role he played as a heroic symbol of Danish nationalism and resistance under Nazi rule made him one of the most popular Danish monarchs of modern times. Frederick IX of Denmark (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg) (March 11, 1899 – January 14, 1972) was King of Denmark from April 20, 1947 until his death. ... Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark, (Knud Christian Frederik Michael) 27 July 1900 – 14 June 1976, was the second son and youngest child of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ...

Easter Crisis of 1920

Main article: Easter Crisis of 1920

In April of 1920, Christian instigated the Easter Crisis, perhaps the most decisive event in the evolution of the Danish monarchy in the 20th century. The immediate cause was a conflict between the king and the cabinet over the reunification with Denmark of Schleswig, a former Danish fiefdom, which had been lost to Prussia during the Second War of Schleswig. Danish claims to the region persisted to the end of World War I, at which time the defeat of the Germans made it possible to resolve the dispute. According to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the disposition of Schleswig was to be determined by two plebiscites: one in Northern Schleswig (today Denmark's South Jutland County), the other in Central Schleswig (today part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein). No plebiscite was planned for Southern Schleswig, as it was dominated by an ethnic German majority and, in accordance with prevailing sentiment of the times, remained part of the post-war German state. The Easter Crisis of 1920 was a significant event in the evolution of constitutional monarchy in the state of Denmark. ... Fief depiction in a book of hours Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord in return for a form of allegiance, originally to give him the means to fulfill his military... For other uses, see Prussia (disambiguation). ... Combatants Prussia Austria German Confederation Denmark Commanders Friedrich Graf von Wrangel Christian Julius De Meza replaced by George Daniel Gerlach on February 29 Strength At the outbreak of war: 61,000 158 guns Later reinforcements: 20,000 64 guns[1] 38,000 100+ guns[2] Casualties 1,700+ killed, wounded... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... This article is about the Treaty of Versailles of June 28 1919, which ended World War I. For other uses, see Treaty of Versailles (disambiguation) . The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was a peace treaty which officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Sønderjyllands Amt (English: South Jutland County) is a county (Danish, amt) on the Jutland peninsula in southern Denmark. ... Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the 16 Bundesländer in Germany. ...

In Northern Schleswig, 75% voted for reunification with Denmark and 25% for remaining with Germany. In this vote, the entire region was considered to be an indivisible unit, and the entire region was awarded to Denmark. In Central Schleswig, the situation was reversed with 80% voting for Germany and 20% for Denmark. In this vote, each municipality decided its own future, and German majorities prevailed everywhere. In light of these results, the government of Prime Minister Carl Theodor Zahle determined that reunification with Northern Schleswig could go forward, while Central Schleswig would remain under German control. Carl Theodor Zahle (1866 - 1946), Danish political figure; Denmark 1909_1910, 1913-1920. ...

Many Danish nationalists felt that at least the city of Flensburg should be returned to Denmark regardless of the plebiscite's results, due to the sizeable Danish minority there and a general desire to see Germany permanently weakened in the future. Christian agreed with these sentiments, and ordered Prime Minister Zahle to include Flensburg in the re-unification process. As Denmark had been operating as a parliamentary democracy since the Cabinet of Deuntzer in 1901, Zahle felt he was under no obligation to comply. He refused the order and resigned several days later after a heated exchange with the king. Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... Flensburg (Danish: Flensborg, Low Saxon: Flensborg, North Frisian: Flansborj) is an independent town in the North of the German state Schleswig-Holstein. ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... After the 1901 Danish parliamentary election, the Council President Johan Henrik Deuntzer of the Left Reform Party became the leader of Denmarks first liberal government. ...

Subsequently, Christian dismissed the rest of the cabinet and replaced it with a de facto conservative care-taker cabinet. The dismissal caused demonstrations and an almost revolutionary atmosphere in Denmark, and for several days the future of the monarchy seemed very much in doubt. In light of this, negotiations were opened between the king and members of the Social Democrats. Faced with the potential overthrow of the Danish crown, Christian stood down and dismissed his own government, installing a compromise cabinet until elections could be held later that year. Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ...

This was the final time that a sitting Danish monarch attempted to take political action without the full support of parliament; following the crisis, Christian accepted his drastically reduced role as symbolic head of state. For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ...

Reign during World War II

Two versions of the King's Emblem Pin (Kongemærket) showing Christian's CX cypher. A popular symbol of patriotism during the war.

In contrast to the monarchs of Norway and the Netherlands, who went into exile during the Nazi occupation of their countries, Christian X remained in his capital throughout the occupation of Denmark, being to the Danish people a visible symbol of the national cause. Though his official speeches were often little more than an echoing of the government's official policy of cooperation with the occupying forces, this did not prevent him from being seen as a man of "mental resistance." In spite of his age and the precarious situation, he took a daily ride on horseback through his city -- not accompanied by a groom, let alone by a guard. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 510 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,336 × 852 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 510 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,336 × 852 pixels, file size: 1. ... Headquarters of the Schalburgkorps, a Danish SS unit, after 1943. ...

In 1942, Adolf Hitler sent the king a long telegram congratulating him on his 72nd birthday. The king's reply telegram was a mere Meinen besten Dank. Chr. Rex (English: My best thanks. King Christian). This perceived (and no doubt deliberate) slight greatly outraged Hitler and he immediately recalled his ambassador from Copenhagen and expelled the Danish ambassador from Germany. German pressure also resulted in the dismissal of the government led by Vilhelm Buhl and its replacement with a new cabinet led by non-party member and veteran diplomat Erik Scavenius, whom the Germans expected would be more cooperative. After a fall with his horse on 19 October 1942^[1], he was more or less an invalid for the rest of his reign. The role he had played in creating the Easter Crisis of 1920, had greatly reduced his popularity, but his obvious disdain for the German Wehrmacht, daily rides and the Telegram Crises had once again made him popular to the point of being a beloved national symbol. Hitler redirects here. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Vilhelm Buhl (16 October 1881 - 18 December 1954) was Prime Minister of Denmark from 4 May 1942 to 9 November 1942 as head of the unity government Cabinet of Vilhelm Buhl I during the German occupation of Denmark of World War II, until the nazis ordered him removed. ... Erik Scavenius with German plenipotentiary of Denmark, Dr. Werner Best. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The straight-armed Balkenkreuz, a stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Wehrmacht. ...

Legend and trivia

During the German occupation of Denmark, the King's daily ride through Copenhagen became a symbol of Danish sovereignty. This picture was taken on his birthday in 1940.

In the early 1980s, the International Herald Tribune ran a full-page advertisement for war-era commemorative photo featuring Christian X on horseback with a Jewish Star of David on his sleeve.^{[citation needed]} The image echoed a popular tale which claimed that the king wore the symbol as sign of support for and solidarity with Danish Jews suffering from Nazi persecution during the occupation. (The story had become well-known partially through its retelling in Leon Uris's 1958 novel about the founding of Israel, Exodus.) This attribution of support is apocryphal, however, as the yellow badge was never introduced in Denmark.^[2][3] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Headquarters of the Schalburgkorps, a Danish SS unit, after 1943. ... The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. ... Compulsory Jewish badge under the Nazi occupation of Europe: the Star of David with the word Jew inside (this one in German) A yellow badge, also referred to as a Jewish badge, was a mandatory mark or a piece of cloth of specific geometric shape, worn on the outer garment... Leon Uris (August 3, 1924 - June 21, 2003) was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. ... Exodus is a novel written in 1958 by American novelist Leon Uris about the founding of the state of Israel, based on the name of the 1947 immigration ship Exodus. ...

King Christian used to ride through the streets of Copenhagen unaccompanied while the people stood and waved to him. One apocryphal story relates that one day, a German soldier remarked to a young boy that he found it odd that the king would ride with no bodyguard. The boy reportedly replied, "All of Denmark is his bodyguard." This story was recounted in Lois Lowry's popular children's book Number the Stars. It was also the topic in the recent children's book by Carmen Agra Deedy - The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark (with illustrations by Henri Sorensen). The contemporary patriotic song "Der rider en Konge" (There Rides a King) centres on the king's rides. In this song, the narrator replies to a foreigner inquiring about the king's lack of a guard that "he is our freest man" and that the king isn't shielded by physicial force but that "hearts guard the king of Denmark".^[4] Lois Lowry (born March 20, 1937) is an author of childrens literature who has been awarded the Newbery Medal twice: first for Number the Stars in 1990, and again in 1994 for The Giver, her most famous and controversial work. ... Number the Stars is a novel about the Holocaust of the Second World War by Lois Lowry. ...

A popular way for Danes to display patriotism and silent resistance to the German occupation was wearing a small square button with the Danish flag and the crowned insignia of the king. This symbol was referred to as Kongemærket (King's Emblem pin).

Standing at 1.99 metres (approximately 6 ft 6 in), Christian X was the tallest of all Danish kings who have been measured.^{[citation needed]}

Death

On his passing in 1947, Christian X was interred along other members of the Danish royal family in Roskilde Cathedral near Copenhagen. In recognition of his symbolic significance during World War II, a cloth armband of the type worn by members of the Danish resistance movement was placed on his coffin at his castrum doloris.^[5] Roskilde Cathedral Roskilde Cathedral (Danish: Roskilde Domkirke), in the city of Roskilde on the Island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark was the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick and its construction encouraged the spread of this Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. ... The Danish Resistance Movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Denmark by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale than in some other... A request has been made on Wikipedia for this article to be deleted in accordance with the deletion policy. ...

Ancestors

Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (August 20, 1757 - April 24, 1816) , was the son of Karl Anton August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, and Friederike von Dohna-Schlobitten. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Christian IX of Denmark (April 8, 1818 – January 29, 1906) was King of Denmark from November 15, 1863 to January 29, 1906. ... Charles of Hesse (Danish: Carl af Hessen; German: ) (Kassel 19 December 1744 – Luisenlund 17 August 1836) was born in Kassel as the second surviving son of Kassels then hereditary prince, the future Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and his first wife Princess Mary of Great Britain. ... Luise Caroline, Princess of Hesse-Kassel (28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867) was the consort of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and the matriarch of the house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. ... Louise, Princess of Denmark and Norway (January 30, 1750 - January 12, 1831) was the daughter of King Frederik V and Princess Louise, daughter of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. ... Frederik VIII (June 3, 1843 – May 14, 1912), was King of Denmark from 1906–1912. ... Prince Frederick of Hesse (11 September 1747 – 20 May 1837) was a younger member of the dynasty that ruled the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel and a Danish general. ... Prince William of Hesse-Kassel Prince William of Hesse-Kassel (24 December 1787 – 5 September 1867), son of Friedrich, Landgrave of Hessen-Kassel and Karoline of Nassau-Usingen. ... Louise of Hesse-Cassel, Luise Wilhelmine Friederike Caroline Auguste Julie von Hessen-Kassel (in Danish, Louise Wilhelmine Frederikke Caroline Auguste Julie), b Kassel 7 Sep 1817, d Bernstorff 29 Sep 1898, was a daughter of ancient German princely family, the Landgraves of Hesse, and became Queen of Denmark, being the... Frederick (Danish: Frederik) (October 11, 1753, Copenhagen - December 7, 1805 Copenhagen), was a Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway. ... Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark (30 October 1789 — 28 March 1864) was a princess of Denmark. ... Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (24 August 1758 — 29 November 1794), in Danish Sophie Frederikke of Mecklenburg, was a Princess and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. ... Charles XIV John (Swedish: Carl XIV Johan), born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (January 26, 1763 – March 8, 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway (where he was known as Karl III Johan) from 1818 until his death. ... Oscar I, born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte (July 4, 1799, Paris–July 8, 1859, Stockholm), was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. ... Her Majesty Queen Desideria of Sweden and Norway (Bernhardine Eugenie Désirée Bernadotte, née Clary, November 8, 1777 - December 17, 1860) was the wife of King Charles XIV of Sweden and a one-time fiancée of Napoleon Bonaparte. ... Karl XV (Karl Ludvig Eugén) (May 3, 1826 – September 18, 1872) was King of Sweden and Norway (where he was known as Karl IV) from 1859 until his death. ... Eugène Rose de Beauharnais (September 3, 1781 - February 21, 1824) was the first child and only son of Joséphine de Tascher de la Pagerie and Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais. ... Joséphine, Queen of Sweden and Norway (Joséphine Maximiliane Eugénie Napoléone de Beauharnais) (14 March 1807 - 7 June 1876) was the Queen consort of Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... For other men at some time in history called William I of Orange-Nassau, see William of Orange. ... Prince Frederik of the Netherlands (full names: Willem Frederik Karel), Prince of Orange-Nassau, (Berlin, February 28, 1797 – Wassenaar, September 8, 1881), was the second son of king William I of the Netherlands and his wife Queen Wilhelmine. ... Queen Wilhelmine of the Netherlands at a young age Queen Wilhelmine of the Netherlands, born Princess of Prussia (full names in Dutch: Frederica Louisa Wilhelmina; full names in German: Friederike Luise Wilhelmine) (Potsdam, 18 November 1774 - The Hague, 12 October 1837), was the first wife of King William I of... Princess Louise of the Netherlands (Wilhelmina Frederika Alexandrine Anna Louise) (August 5, 1828 – March 30, 1871), later Queen Lovisa of Sweden and Norway, was a member of the Dutch Royal Family, who became the Queen Consort of King Charles XV of Sweden (King Charles IV of Norway). ... Frederick William III (German: , August 3, 1770 – June 7, 1840) was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. ... Princess Louise of Prussia Princess Louise of Prussia (German: Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie von Preußen) (born Berlin, 1 February 1808; died Pauw Haus, The Netherlands, 6 December 1870) was the third surviving daughter and ninth child of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. ... Louise, Queen of Prussia by Josef Grassi Louise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie (Louisa Augusta Wilhelmina Amelia) (March 10, 1776 - July 19, 1810), Queen of Prussia, was born in Hanover, where her father, Karl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was field marshal of the household brigade. ...

References