Women who were passed over – Denmark

Denmark has been governed by absolute primogeniture since 2009. From the beginning of the Kingdom until 1953, the Danish Crown passed according to agnatic primogeniture, which meant that women could not inherit, and between 1953 and 2009, it had male-preference primogeniture to allow for the succession of Queen Margrethe II, who was the elder of three sisters. Before the law change in 1953, Denmark had just one female monarch – Queen Margaret I.

So, how many women have been passed over in the line of succession if we assume absolute primogeniture?

Sophia of Denmark

Sophia was the eldest of four daughters of King Eric IV of Denmark and Jutta of Saxony. She was born in 1241 and was just nine years old when her father was murdered. As he had no sons, he was succeeded by his brother Abel, who was later succeeded by their brother Christopher. Sophie married Valdemar, King of Sweden, in 1260, and they had six children together. Her 4x-great-grandson became King Christian I of Denmark. She died in 1286.

Margaret of Denmark

Margaret was the eldest child of King Christopher II of Denmark and Euphemia of Pomerania. She was born circa 1305, and her younger brother, Otto, would become Junior King of Denmark, while another brother, Valdemar, would become King of Denmark. Margaret married Louis V, Duke of Bavaria, in 1324, and they had one daughter together. She died in 1340.

Anna of Denmark

Anna was the eldest child of King Christian III of Denmark and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. She was born on 22 November 1532. Her younger brother became King Frederick II of Denmark. Anna married the future Augustus, Elector of Saxony, in 1548, and they had 15 children together, though not all survived to adulthood. Anna died on 1 October 1585 after a long illness.

Elizabeth of Denmark

Elizabeth was born on 25 August 1573 as the eldest child of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Her younger brother, Christian, became King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway. On 19 April 1590, Elizabeth married Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and they had ten children together, though not all survived to adulthood. She died on 19 July 1625.

Sophia Magdalena of Denmark

Sophia Magdalena was born on 3 July 1746 as the eldest surviving child of the future King Frederick V of Denmark and Norway and his first consort, Princess Louise of Great Britain. Her elder brother, Crown Prince Christian, died shortly before his second birthday. Her younger brother became King Christian VII. In 1766, she married the future King Gustav III of Sweden, and they had two sons together, although the youngest did not survive to adulthood. She died on 21 August 1813.

Caroline of Denmark

Caroline was born on 28 October 1793 as the eldest surviving child of the future King Frederick VI of Denmark and Marie of Hesse-Kassel. Of their parents’ eight children, only Caroline and her younger sister  Vilhelmine Marie survived to adulthood. As Caroline could not inherit the throne, she was married to Prince Ferdinand of Denmark, who was her first cousin and third in line to the Danish throne at the time. She and Ferdinand had no children together. Her father was succeeded by Ferdinand’s elder brother, who became King Christian VIII. If Ferdinand had lived a few months longer, Caroline would have been Queen consort of Denmark after the death of Ferdinand’s nephew, King Frederick VII, in November 1863. King Frederick VII had married Caroline’s younger sister in 1828, but they divorced in 1837 without having had children. Caroline outlived her husband and died on 31 March 1881.