As one of the oldest monarchies in the world, the Danish royal family is steeped in rich history, tradition, and relationships forged to keep the Crown in power.
WATCH NOW: Queen Margrethe marries Prince Henrik. Article continues after video.
And thanks to the efforts of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her descendants have royal relatives spread right across Europe.
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In fact, Queen Margrethe through her great-great grandparents is related to King Harald V of Norway, King Felipe of Spain, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (who happens to be her first cousin), King Phillippe of Belgium and King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
How is Queen Margrethe related to Queen Victoria?
There is a reason Queen Victoria is referred to by historians as the “grandmother of Europe.”
Despite reportedly once saying that having children was a “horror” and she’d “rather have none”, the monarch went on to give birth to nine children across 17 years: Victoria, Albert “Bertie” (who later became King Edward VII), Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, and Beatrice – all of whom gave her 42 grandchildren to continue her genetic legacy.
Queen Victoria’s son Prince Arthur had a daughter, Princess Margaret, who then birthed a daughter Ingrid, who ultimately married Frederick XI of Denmark and soon became the mother of Queen Margrethe.
How were Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe related?
As well as being firm friends, the late Queen Elizabeth and former Queen of Denmark were also distantly related via both Queen Victoria of England and her husband (and third cousin) King Christian IX of Denmark.
Third cousins themselves, the Queens were both great-great-granddaughters of Victoria and Christian, their familiar bond paving the way for an extremely close relationship over the years.
In a rare interview with ITV ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, Queen Margrethe said her British cousin had greatly inspired her.
“The way she has faced her duties, the way she is dedicated but also that she does it with a smile,” she reflected fondly.
She also spoke of the Queen’s “attractive voice” and “marvellous sense of humour.”
And in a testament to how close their unique bond was, the cousins also used nicknames for one other, Queen Elizabeth referring to Queen Margrethe as “Daisy” and Elizabeth being referred to fondly by Margrethe as “Lilibet.”
Following her passing in September 2022, Queen Margrethe described Queen Elizabeth as a “towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all.”
Was Prince Philip related to Queen Margrethe of Denmark?
As well as being related to Queen Elizabeth, Queen Margrethe was also a distant relative of her third cousin’s husband, the late Prince Philip.
Born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, he and Margrethe shared common ancestry through Queen Victoria and King Christian of Denmark.
He was also related to Queen Margrethe through marriage. His great-nephew, the now-deposed King Constantine II of Greece married Queen Margrethe’s younger sister Anne Marie in 1964.
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