European Kingdoms

Kingdom of Denmark
AD c.400 - Present Day

Rulers of the Scandinavian kingdoms emerge from legendary origins. The Danes were part of a Scandinavian tribal collective which suffered divisions in the fourth and fifth centuries. As a result, the Danes migrated southwards from Scandinavia, entering Jutland and the Cimbric Peninsula in the fifth century, a relatively peaceful southwards movement that nevertheless put pressure on the Jutes and their Anglian overlords and contributed to their migration to Britain. The Anglians were honourable allies of the Danes, but may have seen the migration as an opportunity not to be missed.

The Danish kingdom seems to have already been established by the early fifth century, but the earliest records of its kings is fragmentary and sometimes allusive. However, some data can be built up from those records, especially from the Old English poems, Beowulf, and the fragment known as The Fight at Finnesburg. These notes are taken from the Alan Bliss/JRR Tolkein examination of the latter.

Dating the early rulers precisely contains some uncertainty. Dates vary from listing to listing, as does the order of succession on occasion, so this is an amalgamation of the available data. Dates which blatantly divert from the main body are shown in red text.

(Modern data supplied by Andreas von Millwall.)

? - c.448

Hnæf

Danish chieftain b.c.420-5.

c.448

Hnæf, perhaps only a sub-king of the Danes, winters with his sister in Frisia. Hildeburh is married to Finn, king of the Frisians. During fighting that appears to be sparked by a feud between the Jutish allies on each side, Hnæf is killed at the 'Fight at Finnesburg'. Finn is subsequently killed by Hengist, Hnæf's Anglian comrade in arms. Soon afterwards, Hengist leads his people to Britain where he begins the conquest of Kent.

? - c.495

Healfdene Scylding

Nephew of Hnæf b.c.430-5.

c.495 - c.525

Hrothgar

Second son. b.c.460. Visited by Beowulf c.520.

588? - 647

Ivar Vidfamne

647? - 735

Harald I Hildetand

Or d.c.750.

735 - 750

Sigurd I Ring

Or c.770-812.

c.750

Randver

803 - 850

Canute I

850 - 854

Eric / Horik I

854 - 883?

Eric / Horik II

845

Ragnarr Lothbrok leads the Viking sack of Paris.

c.860 - 865

Ragnarr Lothbrok

Also king of Sweden (860-865).

Ivarr the Boneless

Son. Viking king of Dublin (853-873).

Halfdan

Brother. King of the Scandinavian Kingdom of York (875-877).

865 - 873

Sigurd II Snogoje

873 - 884

Hardeknut / Canute I

884 - 885

Frodo

885 - 899

Harald II Parcus

883? - 950

Gorm the Old

950 - 991

Harald III Bluetooth

First Christian king.

991 - 1014

Sweyn I Forkbeard

Occupied the English throne (1013-1014).

1014 - 1018

Harold IV

1018 - 1035

Canute II the Great

Also king of Norway (1028-1035) & England (1016-1035).

1035 - 1042

Hardicanute / Canute III

Also king of England (1040-1042).

1042 - 1047

Magnus the Good

King of Norway.

1047 - 1074

Sweyn II

1074 - 1080

Harold V Hen

1080 - 1086

Canute IV the Holy

1085 - 1095

Olaf IV the Hungry

1095 - 1103

Eric I the Evergood

1103 - 1134

Niels the Elder

1134 - 1137

Eric II

1137 - 1146

Eric III

1146 - 1157

Sweyn III

1157

Knud / Canute V Magnussen

1157 - 1182

Valdemar I the Great

1182 - 1202

Canute VI the Pious

1202 - 1241

Valdemar II the Victorious

1219

Valdemar / Waldemar conquers North Estonia, and the Danish national flag is born in the process.

1241 - 1250

Eric IV

1250 - 1252

Abel

1252 - 1259

Christopher I

1259 - 1286

Eric V

1286 - 1319

Eric VI

1320 - 1332

Christopher II

1332 - 1340

The ruler of Denmark is unknown.

1340 - 1375

Valdemar III

1343

Valdemar III sells North Estonia to the Livonian Knights.

1376 - 1387

Olaf V

Also king Olaf IV of Norway.

1380

The Union of Denmark & Norway. Denmark also gains Greenland & Iceland.

1387 - 1412

Queen Margaret I

1397

The Union of Kalmar. Denmark & Norway are united with Sweden.

1412 - 1439

Eric VII

Also Eric III of Norway, XIII of Sweden.

1439 - 1448

Christopher III

Also Christopher of Norway and Sweden.

1448 - 1481

Christian I of Oldenburg

King of Norway (1439-1448) and Sweden (1448-1481).

1481 - 1513

John / Hans

Also John of Norway and II Sweden.

1513 - 1523

Christian II

King of Norway and Sweden.

1523

Sweden splits from the Union. Denmark still governs Norway.

1523 - 1533

Frederick I

1534 - 1558

Christian III

1558 - 1588

Frederick II

1588 - 1648

Christian IV

1648 - 1670

Frederick III

1670 - 1699

Christian V

1699 - 1730

Frederick IV

1721

The settlement in Greenland had since died out, so re-colonisation begins.

1730 - 1746

Christian VI

1746 - 1766

Frederick V

1766 - 1808

Christian VII

1807

Denmark is threatened with invasion by Napoleonic France, with the French army massed on its southern border. Napoleon Bonaparte wants the Danish fleet after losing his own at Trafalgar in 1805, so to prevent this, Britain mounts a raid on Copenhagen and captures the fleet.

1808 - 1839

Frederick VI

1814

For having supplied forces to France's Napoleon Bonaparte (despite not having any real choice), Denmark loses Norway to Sweden at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. However, it gains the minor duchy of Saxe-Lauenberg.

1839 - 1848

Christian VIII

1848 - 1863

Frederick VII

1863 - 1906

Christian IX

1874

Iceland is granted autonomy.

1906 - 1912

Frederick VIII

Younger brother of King George I of Greece.

1912 - 1947

Christian X

Prince Carl

Became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905.

1918

Iceland becomes administratively independent, but still recognises the Danish crown as its head of state.

1944

With Denmark under Nazi German occupation, Iceland declares its independence and recreates its republic.

1947 - 1972

Frederick IX

1972 - Present

Queen Margaret II