Christian IX

Christian IX (1818-1906), King of Denmark (1863-1906), a direct descendant of Christian III through the Glücksburg line. In 1852, with the consent of the reigning Frederick VII, a council of the great powers recognized Christian as heir apparent to the Danish throne. On the death of Frederick in 1863, Christian became king. The following year, after a war with Prussia and Austria, Denmark was forced to renounce its claims to Schleswig-Holstein by the Treaty of Vienna. In domestic affairs, Christian IX's reign was marked by a struggle between liberal and conservative elements for control of the Folketing, the lower House of the Danish Rigsdag, the legislature. Christian sided with the conservatives, but when the liberals gained control of the Folketing, he consented to the formation of a liberal ministry. By his wife, Louise, Princess of Hesse-Cassel, he had six children. Of these, his eldest son succeeded him as Frederick VIII; his daughter Alexandra married the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of Great Britain and Ireland; another daughter, Dagmar, married Grand Duke Alexander of Russia, later Tsar Alexander III; and a younger son became King George I of Greece. Understandably, Christian was sometimes known as the Grandfather of Europe.