Margrethe II of Denmark
58925
225162554
2008-07-12T05:57:46Z
Ionoshper33
7463398
{{refimprove|date=November 2007}}
{| style="float:right;"
|{{Infobox_Monarch
| name = Margrethe II
| title = Queen of Denmark<!--No other titles. Margrethe abolished the rest of her predecessors' titles when she became queen. Besides, most of them could only have been inherited by a male. -->
| image = [[Image:Queen Magrethe sep 7 2005.png|175px]]
| caption =
| reign = [[14 January]] [[1972]] – present
| coronation =
| predecessor = [[Frederick IX of Denmark|Frederick IX]]
| successor =
| suc-type = Heir-Apparent
| heir = [[Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark]]
| consort = [[Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark]]
| issue = [[Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark]]<br> [[Prince Joachim of Denmark]]
| royal house = [[Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|House of Glücksburg]]
| royal motto = Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke<br />(''The Help of God, the Love of the People, the Strength of Denmark'')
| royal anthem =
| father = [[Frederick IX of Denmark|Frederick IX]]
| mother = [[Ingrid of Sweden]]
| date of birth = {{Birth date and age|1940|4|16|df=yes}}
| place of birth = [[Amalienborg Palace]], [[Copenhagen]]
| date of death =
| place of death =
| buried =
|}}
|-
|{{Danish Royal Family}}
|}
'''Margrethe II''' (''Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid'') (born [[16 April]] [[1940]]) is the [[queen regnant]] of [[Denmark]]. Only very rarely is her name anglicized as '''Margaret II'''.
==Early life==
Princess Margrethe was born at [[Amalienborg Palace]], [[Copenhagen]], to [[Frederick IX of Denmark|Crown Prince Frederik]] and [[Ingrid of Sweden|Crown Princess Ingrid]]. She was baptised on [[14 May]] [[1940]] at the Naval Church. As King Christian X was also the [[King of Iceland]] at the time, as a tribute to the people of Iceland, the Princess was given an [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] name, ''Þórhildur'' (spelled with the Icelandic [[thorn (letter)|thorn]] character, simplified as "th").
Her godparents were [[Christian X of Denmark|King Christian X of Denmark]], [[Prince Knud of Denmark]], Prince Axel of Denmark, [[Gustaf V of Sweden|King Gustaf V of Sweden]], [[Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden|Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden]], [[Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten|Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden]], [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|The Duke of Connaught]], [[Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Queen Alexandrine of Denmark]], [[Princess Thyra of Denmark]], [[Louise Mountbatten|Crown Princess Louise of Sweden]], [[Prince Harald of Denmark|Princess Helena of Denmark]], [[Princess Patricia of Connaught|Lady Patricia Ramsay]], [[Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia]], and [[Princess Margaret of Denmark|Princess Margrethe of Bourbon-Parma]].
Queen Margrethe II's official motto is: ''The Help of God, the Love of the People, the Strength of Denmark''.
==Biography==
Margrethe was not born to be Monarch, even though she was the eldest child of a Crown Prince, later King. At the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark, owing to the changes in succession laws enacted in the 1850s when the [[Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|Glücksburg]] branch was chosen to succeed. As she had no brothers, it was assumed that her uncle Knud would one day assume the throne.
The process of changing the constitution started in 1947, when it became clear that Queen Ingrid would have no more children. At this time, Margrethe's uncle [[Prince Knud of Denmark|Prince Knud]] was the [[Heir Presumptive]], but the popularity of Frederik and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life started the complicated process of altering the constitution. That proposal had to be passed by two Parliaments in succession and then by a referendum, which was held on [[27 March]] [[1953]]. The new [[Danish Act of Succession|Act of Succession]] permitted female [[succession]] to the throne of Denmark, according to male-preference [[primogeniture]], similar to that in use in the [[United Kingdom]]. Princess Margrethe therefore became the [[Heiress Presumptive]].
She was [[confirmation (Christian sacrament)|confirmed]] on [[1 April]] [[1955]] at [[Fredensborg Palace]]. On her eighteenth birthday, 16 April [[1958]], the Heiress Presumptive was given a seat in the [[Danish Council of State|Council of State]], and the Princess subsequently chaired the meetings of the Council in the absence of the King.
She studied [[prehistoric]] [[archaeology]] at [[Girton College, Cambridge]] during 1960-61, [[political science]] at [[Aarhus University]] between 1961-1962, at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]] in 1963, and at the [[London School of Economics]] in 1965.
On [[10 June]] [[1967]], Princess Margrethe of [[Denmark]] married a French diplomat, [[Henri de Laborde de Monpezat]], at the Naval Church. Laborde de Monpezat received the style and title of "His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark" because of his new position as the spouse of the Heiress Presumptive to the Danish [[throne]]. Two children were produced from this union: [[Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark|Frederik]] André Henrik Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark was born on [[26 May]] [[1968]]; and [[Prince Joachim of Denmark|Joachim]] Holger Waldemar Christian, Prince of Denmark, was born on [[7 June]] [[1969]]. The Queen and her husband, Prince Henrik, also have three grandsons: [[Prince Christian of Denmark|Prince Christian]], [[Prince Nikolai of Denmark|Prince Nikolai]], and [[Prince Felix of Denmark|Prince Felix]] and one granddaughter, [[Princess Isabella of Denmark|Princess Isabella]].
King Frederik IX died in [[1972]]. On the occasion of the accession to the throne on [[14 January]] [[1972]], Queen Margrethe II became the first female Danish [[Monarch|Sovereign]] under the new Act of Succession.
In mid-1960, together with the Princesses of Sweden and Norway, she traveled to the United States, which included a visit to Los Angeles, California, and to the Paramount Studios, where they were met by several celebrities, including Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and, most notably, Elvis Presley. She is an accomplished artist and costume designer. She suffers from [[arthritis]] and has had both her knees replaced as a result.
{{Infobox denmarkkstyles|
royal name=Queen Margrethe II of Denmark|
dipstyle=[[Majesty|Her Majesty]]|
offstyle=Your Majesty|
altstyle=Ma'am|}}
[[Image:Queen Margrethe 21-06-2005 Vágur.jpg|thumb|250px|Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in [[Vágur]], [[Faroe Islands]], 21 June 2005]]
==Constitutional role==
The Kingdom of [[Denmark]] is a [[constitutional monarchy]], which means that the sovereign cannot perform political acts independently. Although the queen signs all acts of legislation before they can become law, these only come into effect when they have been countersigned by a [[cabinet]] [[Political minister|minister]]. As the head of state, the queen participates in the formation of a new government.
After consultation with representatives of the political parties, the leader of the party which holds the largest number of seats in the Danish parliament is invited to form a new government. Once it has been formed, the monarch formally appoints it. Additionally, it is the queen who is the real head of the government and therefore presides over the Council of State, where the acts of legislation which have been passed by parliament are signed into law.
The [[prime minister of Denmark]] and the [[Danish foreign minister]] report regularly to the queen to notify and advise her on the latest political developments. The queen hosts official visits by foreign heads of state and pays state visits abroad. The queen receives every ambassador from foreign countries represented in Denmark and also formally appoints and dismisses civil servants.
The queen's main tasks are to represent the Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figurehead at home. The queen performs the latter task by accepting invitations to open exhibitions, attending anniversaries, inaugurating bridges, etc. As an unelected public official, the queen takes no part in party politics and does not express any political opinions. In addition to her roles in her own country, the queen is also the [[Colonel-in-Chief]] of the [[Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment|Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)]], an infantry regiment of the [[British Army]], following a tradition in her family.
Queen Margrethe has a reputation for being one of [[Europe]]'s most modern and progressive monarchs.{{fact|date=November 2007}} She freely grants television interviews.
The queen is an accomplished and critically-acclaimed [[painter]], and has held many art shows over the years. It is often said that were she not the queen, she could easily make a living as a professional [[artist]].{{fact|date=November 2007}} Her illustrations—under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer—were used for the Danish edition of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' published in 1977 and the re-issue in 2002. She is also an accomplished [[translator]] and is said to have participated in the Danish translation of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.{{fact|date=November 2007}} She also designs some of her own clothes. Margrethe is a [[Chain smoking|chain smoker]], and she is famous for her [[tobacco]] habit. However, on [[November 23]], [[2006]] the Danish newspaper B.T. reported an announcement from the Royal Court stating that the queen would never again be seen smoking in public. Still, the queen does continue to smoke but in the future she will do so only privately. The announcement is probably due to the fact that the Danish parliament recently has decided on strict rules concerning smoking.<ref>[http://www.bt.dk/royalt/artikel:aid=484298/ bt.dk]</ref>
A statement in a 2005 authorized biography about the queen (entitled ''Margrethe'') focused on Islam: "We are being challenged by Islam these years. Globally as well as locally. There is something impressive about people for whom religion imbues their existence, from dusk to dawn, from cradle to grave. There are also Christians who feel this way. There is something endearing about people who give themselves up completely to their faith. But there is likewise something frightening about such a totality, which also is a feature of Islam. A counterbalance has to be found, and one has to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on you. For there are some things for which one should display no tolerance. And when we are tolerant, we must know whether it is because of convenience or conviction."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/15/wqueen15.xml telegraph.co.uk]</ref>
In her 1984 annual New Year's speech, the Queen of Denmark had cautioned the Danish people to remember to be kind and hospitable towards immigrants. The topics of tolerance, immigration and freedom of speech also featured in her 2006 speech.
The Queen is multilingual; she speaks [[Danish language|Danish]], [[French language|French]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[English language|English]], and [[German language|German]].<ref>[http://kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_fam_oue kongehuset.dk]</ref>
==Ancestors==
<div style="clear: both; width: 100%; padding: 0; text-align: left; border: none;" class="NavFrame">
<div style="background: #ccddcc; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #667766" class="NavHead">'''Ancestors of Margrethe II of Denmark'''
</div>
<div class="NavContent" style="display:none;">
<center>{{ahnentafel-compact5
|style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%;
|border=1
|boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Margrethe II of Denmark''' (1940- )
|2= 2. [[Frederick IX of Denmark]] (1899-1972)
|3= 3. [[Ingrid of Sweden]] (1910-2000)
|4= 4. [[Christian X of Denmark]] (1870-1947)
|5= 5. [[Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] (1879-1952)
|6= 6. [[Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden]] (1882-1973)
|7= 7. [[Princess Margaret of Connaught]] (1882-1920)
|8= 8. [[Frederick VIII of Denmark]] (1843-1912)
|9= 9. [[Lovisa of Sweden]] (1851-1926
|10= 10. [[Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] (1851-1897)
|11= 11. [[Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia]] (1860-1922)
|12= 12. [[Gustav V of Sweden]] (1858-1950)
|13= 13. [[Victoria of Baden]] (1862-1930)
|14= 14. [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught]] (1850-1942)
|15= 15. [[Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught|Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia]] (1860-1917)
|16= 16. [[Christian IX of Denmark]] (1818-1906)
|17= 17. [[Louise of Hesse-Kassel]] (1817-1898)
|18= 18. [[Charles XV of Sweden]] (1826-1872)
|19= 19. [[Louise of the Netherlands]] (1828-1871)
|20= 20. [[Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] (1823-1883)
|21= 21. Princess Auguste Reuss of Köstritz (1822-1862)
|22= 22. [[Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia]] (1832-1909)
|23= 23. [[Olga Feodorovna of Baden|Princess Cécilia of Baden]] (1839-1891)
|24= 24. [[Oscar II of Sweden]] (1829-1907)
|25= 25. [[Sofia of Nassau]] (1836-1913
|26= 26. [[Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden]] (1826-1907)
|27= 27. [[Princess Louise of Prussia]] (1838-1923)
|28= 28. [[Albert, Prince Consort|Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] (1819-1861)
|29= 29. [[Victoria of the United Kingdom]] (1819-1901)
|30= 30. [[Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia]] (1828-1885)
|31= 31. Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt (1837-1906)
}}</center>
</div></div>
===Patrilineal descent===
Margrethe's patriline is the line from which she is descended father to son. [[Patrilineal descent]] is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Margrethe II were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]].
# [[Christian V, Count of Oldenburg]], 1340 - 1423
# [[Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg]], 1398 - 1440
# [[Christian I of Denmark]], 1426 - 1481
# [[Frederick I of Denmark]], 1471 - 1533
# [[Christian III of Denmark]], 1503 - 1559
# [[John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg]], 1545 - 1622
# [[Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg]], 1573 - 1627
# [[August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck]], 1612 - 1675
# [[Frederick Louis, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck]], 1653 - 1728
# [[Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck]], 1696 - 1775
# [[Karl Anton August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck]], 1727 - 1759
# [[Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck]], 1757 - 1816
# [[Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]], 1785 - 1831
# [[Christian IX of Denmark]], 1818 - 1906
# [[Frederick VIII of Denmark]], 1843 - 1912
# [[Christian X of Denmark]], 1870 - 1947
# [[Frederick IX of Denmark]], 1899 - 1972
# [[Margrethe II of Denmark]], 1940 -
{{start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]]|[[April 16]]|[[1940]]|Living||[[House of Oldenburg]]|name=Margrethe II}}
{{s-reg|}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Frederick IX of Denmark|Frederick IX]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Danish monarchs|Queen of Denmark]]|years=1972 – present}}
{{s-inc|heir=[[Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark|Frederik]]}}
|-
{{s-roy|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Carl Johan Bernadotte]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Line of succession to the British Throne]]|years=219<sup>th</sup> position}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark|Frederik]]}}
{{end}}
{{s-fam}}
{{s-anc
|F=[[Frederick IX of Denmark]]
|FF=[[Christian X of Denmark]]
|FFH=[[House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|Glücksburg]]
|FM=[[Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
|FMH=[[House of Mecklenburg|Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
|M=[[Ingrid of Sweden]]
|MF=[[Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden]]
|MFH=[[House of Bernadotte|Bernadotte]]
|MM=[[Princess Margaret of Connaught|Margaret of Connaught]]
|MMH=[[House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha|Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]]}}
{{end}}
{{Monarchs of Denmark}}
{{Heads of state of the European Union Member states}}
{{clear}}
==See also==
* [[List of national leaders]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Margrethe II of Denmark}}
* [http://kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_fam_oue The Queen's Homepage]
* [http://www.kongehuset.dk/english/ The Official Website of The Danish Monarchy]
* {{Genealogics name|id=00007226}}
* [http://www.didrichsenmuseum.fi/kuningatar/sormusten_herra_e.html Illustrations - Lord of the Rings]
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME = Margrethe II of Denmark
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Margaret II
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = Queen of Denmark
|DATE OF BIRTH = [[16 April]] [[1940]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Amalienborg Palace]], [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]]
|DATE OF DEATH =
|PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Margrethe II of Denmark}}
[[Category:Danish monarchs]]
[[Category:Current national leaders]]
[[Category:Current female heads of state]]
[[Category:Reigning monarchs]]
[[Category:House of Glücksburg]]
[[Category:Queens regnant]]
[[Category:Danish Lutherans]]
[[Category:Tolkien artists]]
[[Category:Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]]
[[Category:Protestant monarchs]]
[[Category:Stamp designers]]
[[Category:People from Copenhagen]]
[[Category:Honorary Fellows of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Knights of the Elephant]]
[[Category:Order of the Dannebrog]]
[[Category:Knights of the Garter]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Royal Victorian Chain]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Star of Romania Order]]
[[Category:Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[ar:مارغريت الثانية]]
[[bs:Margareta II Danska]]
[[bg:Маргрете II]]
[[ca:Margarida II de Dinamarca]]
[[cs:Markéta II.]]
[[cy:Margrethe II, brenhines Denmarc]]
[[da:Margrethe 2.]]
[[de:Margrethe II. (Dänemark)]]
[[et:Margrethe II]]
[[el:Μαργαρίτα Β΄ της Δανίας]]
[[es:Margarita II de Dinamarca]]
[[eo:Margareta la 2-a (Danio)]]
[[fo:Margrethe II]]
[[fr:Margrethe II de Danemark]]
[[ga:Margrethe II na Danmhairge]]
[[gv:Margrethe II ny Danvarg]]
[[gl:Margarida II de Dinamarca]]
[[ko:덴마크의 마르그레테 2세]]
[[hr:Margareta II.]]
[[io:Margrethe 2ma di Dania]]
[[id:Margrethe II dari Denmark]]
[[is:Margrét Þórhildur]]
[[it:Margherita II di Danimarca]]
[[lt:Margareta II]]
[[hu:II. Margit dán királynő]]
[[ms:Margrethe II dari Denmark]]
[[nl:Margaretha II van Denemarken]]
[[ja:マルグレーテ2世 (デンマーク女王)]]
[[no:Margrethe II av Danmark]]
[[nn:Margrethe II av Danmark]]
[[oc:Margarida II de Danemarc]]
[[pl:Małgorzata II]]
[[pt:Margarida II da Dinamarca]]
[[ro:Margareta a II-a a Danemarcei]]
[[ru:Маргрете II (королева Дании)]]
[[se:Margrethe II]]
[[simple:Margrethe II of Denmark]]
[[sk:Margaréta II. Dánska]]
[[sr:Маргарета II од Данске]]
[[fi:Margareeta II]]
[[sv:Margrethe II av Danmark]]
[[th:สมเด็จพระราชินีนาถมาร์เกรเธที่ 2 แห่งเดนมาร์ก]]
[[vi:Margrethe II của Đan Mạch]]
[[zh:瑪格麗特二世 (丹麥)]]