List of monarchs of Denmark
This is a list of monarchs of Denmark, that is, the kings and queen regnants of Denmark. This includes:
- The Kingdom of Denmark
- * Personal union of Denmark and Norway
- The Kalmar Union
- * Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden
- * Union of Denmark and Norway
- The United Kingdoms of Denmark–Norway
- The Kingdom of Denmark
- * Iceland
- * Greenland
- * Faroe Islands
Pre-Knýtlinga Danish monarchs
The exact date of origin of the Kingdom of Denmark is not established, but names of Danish kings begins to emerge in foreign sources from the 8th century and onwards. Danish and Nordic legendary stories, chronicles and sagas often have accounts of Danish kings and dynasties stretching further back in time than the 7th century, but the historicity of the content and interpretations of these stories are often put to doubt.- Chochilaicus—see Hugleik and Hygelac— 515 AD, mentioned by Gregory of Tours.
- Ongendus : Saint Willibrord wrote about when he visited the Danes, at the time ruled by Ongendus.
- Harald, named as former king in relating 9th-century events, perhaps model for legendary Harald Wartooth. Related to the Frisian king Redbad II who in 754 had to flee to "the land of the Danes" where King Harald reigned.
- Sigfred: 770s–790s
- Gudfred: 804–810, mentioned as Danish king. Alternate spellings: Godfred, Göttrick, Godric, Gøtrik, Gudrød
- Hemming: 810–812.
- Sigfred, nephew of Gudfred, and Anulo, grandson or nephew of Harald, fought for the throne and both were killed, perhaps model for the legendary Sigurd Hring:
- Harald Klak and his brothers Ragnfrid and Hemming Halfdansson: 812–813 and again from 819/827. From 826 he was in exile with Louis the Pious.
- Sons of Gudfred : 814–820s
- * Horik I: 827–854.
- Horik II: 854–860s.
- Late 9th century kings
- * Bagsecg:
- * Halfdan: 871–877
- * Sigfred:.
- * Gudfred: 880s
- * Heiligo : 890s, described by Adam of Bremen as the immediate predecessor of the House of Olof.
- The "House of Olaf": late 9th century and early 10th century. This dynasty is described by Adam of Bremen, and members of this claimed dynasty are commemorated by the two Sigtrygg Runestones, which represent contemporary evidence that some of these kings controlled at least part of Denmark.
- * Olof, said by Adam to have come from Sweden and defeated Heiligo, taking the crown.
- * Gyrd and Gnupa, sons and joint successors of Olof, according to Adam. Gnupa is named by Widukind of Corvey as leader of the Danes in 934, and appears on the Sigtrygg Runestones. The Danish medieval annals, on the other hand, doesn't mention Gnupa at all, whereas Gyrd is stated in several of these annals as being a nephew of and successor to Olof.
- * Sigtrygg, son of Gnupa, memorialized on the Sigtrygg Runestones, presumably dating from shortly after 934.
- Eric the Victorious of Sweden mentioned by Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus as ruling Denmark after an invasion by Sweden together with Slavic warriors. Adam of Bremen got the information from Danish king Sweyn II. The Stone of Eric also describes an attack on Hedeby from the same period. Since Eric also, according to another source of Adam of Bremen, invaded the Holy Roman Empire. It virtually requires Eric to have been the king of Denmark. Therefore two independent sources describe Eric as the king of Denmark.
Semi-legendary kings
- Ragnar Lodbrok, a legendary king probably in the 9th century, only appears in sagas and late histories, and these accounts are wildly inconsistent. He may be a composite character, a chimera of several historical kings and Vikings.
- Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. Mentioned by late Chronicon Roskildense and Ragnarssona þáttr. Said to be king of Zealand and Scania, and son of Ragnar Lodbrok. He may be inspired by late 9th century King Sigfred.
- Harthacnut I. According to the sagas he is son of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, but some historians identify him with Adam's Hardegon, Svein's son, who invaded Denmark from Northmannia and supplanted the House of Olof. He may have ruled only part of Denmark, as Adam places the commencement of his long reign between 909 and 915, while the House of Olof was still ruling at least part of Denmark as late as 934. He was father of Gorm the Old.
List of monarchs of Denmark
[House of Gorm] (c. 936–1042)
| Name | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Gorm the Old ' by c. 936 – 958/64 | Non-contemporary | ? son of Harthacanute I | Thyra four children | 958/64 |
| Harald I Bluetooth ' 958/64–985/6 | Non-contemporary | 932 son of Gorm the Old and Thyra | Gunhild Tove of the Obotrites January 963 Gyrid of Sweden | 1 November 985 Jomsborg aged 53 |
| Sweyn I Forkbeard ' 986–1014 | Non-contemporary | 17 April 963 son of Tove of the Obotrites and Harald Bluetooth | Gunhild of Wenden or Sigrid the Haughty eight children | 3 February 1014 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire aged 50 |
| Harald II Svendsen 1014–1018 | Non-contemporary | ? son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhild or Sigrid | unknown | |
| Cnut II the Great ' 1019–1035 | son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunhild or Sigrid | Ælfgifu of Northampton two children Emma of Normandy 2/31 July 1017 three children | 12 November 1035 Shaftesbury aged about 40–50 | |
| Cnut III or Harthacnut III 1035–1042 | Non-contemporary | England son of Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy | never married | 8 June 1042 Lambeth aged 21–22 |
House of Fairhair">Fairhair dynasty">House of Fairhair (1042–1047)
[House of Estridsen] (1047–1375)
[House of Bjälbo] (1376–1387)
House of Estridsen (1387–1412)
[House of Griffin] (1396–1439)
[[House of Wittelsbach|House of Wittelsbach, Palatinate-Neumarkt branch]] (1440–1448)
[House of Oldenburg] (1448–1863)
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg branch">House of Glücksburg">Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg branch (1863–present)
Timeline of Danish monarchs
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from: 940 till: 1042 color: al text:Gorm
from: 1042 till: 1047 color: du text:Fairhair
from: 1047 till: 1375 color: fa text:Estridsen
from: 1376 till: 1387 color: ba text:Bjelbo
from: 1387 till: 1412 color: fa text:Estridsen
from: 1396 till: 1439 color: br text:Pomerania
from: 1440 till: 1448 color: cw text:Palatinate-Neumarkt
from: 1448 till: 1863 color: sw text:Oldenburg
from: 1863 till: 2025 color: su text:Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
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barset:Rulers
from: 940 till: 964 color:al text:Gorm the Old
from: 964 till: 985 color:al text:Harald I Bluetooth
from: 986 till: 1014 color:al text:Sweyn I Forkbeard
from: 1014 till: 1018 color:al text:Harald II Svendsen
from: 1018 till: 1035 color:al text:Cnut the Great
from: 1035 till: 1042 color:al text:Harthacnut
from: 1042 till: 1047 color:du text:Magnus the Good
from: 1047 till: 1076 color:fa text:Sweyn II Estridsson
from: 1076 till: 1080 color:fa text:Harald III the Soft
from: 1080 till: 1086 color:fa text:Canute IV the Holy
from: 1086 till: 1095 color:fa text:Olaf I Hunger
from: 1095 till: 1103 color:fa text:Eric I Evergood
from: 1104 till: 1134 color:fa text:Niels
from: 1134 till: 1137 color:fa text:Eric II the Memorable
from: 1137 till: 1146 color:fa text:Eric III Lamb
from: 1146 till: 1157 color:fa text:Sweyn III Grathe
from: 1146 till: 1157 color:fa text:Canute V
from: 1154 till: 1182 color:fa text:Valdemar I the Great
from: 1170 till: 1202 color:fa text:Canute VI
from: 1202 till: 1241 color:fa text:Valdemar II the Victorious
from: 1215 till: 1231 color:fa text:Valdemar the Young
from: 1232 till: 1250 color:fa text:Eric IV Ploughpenny
from: 1250 till: 1252 color:fa text:Abel
from: 1252 till: 1259 color:fa text:Christopher I
from: 1259 till: 1286 color:fa text:Eric V Klipping
from: 1286 till: 1319 color:fa text:Eric VI Menved
from: 1320 till: 1326 color:fa text:Christopher II
from: 1321 till: 1326 color:fa text:Erik Christoffersen
from: 1326 till: 1329 color:fa text:Valdemar III
from: 1329 till: 1332 color:fa text:Christopher II
from: 1329 till: 1331 color:fa text:Erik Christoffersen
from: 1332 till: 1340 color:fa text:Interregnum
from: 1340 till: 1375 color:fa text:Valdemar IV Atterdag
from: 1376 till: 1387 color:ba text:Olaf II
from: 1376 till: 1412 color:fa text:Margrethe I
from: 1396 till: 1439 color:br text:Eric VII
from: 1440 till: 1448 color:cw text:Christopher III
from: 1448 till: 1481 color:sw text:Christian I
from: 1481 till: 1513 color:sw text:John
from: 1513 till: 1523 color:sw text:Christian II
from: 1523 till: 1533 color:sw text:Frederick I
from: 1533 till: 1534 color:sw text:Interregnum
from: 1534 till: 1559 color:sw text:Christian III
from: 1559 till: 1588 color:sw text:Frederick II
from: 1588 till: 1648 color:sw text:Christian IV
from: 1648 till: 1670 color:sw text:Frederick III
from: 1670 till: 1699 color:sw text:Christian V
from: 1699 till: 1730 color:sw text:Frederick IV
from: 1730 till: 1746 color:sw text:Christian VI
from: 1746 till: 1766 color:sw text:Frederick V
from: 1766 till: 1808 color:sw text:Christian VII
from: 1784 till: 1808 color:sw text:Frederick VI
from: 1808 till: 1839 color:sw text:Frederick VI
from: 1839 till: 1848 color:sw text:Christian VIII
from: 1848 till: 1863 color:sw text:Frederick VII
from: 1863 till: 1906 color:su text:Christian IX
from: 1906 till: 1912 color:su text:Frederik VIII
from: 1912 till: 1947 color:su text:Christian X
from: 1947 till: 1972 color:su text:Frederik IX
from: 1972 till: 2024 color:su text:Margrethe II
from: 2024 till: end color:su text:Frederik X
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