What you need to know for the test
- Denmark is a constitutional monarchy: the monarchy operates within the framework of the constitution and democracy.
- The monarch is head of state but has no real political power – political power is exercised solely by the government and the Folketing (the Danish parliament).
- The king takes part when ministers are appointed or a new government is formed, and he signs the laws together with the politically responsible minister.
- Denmark's current monarch is King Frederik X. He became king on 14 January 2024, when his mother, Queen Margrethe II, chose to abdicate.
- The throne is hereditary. Since the amendment of the Act of Succession in 2009, it is always the eldest child – son or daughter – who inherits the throne.
- Kongeloven (the King's Law) of 1665 was the basis of the king's absolute power until the first free constitution in 1849.
- The royal family's home is Amalienborg in Copenhagen, while the Council of State meets at Christiansborg.
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the monarchy operates within the framework of Grundloven (the Danish constitution) and democracy. The monarch – the king or queen – is not politically elected but inherits the throne. The king has no real political power: he does not interfere in political life, does not express political opinions and, in return, cannot be held responsible for the conduct of government.
Denmark's head of state is thus a monarch, but political power is exercised solely by the government and the Folketing. The same is true in other European monarchies such as Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Denmark therefore does not have a popularly elected and politically powerful head of state like, for example, the presidents of France and the USA. You can read more about the distribution of power on the page about democracy and government by the people.
The monarch's formal duties today
A number of the king's formal duties are nevertheless linked to political life:
- He attends the opening of the Folketing on the first Tuesday of October.
- He takes part when ministers are to be appointed or a new government formed. Formally, it is the king who appoints the prime minister – but always in accordance with the majority in the Folketing.
- He signs the laws passed by the Folketing and the government, together with the politically responsible minister. This happens at the Council of State (statsråd) at Christiansborg, where the king meets with the government's ministers.
- He acts as host when Denmark receives state visits, and represents the country on state visits abroad.
The king and the royal house are also a national unifying symbol with a wide range of ceremonial and representative duties. The royal house holds a central place in Danish history and is very popular among the population.
The succession – who inherits the throne?
The monarch's position is hereditary, and the rules have changed over time. With the constitutional amendment of 1953, the succession was changed so that the Danish throne could be inherited by a woman – although sons still took precedence over daughters. The question had become pressing because King Frederik IX (1947-72) had three daughters and no sons. The change made it possible for his eldest daughter, the later Queen Margrethe II, to inherit the throne.
With an amendment of the Act of Succession (tronfølgeloven) in 2009, approved in a referendum, men and women gained fully equal rights of inheritance to the throne. Now it is always the eldest child – son or daughter – who inherits the throne. Read more about the constitution's rules on the page about the constitution and rights.
Frederik X and the royal family
Denmark's current monarch is King Frederik X (born 1968). He became king on 14 January 2024, when his mother, Queen Margrethe II, chose to abdicate – that is, to step down voluntarily from the throne. It happened on exactly the same date on which she herself had ascended the throne in 1972 on the death of her father Frederik IX. Margrethe II was thus queen for 52 years.
Since 2004 the king has been married to Queen Mary (born 1972), who originally comes from Australia. Together they have four children: Crown Prince Christian (born 2005), Princess Isabella (born 2007) and the twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine (born 2011). The eldest, Crown Prince Christian, will one day take over the throne as Christian XI.
A brief history of the royal house
The Danish royal house is among the oldest of the world's 43 monarchies in total. It is over a thousand years old and can be traced back with certainty to Gorm the Old in the 900s. From him onwards, Denmark has had a total of 54 monarchs – 52 kings and two queens. From 1448 to 1863 the country was ruled by the House of Oldenburg and thereafter by the House of Glücksburg. Incidentally, since 1448, 20 of 21 Danish kings have been named either Christian or Frederik.
In 1660-61, King Frederik III introduced absolute monarchy (enevælden): the king now ruled the country entirely alone, and the throne was to pass automatically to his closest heir. As the only absolute monarchy in Europe, Denmark received a written constitution in 1665, Kongeloven (the King's Law), which established that the king had almost unlimited power. Kongeloven remained the basis of the king's absolute power right up until 1849, when on 5 June King Frederik VII signed Danmarks Riges Grundlov, abolished the absolutist form of government and declared himself a constitutional king. Read more about the period in Danish history before 1849.
Amalienborg and Christiansborg
Amalienborg in Copenhagen is the royal family's home. Many Danes follow along on television when the monarch gives the traditional New Year's Eve address from Amalienborg or from the residence at Fredensborg Palace, and many gather in Amalienborg Palace Square to cheer the king on his birthday on 26 May.
Christiansborg, by contrast, is the house of politics: this is where the Folketing sits, and where the king meets with the government's ministers at the Council of State when laws are to be signed. Look up more key terms in the glossary, and see our guide to the indfødsretsprøven 2026 when planning your preparation.