~ The Monarchy ~


The national coat of arms,


can be traced back to the Danish king Valdemar I the Great (1131-1182)
but a lot of changes have occurred since then.

 
Today, the escutcheon (background) of the national arms is golden.

On the escutcheon, three leopardized lions are placed above each other.
The lions are heading to the left.
In order to fit the width of the escutcheon,
the three lions varies in sizes, the top one being the biggest one and the lion at the bottom, the smallest.
The lions are blue and have golden claws, a red tongue and they all wear a golden crown.
The tails point forward, then bend and point backward and end in a bushy tip.
The lions have had their heads alternately in profile and en face during their existence.
During the reign of Frederik VI (1808-1839) it was decided that the heads should be in profile

In front of the lions, above their backs and behind them there are nine heart shaped figures.
It is today not clear whether they are hearts or nymphoides.
The number of the heart shaped figures have varied throughout times.
One king had fifty, others none at all.

All the above is crowned by the Danish royal crown.

The Danish National Flag

According to the legend, Dannebrog fell down from the sky on June 15, 1219,
to the Danish King Valdemar II during his crusade to Estonia.
With the flag in hand, the King won the battle at Lyndanise near Reval (Tallinn).
The flag was given to him as a divine approval.
This is the explanation Danes like to give in order to tell the origin of the Danish national flag.

If the legend of how Dannebrog became the Danish national flag were true,
it would make it the World's oldest national flag still in use.
The first factual proof that Dannebrog was used to represent,
the king of the Danes can be seen as soon as in the fourteenth century
as it was incorporated in the coat of arms of King Valdemar III.

The word Dannebrog literally means the cloth of the Danes. 


HM The Queen of Denmark

Margrethe Alexandrine Þorhildur Ingrid, Her Majesty The Queen, became Queen of Denmark in 1972.
HM Queen Margrethe II was born on 16 April 1940 at Amalienborg Palace as the daughter of King Frederik IX (d. 1972)
and Queen Ingrid, born Princess of Sweden (d. 2000).
The Queen’s motto is "God’s help, the love of The People, Denmark’s strength".


HRH The Prince Consort

Henrik, His Royal Highness The Prince Consort, was born Henri Marie Jean André Count de Laborde de Monpezat.
The Prince Consort was born on 11 June 1934 in Talence, Gironde, France
as the son of Count André de Laborde de Monpezat (d. 1998) and Countess Renée de Monpezat, born Doursennot (d. 2002).


HRH The Crown Prince

Frederik André Henrik Christian, Prince of Denmark,Crown Prince was born on 26 May 1968.
The Crown Prince is the son of HM Queen Margrethe II and HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark.
His Royal Highness The Crown Prince is married to Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth.


HRH Prince Joachim

Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian, Prince of Denmark,
was born on 7 June 1969. His Royal Highness Prince Joachim is the son of HM Queen Margrethe II and HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark.
HRH Prince Joachim is included in the order of succession to the Throne and may act as Regent when HM The Queen and HRH Crown Prince Frederik are abroad.


Her Royal Highness Crown Princess

Mary Elizabeth, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess, Crown Princess of Denmark,
was born on 5 February 1972 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.


HRH The Crown Prince and HRH Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth


HM Queen Margrethe II, Mary Elizabeth and Prince Frederik.

In Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Where they saw the Danish handball women, win the Olympic gold for the third time in a row.


Amalienborg. The Royal Palace.

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