Princess Benedikte of Denmark

Princess Benedikte
Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
The Princess at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden, 8 June 2013
Born	29 April 1944 Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark
Spouse	Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (m. 1968)
Issue	Gustav, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Princess Alexandra, Countess von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth Princess Nathalie, Mrs Johannsmann
Full name Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid
House	Glücksburg[1]
Father	Frederick IX of Denmark
Mother	Princess Ingrid of Sweden

Princess Benedikte of Denmark RE, SKmd, D.Ht. (Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid; born 29 April 1944) is the second daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden. She is the younger sister of the reigning Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, and the older sister of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

Princess Benedikte often represents her elder sister at official or semi-official events. She and her husband, Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, have three children. Princess Benedikte is currently eleventh in the line of succession to the Danish throne.^[2]

Birth and family

Princess Benedikte's birthplace: Frederick VIII's Palace at Amalienborg, photographed in 2006

Princess Benedikte was born on 29 April 1944 at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen as the second child of Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Ingrid of Denmark. Her father was the eldest son of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, and her mother was the only daughter of Crown Prince Gustav Adolf and Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden.

Her birth took place during Nazi Germany's Occupation of Denmark. The day after the birth of the princess, members of the Danish resistance group Holger Danske performed a salute of 21 bombs in the Ørstedsparken public park in central Copenhagen as a reference to the traditional 21-gun salute performed by the Danish Army and Navy at the occasion of royal births.^[3]

She was baptised on 24 May 1944 in the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen. Her godparents were the King and Queen of Denmark (her paternal grandparents), Prince Gustav of Denmark (paternal granduncle), the King of Sweden (maternal great-grandfather), Count Sigvard Bernadotte af Wisborg (maternal uncle), Princess Knud of Denmark (paternal aunt), the Duchess of Västergötland (paternal grandaunt), Princess Axel of Denmark (paternal first cousin, once removed), Sir Alexander Ramsay (maternal granduncle) and the Queen of the United Kingdom (maternal second cousin, once removed).^[4]

At her birth, Princess Benedikte had one elder sister, Margrethe, the present Queen of Denmark. Her second sister Princess Anne Marie was born in 1946. Anne-Marie later married Constantine II of Greece and now lives in Greece.

Early life

Princess Benedikte as a bridesmaid at the 1962 wedding of Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern.

Princess Benedikte and her sisters grew up in apartments at Frederick VIIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen and in Fredensborg Palace in North Zealand. She spent summer holidays with the royal family in her parent's summer residence at Gråsten Palace in Southern Jutland. On 20 April 1947, King Christian X died and Benedikte's father ascended the throne as King Frederick IX.

At the time of her father's accession to the throne, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark. As her parents had no sons, it was assumed that her uncle Prince Knud would one day assume the throne. The popularity of Frederick IX and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life paved the way for a new Act of Succession in 1953 which permitted female succession to the throne following the principle of male-preference primogeniture, where a female can ascend to the throne if she has no brothers. Benedikte's elder sister Margrethe therefore became heir presumptive, and Princess Benedikte and Princess Anne-Marie became second and third in the line of succession.

Princess Benedikte was educated at N. Zahle's School, a private school in Copenhagen, followed by stays at a boarding school in England and a Swiss finishing school. In 1965 she took a class at the Margrethe-Skolen, a private fashion and design school in Copenhagen.^[5]

Along with her younger sister, Anne-Marie, Benedikte was a bridesmaid at the 1962 wedding of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark.

Marriage

Princess Benedikte with Prince Richard before their marriage.

Benedikte was married on 3 February 1968 at Fredensborg Palace Church to Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, born in Giessen on 29 October 1934. He is the son of Prince Gustav Albrecht, 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1907–1944) and his wife, Margareta Fouché d'Otrante (1909–2005). The King decreed that her children would need to be raised in Denmark in order to have succession rights. Since the condition was not met, Princess Benedikte's three children are not in line to succeed to the throne.^[6]

Interests

Princess Benedikte at the summer camp of The Danish Guide and Scout Association in 1999.

Princess Benedikte is very much involved in the scout/guide organization in Denmark as well as internationally. When she was a child, a special scout unit was created, so that she could join the guides. Now her involvement is more at the organisational level as she is chairman for Pigespejdernes fællesråd (Joint Committee of Girl Guides in Denmark). She is protector for De grønne pigespejdere (The Green Girl Guides, Denmark) and Det Danske Spejderkorps (The Danish Guide and Scout Association). In addition she is patron of the Olave Baden Powell Society (OB-PS), a support organisation for the international girl guide/scout organisation WAGGGS.

She is an honorary member of the St Georges Guilds in Denmark. In 2007 she was awarded with a prize of honour by this Scout association for adults.^[7]

She is also involved in equestrian sport, and has acted as an honorary patron of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses.^[8] In 2006, she ran in an election for president of the International Equestrian Federation, but she was heavily defeated, earning only 16 votes and placing last out of the three candidates.^[9]

Children and grandchildren

• Gustav, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 12 January 1969). His long-term girlfriend is Carina Axelsson (born 5 August 1968).
• Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 20 November 1970). On 6 June 1998 at Gråsten Palace, she was married to Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (born 12 July 1967). The couple has two children:
  • Count Richard von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (born 14 September 1999).
  • Countess Ingrid von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (born 16 August 2003).
• Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (born 2 May 1975). On 27 May 2010, she married to Alexander Johannsmann (born 6 December 1977). The couple has two children:
  • Konstantin Johannsmann (born 24 July 2010).
  • Louisa Johannsmann (born 28 January 2015)

The children of Princess Benedikte are styled as Highnesses in Denmark by an Order in Council. Elsewhere they are Serene Highnesses by courtesy.

Titles, styles, honours and awards

Benedikte's monogram

Benedikte enjoys the style of Royal Highness and has been Princess of Denmark since birth.^[10] As the wife of the Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg, she is also entitled to the title of Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg.

Honours

See also: List of honours of the Danish Royal Family by country

National Honours

•  Denmark: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.)^{[11][12][13][14][15]}
•  Denmark: Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog(S.Kmd.)^{[11][16][17][18][19]}
•  Denmark: Dame of the Royal Family Order of King Christian X
•  Denmark: Dame of the Royal Family Order of King Frederik IX^[20][21]
•  Denmark: Dame of the Royal Family Order of Queen Margrethe II^[18][22]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog(D.Ht.)^[11][18][23]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the Homeguard Medal of Merit^[11][24][25]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Christian X^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 50th Anniversary Medal of the Arrival of Queen Ingrid to Denmark^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the Silver Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II^[11][26][27]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Frederik IX^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the Queen Ingrid Commemorative Medal^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Prince Henrik^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 350th Anniversary Medal of the Royal Danish Life Guards^[28]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II^[11]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II^[11][29][30]
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 400th Anniversary Medal of the Guard Hussar Regiment
•  Denmark: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II^[11][31][32]

Foreign Honours

•  Argentina: Grand Cross of Order of the Liberator General San Martín^[11]
•  Belgium: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown^[11]
•  Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland^[11][33]
•  Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st Class^[11]
• Greek Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia^[11][34][35]
•  Italy: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic^[11][36][37]
  •   Vatican
    •  Holy See: Knight of the Decoration of Honour^[11][38]
  • Castroan Royal Family of Two Sicilies: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I^[39]
•  Luxembourg: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau^[11][40]
•  Mexico: Grand Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle^[41][42]
•  Monaco: Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown^[43]
•  Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown^{[11][44][45][46]}
•  Netherlands: Recipient of the Wedding Medal of Princess Beatrix, Princess of Orange and Claus Van Amsberg^[47]
•  Norway: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav^[11][48]
•  Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic^[11][49][50]
•  Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star^[11][51][52]
•  Sweden: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf^[11]
•  Sweden: Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf^[11]
•  Tunisia: Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic^[11]

Awards and Patronages

National

•  Denmark: Chairman of the Joint Committee of Girl Guides in Denmark^[53]
•  Denmark: Protector of the Green Girl Guides^[54]
•  Denmark: Protector of the The Danish Guide and Scout Association^[55]
•  Denmark: Patron of the Danish World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts^[56][57]
•  Denmark: Patron of the Danish Dressage^[58]
•  Denmark: Patron of the Danish International Federation for Equestrian Sports^[58]
•  Denmark: Patron Award of the Danish Warmblood Society^[59]
•  Denmark: Patron of the Alzheimer's Association^[60]
•  Denmark: Honorary Member of the Guild of St George in Denmark^[61]

Foreign

•  South Korea: Honorary Doctorate of the Seoul Women's University^[62]
•  United Kingdom: Patron of the Olave Baden-Powell Society^[62]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Princess Benedikte of Denmark

16. Christian IX of Denmark               8. Frederick VIII of Denmark                       17. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel               4. Christian X of Denmark                             18. Charles XV of Sweden               9. Princess Louise of Sweden                       19. Princess Louise of the Netherlands               2. Frederick IX of Denmark                                   20. Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               10. Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       21. Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz               5. Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                             22. Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia               11. Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia                       23. Princess Cecilie of Baden               1. Princess Benedikte of Denmark                                         24. Oscar II of Sweden               12. Gustav V of Sweden                       25. Princess Sofia of Nassau               6. Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden                             26. Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden               13. Princess Victoria of Baden                       27. Princess Louise of Prussia               3. Princess Ingrid of Sweden                                   28. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha               14. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn                       29. Victoria of the United Kingdom               7. Princess Margaret of Connaught                             30. Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia               15. Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia                       31. Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau

References

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External links

• Official web page on Princess Benedikte at the Wayback Machine (archived June 14, 2006)