Denmark commemorates 100th anniversary of King Frederick VIII’s death and King Christian X’s succession

King Frederick VIII

May 14—Exactly 100 years ago, King Frederick VIII died and was succeeded by his son, who assumed the name Christian IX.  The king, stricken by acute cardiac arrest, unexpectedly fell on the ground and died in Hamburg.

The king’s death came near Hotel Hamburger Hof, where he and his entourage were staying while on the way home after a hunting trip in southern France. Frederick VIII was born in 1843, the eldest son of Prince Christian, later Christian IX, and the former Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel. His father, who succeeded the Danish throne in 1863, ruled until 1906. The king reigned from 1906 until 1912.

King Christian X

News of the king’s death reached Copenhagen on the 15th and the council of state was immediately held, presided by Klaus Berntsen at Amalienborg Palace. King Christian X was proclaimed King. His reign, which lasted until 1947, was considered as the most dramatic in all of Denmark’s history. It began at the dawn of World War I and ended in the last year of World War II and saw a huge political, economic, and social upheavals that swept the whole world.