Royal wedding of Queen Margrethe II in 1967

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As the only two Queen regnants in Europe, Queen Margrethe is known to be a close friend of Queen Elizabeth II. As Queen Margrethe, 81, celebrates her Golden Jubilee today (January 14), Express.co.uk takes a look at the links between Denmark’s monarch and the British Royal Family.

Who is Queen Margrethe?

Queen Margrethe II is Queen of Denmark, and she has held the position since her father King Frederick IX died on January 14, 1972.

Born on April 16, 1940, Queen Margrethe was not in line to inherit the throne of Denmark when she was born, despite being her father’s eldest child.

But a constitutional change took place in Denmark in 1953 which permitted females to succeed the nation’s throne.

From this point on, Margrethe was considered “throne heiress” and she took part in meetings of the Council of State from the age of 18.

Margrethe studied at some of the best universities in the world including the UK’s University of Cambridge and the Sorbonne in France.

She married French diplomat, Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, in 1967, who then took the style of Prince Henrik of Denmark.

The couple had two children, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, and Prince Joachim of Denmark.

When her father died in 1972, Margrethe became the first Queen of Denmark in her own right.

Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik were married for more than five decades until Henrik died in 2018.

Today, Queen Margrethe is a popular monarch widely admired in Denmark, and she is famed for her artistic abilities.

Queen Margrethe is still a prominent figure in Denmark, regularly completing royal engagements and attending public events.

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How is Queen Margrethe related to Queen Elizabeth II?

Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark are third cousins.

Both the Queen and Queen Margrethe descend from two powerful historical royal figures, Queen Victoria and King Christian IX of Denmark.

Queen Victoria instigated several advantageous marriages for her children during her reign, and she was famously dubbed the “grandmother of Europe” by historians.

Indeed, King Christian IX has also been given the nickname of “father-in-law of Europe” as many of his children sat on thrones across Europe.

Was Queen Margrethe related to Prince Philip?

As well as being a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Margrethe is also a relative of the late Prince Philip.

Prince Philip was born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, and he and Queen Margrethe shared ancestry through Queen Victoria and King Christian IX of Denmark.

To mark Prince Philip’s funeral, Queen Margrethe ordered the royal flag at Amalienborg Castle to be flown at half-mast in tribute to him.

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