Christian X (Danish:Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm; 26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947) wasKing of Denmark from 1912 until his death in 1947, and the onlyKing of Iceland asKristján X, holding the title as a result of thepersonal union between Denmark and independent Iceland between 1918 and 1944.
His character has been described as authoritarian and he strongly stressed the importance of royal dignity and power. His reluctance to fully embrace democracy resulted in theEaster Crisis of 1920, in which he dismissed the democratically electedSocial Liberal cabinet with which he disagreed, and installed one of his own choosing. This was in accordance with the letter of the constitution, but the principle ofparliamentarianism had been considered a constitutional custom since 1901. Faced with mass demonstrations, a general strike organized by theSocial Democrats, and the risk of the monarchy being overthrown, he was forced to accept that a monarch could not keep a government in office against the will of parliament as well as his reduced role as a symbolichead of state.
During theGerman occupation of Denmark, Christian became a popular symbol of resistance, particularly because of the symbolic value of the fact that he rode every day through the streets of Copenhagen unaccompanied by guards. With a reign spanning two world wars, and his role as a rallying symbol for Danish national sentiment during the German occupation, he became one of the most popular Danish monarchs of modern times. InIceland however, theDanish government's capitulation to theGermans was seen as an abandonment of the agreeddefensive relationship that theDanish crown was to hold over the island. Ashead of state, Christian became deeply unpopular in Iceland, contributing to the country'sredesignation as the modern Republic of Iceland.[1]
Prince Christian was raised with his siblings in the royal household in Copenhagen, and grew up between his parents' residence inCopenhagen, theFrederick VIII's Palace, an 18th centurypalace which forms part of theAmalienborg Palace complex in centralCopenhagen, and their country residence, theCharlottenlund Palace, located by the coastline of theØresundstrait north of the city. As a grandchild of the reigningDanish monarch in the male line and the eldest son of the Crown Prince, he was second in line to the throne, after his father. In contrast to the usual practise of the period, where royal children were brought up bygovernesses, the children were raised by Crown Princess Louise herself. Under the supervision of their mother, the children of the Crown Princess received a rather strict Christian-dominated upbringing, which was characterized by severity, the fulfillment of duties, care and order.[7] Prince Christian was less than two years older than his brother Prince Carl, and the two princes had a jointconfirmation at the chapel ofChristiansborg Palace in 1887.[2] The two princes were educated at home by privatetutors. In 1889 Prince Christian passed theexamen artium (the universityentrance examination in Denmark) in 1889 as the first member of theDanish royal family.[2] Afterwards he started a military education as was customary for princes at that time. He subsequently served with the 5th Dragoon Regiment and later studied at the Officers Academy in Randers from 1891 to 1892.[8]
Crown Princess Louise with her eldest child, early 1870s
Prince Christian with his younger brother, the thenPrince Carl in 1887
The couple were given Christian VIII's Palace atAmalienborg Palace in Copenhagen as their residence andSorgenfri Palace north of Copenhagen as a summer residence. Furthermore, the couple receivedMarselisborg Palace inAarhus as a wedding present from the people of Denmark in 1898. In 1914, the King also built thevillaKlitgården inSkagen.
Christian X addressing the people at his Accession to the throne in 1912.King Christian and theGerman Emperor during a visit toBerlin in 1913
On 14 May 1912,King Frederick VIII died at the age of 68 after collapsing from shortness of breath while taking an evening walk inHamburg, Germany. He had been returning from a recuperation stay inNice, France, and was staying anonymously in the city before continuing toCopenhagen. Christian was inCopenhagen when he heard about his father's demise and succeeded to the throne at the age of 41. He wasproclaimed king from the balcony ofChristian VII's Palace atAmalienborg by thePrime MinisterKlaus Berntsen as King Christian X.
At the start of theFirst World War in 1914, King Christian and theDanish government advocated that Denmark pursue apolicy of neutrality. The King supported the policy of neutrality by participating in the so-called meeting of the Three Kings held on 18 December 1914 inMalmö inSweden. There, the three Scandinavian monarchs King Christian X of Denmark, King Haakon VII of Norway (Christian's brother) and KingGustav V of Sweden (Christian's mother's cousin) met along with their foreign ministers to discuss and emphasize the neutrality of the Nordic countries, and in a joint declaration, confirmed the three states' strict neutrality during the war.[10][11] The meeting in 1914 was followed by another three-kings meeting in Kristiania in November 1917.
In one place, women cannot be dispensed with, and that is in the homes. Here, the influence of women cannot be replaced, because through the child's love for the home, the one for our common home, Denmark, is awakened.[13]
In April 1920, Christian instigated the Easter Crisis, perhaps the most decisive event in the evolution of the Danish monarchy in the twentieth century. The immediate cause was a conflict between the King and the cabinet over the reunification with Denmark ofSchleswig, a former Danishfiefdom, which had been lost toPrussia during theSecond War of Schleswig. Danish claims to the region persisted to the end ofWorld War I, at which time the defeat of the Germans made it possible to resolve the dispute. According to the terms of theTreaty of Versailles, the disposition of Schleswig was to be determined by twoplebiscites: one in Northern Schleswig (Denmark'sSouth Jutland County 1971–2006), the other in Central Schleswig (today part of the German state ofSchleswig-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.
In Northern Schleswig, seventy-five percent voted for reunification with Denmark and twenty-five percent 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 eighty percent voting for Germany and twenty percent 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 MinisterCarl Theodor Zahle determined that reunification with Northern Schleswig could go forward, while Central Schleswig would remain under German control.
Many Danish nationalists felt that at least the city ofFlensburg, in Central Schleswig, 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 X agreed with these sentiments, and ordered Prime Minister Zahle to include Flensburg in the re-unification process. As Denmark had been operating as aparliamentary democracy since theCabinet 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.
Subsequently, Christian X dismissed the rest of thecabinet and replaced it with ade facto conservativecaretaker 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 theSocial Democrats. Faced with the potential overthrow of the Danish Crown, Christian X stood down and dismissed his own government, installing acompromise cabinet until elections could be held later that year.
To date, this is the last time a reigning Danish monarch has attempted to take political action without the full support of parliament. Following the crisis, Christian X bowed fully to his drastically reduced status, and spent the last quarter-century of his rule as a model constitutional monarch.
During the Germanoccupation of Denmark, the King's daily ride through Copenhagen became a symbol of Danish sovereignty. This picture was taken on his birthday in 1940
On 9 April 1940 at 4 am Nazi Germanyinvaded Denmark in a surprise attack, overwhelming Denmark's Army and Navy and destroying the Danish Army Air Corps. Christian X quickly realized that Denmark was in an impossible position. Its territory and population were far too small to hold out against Germany for any sustained period of time. Its flat land would have resulted in it being easily overrun by Germanpanzers;Jutland, for instance, would have been overrun in short order by a panzer attack fromSchleswig-Holstein immediately to the south. Unlike its Nordic neighbours, Denmark had no mountain ranges from which a drawn-out resistance could be mounted against the German army.[14] With no prospect of being able to hold out for any length of time, and faced with the explicit threat of theLuftwaffe bombing the civilian population ofCopenhagen, and with only one general in favour of continuing to fight, Christian X and the entire Danish government capitulated at about 6 am,[15] in exchange for retaining political independence in domestic matters,[16] beginning theoccupation of Denmark, which lasted until 5 May 1945.
Two versions of the King's Emblem Pin (Kongemærket), showing Christian's CXcypher; a popular symbol of patriotism during the war
Until theimposition of martial law by Germany in August 1943, Christian's official speeches reflected the government's official policy of cooperation with the occupying forces, but this did not prevent his being seen by the Danish people as a man of "mental resistance." During the first two years of the German occupation, despite his age and the precarious situation, he took a daily ride on his horse, Jubilee, through Copenhagen, unaccompanied by a groom, let alone a guard. 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.[17] This symbol was called theKongemærket (King's Emblem pin). In addition, he helped financethe transport of Danish Jews to unoccupied Sweden, where they would be safe from Nazi persecution.[18]
In 1942,Adolf Hitler sent Christian a long telegram congratulating him on his seventy-second birthday. The king's reply telegram was a mere,Spreche Meinen besten Dank aus. Chr. Rex (Giving my best thanks, King Christian). This perceived slight, known as theTelegram Crisis, greatly outraged Hitler and he immediately recalled his ambassador from Copenhagen and expelled the Danish ambassador from Germany. German pressure then resulted in the dismissal of the government led byVilhelm Buhl and its replacement with a new cabinet led by non-party member and veteran diplomatErik Scavenius, whom the Germans expected to be more cooperative. (In any event, whatever independence Denmark had been able to maintain during the first years of the occupation ended abruptly with the GermanPutsch in August 1943.) After a fall with his horse on 19 October 1942, Christian was more or less an invalid for the rest of his reign.[19] The role he played in creating theEaster Crisis of 1920 had greatly reduced his popularity, but his daily rides, the Telegram Crisis, and the admiring stories spread byDanish-American circles once again made him popular to the point of being a beloved national symbol.
The accession of a newDanish–Icelandic Act of Union in late 1918 redefinedIceland, a longtime part of theDanish realm, as a sovereign state in apersonal union with the Kingdom of Denmark. This made Christian the king of the mostly autonomousKingdom of Iceland in addition to being King of Denmark. Christian (whose name in Iceland was officiallyKristján X) was the first and only monarch to ever reign over Iceland as a sovereign kingdom as opposed to ruling it as a province of a larger kingdom. In 1941, after the German occupation of Denmark and theAllied occupation of Iceland, the Icelandic government concluded that Christian was unable to perform his duties as head of state of Iceland, and thus appointedSveinn Björnsson asregent to act as provisional head of state. Sveinn had previously been Iceland's ambassador in Copenhagen.
In 1944, while Denmark was still under German occupation, Icelanders voted in a plebiscite to sever all ties with the King of Denmark and to found a republic. Thus, Christian's title as King of Iceland became null and void and Sveinn Björnsson was elected the firstPresident of Iceland by theIcelandic parliament. Christian, who believed that Sveinn had given him assurances that Iceland would not make further moves toward independence while the occupation was ongoing, felt quite badly betrayed. However, at the urging of his relative, the King of Sweden, Christian still accepted the outcome and sent a message of congratulations to Iceland during the celebration of the founding of the Republic on 17 June 1944. The reading of the King's letter provoked cheers atÞingvellir during the celebration. Despite this implicit acceptance of Iceland's independence, Christian never actually stopped using the title "King of Iceland", and continued including it in his regnal name until his death in 1947.
On 22 November 1942,The Washington Post published a photograph of Christian X, facetiously calling him a victim ofHitler, and stated that the nation of this monarch did not oppose German occupation with arms.[22] It then became important forDanish Americans to prove the contrary, and a number of stories were invented in the turmoil of the war. The most successful of these was the legend of the King wearing theyellow star to support the Jews.[23][failed verification]
King Christian used to ride daily 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 inNathaniel Benchley's bestselling bookBright Candles as well as inLois Lowry's bookNumber the Stars. The contemporary patriotic song "Der rider en Konge" ("There Rides a King") centers on the King's rides. In this song, the narrator replies to a foreigner's inquiry about the King's lack of a guard that "he is our freest man" and that the King is not shielded by physical force but that "hearts guard the king of Denmark."[24]
Another popular, but apocryphal, legend carried by the American press[25] concerned the supposed flying of the German flag over theHotel d'Angleterre (then being used as the German military headquarters in Copenhagen). The King, riding by and seeing the flag, told a German sentry that it was a violation of the armistice agreement and that the flag must be taken down. The sentry replied that this would not be done. The King then said that if the flag was not taken down, he would send a Danish soldier to take it down. The sentry responded, "The soldier will be shot." The King replied, "the Danish soldier will be me." According to the story, the flag was taken down.
King Christian X became the hero of a number of myths about his defense of the Danish Jews. He became the subject of a persistenturban legend according to which, duringNazi occupation, Nazis forced the Jews to wear theStar of David and the king donned the Star of David himself as a symbol of solidarity with them. However, in Denmark, unlike other Nazi-controlled territories, Jews were never forced to wear the Star of David. The legend likely stems from a 1942 British report that claimed he threatened to don the star if this was forced upon Danish Jews, and was popularised when it was included inLeon Uris's best-selling novelExodus.[26]
It is true, however, that the King intended to wear the star in case the Danish Jews were forced to do so. In his personal diary, he wrote this entry: "When you look at the inhumane treatment of Jews, not only in Germany but occupied countries as well, you start worrying that such a demand might also be put on us, but we must clearly refuse such this due to their protection under the Danish constitution. I stated that I could not meet such a demand towards Danish citizens. If such a demand is made, we would best meet it by all wearing the Star of David."[27]
The myth may originate from a Swedish newspaper cartoon, in which the King is asked what to do if Nazi-supported prime ministerErik Scavenius makes the Jews wear yellow stars. The King replied that in that case, all Danes would have to wear such stars.[28]
^Allerh. approb. Program for høitidelige Daabshandling i Christiansborg Slotskirke d. 31. Oct 1870 (in Danish). Copenhagen. 1870.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"Der rider en Konge". Lyrics by Hans Hartvig Seedorff Pedersen. Published e.g. in Emilius Bangert et al., "Dansk Alsang-Bog", Copenhagen: Egmont H. Peterens Forlag, 1941.
^Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1912) [1st pub.:1801].Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1912 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1912](PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. p. 4. Retrieved16 September 2019 – viada:DIS Danmark.
^"The Order of the Falcon".Website of the President of Iceland. English.forseti.is. Archived fromthe original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved1 July 2012.
^Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1943) [1st pub.:1801].Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1943 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1943](PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. p. 15. Retrieved16 September 2019 – viada:DIS Danmark.
^Sallay, Gergely Pál (2018),"The Collar of the Hungarian Order of Merit",A Had Tör Té Ne Ti Mú Ze um Értesítôje 18. Acta Musei Militaris in Hungaria, Budapest: Hadtörténeti Múzeum: 81
Bramsen, Bo (1992).Huset Glücksborg. Europas svigerfader og hans efterslægt [The House of Glücksburg: The Father-in-law of Europe and his descendants] (in Danish) (2nd ed.). Copenhagen: Forlaget Forum.ISBN87-553-1843-6.
Fabricius Møller, Jes (2013).Dynastiet Glücksborg, en Danmarkshistorie [The Glücksborg Dynasty, a history of Denmark] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Gad.ISBN9788712048411.
Jespersen, Knud J.V. (2007).Rytterkongen. Et portræt af Christian 10 [The Riding King. A portrait of Christian X] (in Danish).Copenhagen:Gyldendal.ISBN978-87-02-04135-4.
Lerche, Anna; Mandal, Marcus (2003).A royal family: the story of Christian IX and his European descendants. Copenhagen: Aschehoug.ISBN9788715109577.
Scocozza, Benito (1997). "Christian 10.".Politikens bog om danske monarker [Politiken's book about Danish monarchs] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Politikens Forlag. pp. 192–199.ISBN87-567-5772-7.
1 Also prince of Norway 2 Also prince of Greece 3 Also prince of Iceland 4 Also prince of the United Kingdom 5 Not Danish prince by birth, but created prince of Denmark Princes that lost their title are shown in italics
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