Frederick VIII of Denmark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frederik VIII
Frederik VIII in 1909
King of Denmark (more...)
Reign	29 January 1906 – 14 May 1912
Predecessor	Christian IX
Successor	Christian X
Born	Prince Christian Frederik Vilhelm Carl of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1843-06-03)3 June 1843 Yellow Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	14 May 1912(1912-05-14) (aged 68) Hamburg, German Empire
Burial	Roskilde Cathedral
Spouse	Louise of Sweden ​ (m. 1869)​
Issue Detail	Christian X of Denmark Haakon VII of Norway Princess Louise Prince Harald Princess Ingeborg, Duchess of Västergötland Princess Thyra Prince Gustav Princess Dagmar
Full name Christian Frederik Vilhelm Carl
House	Glücksburg
Father	Christian IX of Denmark
Mother	Louise of Hesse-Kassel
Religion	Church of Denmark
Signature

Frederik VIII (Danish: Christian Frederik Vilhelm Carl; 3 June 1843 – 14 May 1912) was the King of Denmark from 1906 until his death in 1912.

He was the oldest son of King Christian IX, who was known as the Father-in-law of Europe because his children married into many royal families across Europe. This made Frederik related to many other royal families. Frederik was the heir apparent, meaning he was next in line to become king. He served as crown prince for over 42 years. During his father's long rule, Frederik did not have much power or influence in politics. When his father died in 1906, Frederik became king at 62 years old.

Frederik VIII was a king who supported new ideas. He was much more open to the new parliamentary system (where elected officials have more power) that started in 1901, unlike his father. He wanted to make reforms and believed in democratic ideas. However, because he became king late in life, his rule lasted only six years. He also had poor health during this time.

Frederik VIII married Louise of Sweden, and they had eight children. Their oldest son, Christian X of Denmark, became king after Frederik. Their second son, Carl, became King Haakon VII of Norway in 1905.

Early Life of Prince Frederik

Frederik's birthplace, the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen

Prince Frederik was born on June 3, 1843, at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. This palace was an old house right next to the Amalienborg Palace, where the Danish royal family lived. He was the first child of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel. His father's family was a smaller branch of the Danish royal family, the House of Oldenburg.

Frederik was baptized on June 22 with the names Christian Frederik Vilhelm Carl. His family called him Fredy.

Frederik's Siblings and Family Life

Christian IX of Denmark with his wife and their six children in 1862. From left to right: Dagmar, Frederik, Valdemar, Christian IX, Queen Louise, Thyra, George and Alexandra.

Frederik had five younger brothers and sisters: Alexandra, William, Dagmar, Thyra, and Valdemar. Even though they were royal, their family lived a fairly normal life. They were not very rich. Their father's income from the army was about £800 a year, and their house was given to them for free. Sometimes, the famous storyteller Hans Christian Andersen would visit and tell the children bedtime stories.

In 1853, it became clear that the main line of the Oldenburg royal family would end because King Frederick VII was old and had no children. Frederik's mother, Louise, was very close to being next in line for the throne. Other relatives gave up their claims to the throne in favor of Louise. Then, Louise gave up her claim so that Frederik's father, Prince Christian, could be chosen as the heir. Because of this, Frederik became a Prince of Denmark.

Education and Royal Duties

Frederik photographed by Lewis Caroll in 1863 during his stay in Oxford.

On October 19, 1860, Frederik and his sister Princess Alexandra had their confirmation at Christiansborg Palace. After this, Prince Frederik received a lot of military training. He joined the Royal Danish Navy with his brother Valdemar. In 1863, Frederik went to study political science at the University of Oxford in England. But he returned to Denmark when his father became king in November of that year.

As the heir to the throne, Frederik was given a seat in the Danish Council of State, which is like a government council. He then helped his father with the duties of ruling the country. In 1864, he took part in the Second Schleswig War against Prussia and Austria.

The Crown Prince was also a member of the Danish Order of Freemasons. He was their leader, called the Grand Master, from 1871 until he died.

Marriage to Louise of Sweden

Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Louise of Sweden

Queen Louise, Frederik's mother, wanted her oldest son to marry well, just like her two daughters, Alexandra and Dagmar, had. She hoped Frederik would marry one of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom's daughters. Frederik was interested in Princess Helena, and she liked him too. However, Queen Victoria did not want her daughters to marry heirs to foreign thrones because it would mean they would have to live abroad. She preferred them to marry German princes who could live in England. Also, Queen Victoria was more supportive of Germany, and another alliance with Denmark (Frederik's sister Alexandra had married Victoria's son Edward) did not fit her plans.

After this, attention turned to Princess Louise of Sweden and Norway. She was the only daughter of King Charles XV of Sweden and Norway. Princess Louise belonged to the Bernadotte dynasty, which had ruled Sweden since 1818.

The marriage was suggested as a way to make Denmark and Sweden more friendly. The two countries had not been getting along well since Sweden did not help Denmark during the war with Prussia in 1864. Frederik and Louise had met in 1862. In 1868, Frederik was invited to Sweden to get to know Louise better, and their meeting went very well.

In July 1868, Crown Prince Frederik, who was 25, became engaged to 17-year-old Princess Louise. They were married a year later, on July 28, 1869, in the chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Louise was the first Swedish princess to marry into the Danish royal family since the Middle Ages. People in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were happy about the marriage, seeing it as a symbol of friendship between the Scandinavian countries.

Family Life and Children

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Louise.

On August 10, 1869, the newly married couple arrived in Copenhagen and received a warm welcome. They were given Frederik VIII's Palace, an old palace that is part of the Amalienborg Palace complex in central Copenhagen, as their home. For their country home, they received Charlottenlund Palace, located about 10 kilometers north of Copenhagen by the Øresund Strait. This was a quiet place away from court life, and many of their children were born there.

Frederik and Louise had eight children: four sons and four daughters. They were born between 1870 and 1890. Their children were Prince Christian, Prince Carl, Princess Louise, Prince Harald, Princess Ingeborg, Princess Thyra, Prince Gustav, and Princess Dagmar. Their oldest sons, Christian and Carl, would later become kings of Denmark and Norway. Because they had so many children, Charlottenlund Palace was made bigger in 1880–81 with a dome and two extra parts.

Becoming King

Frederik was the crown prince for 43 years. He used this long time to prepare carefully for when he would become king. Even though he had a seat in the Council of State, his father, King Christian IX, mostly kept him from having much power or influence in politics.

Frederik's Reign as King

Nine Kings at Windsor for the funeral of King Edward VII, photographed on May 20, 1910. Standing (left to right): Frederik VIII's son King Haakon VII of Norway, Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, King Manuel II of Portugal, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, King George I of Greece and King Albert I of Belgium. Seated (left to right): King Alfonso XIII of Spain, King George V of the United Kingdom and King Frederik VIII of Denmark.

Portrait by Otto Bache (1910)

On January 29, 1906, King Christian IX died peacefully at 87 years old, after ruling for 43 years. When his father died, Frederik became king at 62. The Prime Minister, Jens Christian Christensen, announced him as King Frederik VIII from the balcony of Christian VII's Palace at Amalienborg.

Because he became king late in life, Frederik's rule lasted only six years. During this time, he often had health problems. Frederik VIII was a king who supported new ideas. He was much more open to the new parliamentary system than his father had been. He wanted to make reforms and believed in democratic ideas.

Death of Frederik VIII

On May 14, 1912, King Frederik was returning from a trip to Nice with his wife and four of his children. He stopped briefly in Hamburg, Germany, and stayed at the Hotel Hamburger Hof using the fake name "Count Kronberg". That evening, Frederik went for a walk by himself. He felt faint and collapsed on a park bench. A police officer found him and took him to the hospital, where he was declared dead. The cause of death was a heart attack. Because Frederik was using a fake name and had no identification, his body was taken to the local morgue. The hotel manager identified him the next morning.

Frederik's body was taken by a special train to Travemünde, and then brought back to Denmark on the royal yacht Dannebrog. After being honored at the chapel of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, he was buried in Christian IX's Chapel in Roskilde Cathedral. This cathedral is the traditional burial place for Danish monarchs since the 1400s.

Frederik's Descendants

The current royal families of Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and Luxembourg are all related to King Frederik VIII. The Danish royal family comes from his oldest son, Christian X. The Norwegian royal family comes from his second son, Haakon VII, and also from his daughter, Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. The royal family of Belgium and the grand ducal family of Luxembourg are also related through Princess Ingeborg of Denmark.

Titles and Honours

Titles and Styles

During his time as king, Frederik's full title was: His Majesty Frederick VIII, By the Grace of God, King of Denmark, of the Wends and of the Goths, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg and Oldenburg.

Awards and Recognitions

The Kronprins Frederiks Bro (Crown Prince Frederik's Bridge) in Frederikssund and King Frederick VIII Land in Greenland are named after him.

Awards from Denmark

• Knight of the Elephant, June 3, 1861
• Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog, June 3, 1861
• Grand Commander of the Dannebrog, July 28, 1869
• Commemorative Medal for the Golden Wedding of King Christian IX and Queen Louise, 1892

Awards from Other Countries

Honorary Military Roles

• Colonel-in-Chief of The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), 1906 – 1914 (United Kingdom)
• À la suite of the Imperial German Navy (a special honorary rank)
• Honorary General of the Swedish Army, 1891 (Sweden-Norway)

Frederik's Children

See also

In Spanish: Federico VIII de Dinamarca para niños