Princess Benedikte of Denmark was born on 29 April 1944 at the Frederik VIII Palace of Amalienborg in central Copenhagen. She was the second child of the then Crown Prince Frederik and his Swedish-born wife, Crown Princess Ingrid, who had close links with the British Royal Family (her British-born mother Margaret was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland). The Princess was baptized on 24 May in Holmens Church. Ingrid’s older sibling (born in 1940) was Margaretha who, in 1972, would ascend the throne of Denmark as Queen Margrethe II.
The Princess’ birth came at a difficult time for Denmark which was under German occupation. Civil unrest, especially among younger Danes, was on the increase and in the summer of 1944 sabotage operations were carried out in the Copenhagen area, with strikes breaking out throughout Denmark. There were serious food shortages too and a feeling of apprehension as to what the future held. Yet, within the year, Denmark was liberated from the Nazi terror. In 1946, Crown Princess Ingrid gave birth to a third daughter, Anne-Marie. The Crown Princely family were now complete.
In 1947, Benedikte’s paternal grandfather King Christian X died and her father ascended the throne as King Frederik IX of Denmark. The Princess was a shy child and only spoke when she was sure of what she wanted to say. Yet, she certainly knew how to make a point: when an English nanny called Mary was employed by Queen Ingrid, Benedikte complained repeatedly that she could not understand a word the woman said. As Margaretha was four years older-quite a gap at that age-Benedikte would, during these pre-teen years, be closer to Anne-Marie. The younger princesses tended to be referred to en famille as ‘the little ones’, right up until Benedikte was on the cusp of entering her teens. Queen Margrethe herself has acknowledged that ‘even though we grew up in a home where we saw each other daily… there was actually a lot of distance.’ She also recalls that ‘I probably wasn’t nice to Benedikte all the time. I teased her and she would get very upset.’ Although Bendedikte adored her ‘humorous’ father, he too had a teasing nature. The King also instilled in his reticent middle child that people ‘wave and they want to see you, so you have to wave [back].’ Frederik would often call out to her as they drove along in the car to remind her to acknowledge the onlookers and even instructed her on which side to wave. Margarethe has opined that her ‘reluctant’ sister had ‘a harder time adjusting to that regime’ than perhaps she had. Princess Benedikte has also mentioned that there was some sibling rivalry-hardly surprising-especially when it came to deciding who was to sit next to their mother. It must be remembered too that Queen Ingrid and King Frederik were kept busy with official engagements, so were invariably occupied. Furthermore, the children did not normally eat meals with their parents, except at weekends when they enjoyed Sunday lunch together. So this added another element of “distance”. Nonetheless, all the sisters were close to their parents and to the outside world they were seen as forming a tight family circle. Ingrid was undoubtedly a loving, but at times exacting, mother. Benedikte would remember, somewhat ruefully, that when she attended the N Zahle school, which was quite a distance away from the palace, ‘we had to walk to and from school because my mother thought it was healthy for us to have fresh air.’
At the time of Benedikte’s birth, woman were not permitted to succeed to the Danish throne, so there was no expectation that any of King Frederik’s daughters would ascend the throne. However, all this changed with the passing of the 1953 Act of Succession which permitted female succession to the throne following the principle of male-preference primogeniture. Benedikte’s elder sister Margrethe now became heir presumptive, while Benedikte and Anne-Marie became second and third in the line of succession respectively.
As the girls matured, Queen Ingrid, who retained some of the English customs of her late mother, loved nothing better than sitting down with her family each day at 4 p.m. to have “afternoon tea”. This fostered an atmosphere of ‘great cosiness’ especially in the winter months when the fire was lit in the sitting room. Summers were spent en famille at Gråsten Palace in Jutland; while Fredensborg Castle was the family’s home in spring and autumn. There was great fun too onboard the royal yacht Dannebrog, which visited ports all over Denmark each spring and summer in an orderly rotation. It was an ideal way for young Benedikte to become familiar with her homeland and the Danish people. On occasion, the yacht also made excursions to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which were at that time Danish dependencies.
Initially, Princess Benedikte was educated at N Zahle’s school in Copenhagen. At that time it was a girls-only establishment. She subsequently studied at Benenden School in England, followed by a spell at a Swiss finishing school in Lausanne. This ensured that she had a good grounding in English (which was widely spoken in royal circles in northern Europe) and in French. By this time, Benedikte was becoming more self-assured and sociable. She also developed an awareness of the opposite sex and of fashion. As was typical in Scandinavian royal circles, she completed her education on a practical note with a course in fashion and design at Margretheskolen in 1965.
In March 1967, at the age of 22, Princess Benedikte became engaged to His Highness Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The couple had met at the nuptials of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands to Claus von Amsberg in Amsterdam the previous year. Their marriage was celebrated in Fredensborg Palace Church on 3 February 1968. After the wedding, the couple lived in a house in the grounds of the impressive Schloss Berleburg in the north-western German town of Bad Berleburg, some six hundred kilometres south of the Danish/German border. The Schloss has been described as the ‘jewel in the crown of Germany’s most forested region.’ Wildlife, including deer, abound in the surrounding 13,000 hectare estate. It was all so different from Denmark. Unlike her sister, Anne-Marie, who resigned her right to succeed to the throne on her marriage to King Constantine of the Hellenes in 1964, Princess Benedikte remained in the line of succession. This was ‘a great wish’ of both King Frederik and Crown Princess Margrethe. As Benedikte recalled it, ‘I knew from the start that I would have these two lives.’
The birth of Crown Princess Margrethe’s children, Frederik (now King Frederik X) in 1968 and Joachim in 1969, underlined the fact that Benedikte’s role would now be to support the sovereign. An ideal niche was her ability to act as a Counsellor of State if both the King and the Crown Princess happened to be out of the country or were otherwise indisposed. This was not a particularly demanding role (and included signing documents and holding audiences) but it provided Benedikte with a link with her homeland which might otherwise not have been there. It was fortunate that the Princess-like her mother Queen Ingrid-was disciplined in her way of living and working, as this enabled her to juggle her role as a wife and (later) mother at Berleburg, whilst also travelling once a month to Copenhagen (where she maintained an apartment at the Amalienborg) to undertake her official duties. Over the years, these visits would increase both in terms of frequency and duration.
Nevertheless, during the early years of her marriage to Richard, Benedikte’s primary role was very much that of a wife and a mother. In January 1969 , the Princess gave birth to a son Gustav in Frankfurt. The following year she gave birth to a daughter Alexandra and, in May 1975, to a second daughter Nathalie (both girls were born in Copenhagen and they would become Danish citizens in 1998). Benedikte’s relationship with Prince Richard was excellent. They were in many ways opposites and the perfect foil to each other. He tended to be outgoing and outspoken and was not adverse to raising his voice. Conversely, as Queen Margrethe has reflected, ‘My sister never raises her voice.’ Benedikte was also more tactful. Prince Richard was also very proud of his capable wife, who put her wonderful organisational skills to work as hostess at the many large shooting parties which were held at Berleburg. She socialised with the many guests, devised the dinner menus, arranged the table decorations and coordinated the seating plan. The Prince understood too, from the outset, that Bendikte would lead a sort of “double-life” and never resented her royal duties or periods spent in Copenhagen. In turn, Richard would teach his wife all about antiques (for he was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable collector) and like any other married couple they would attend auctions together and browse antique shops.
The death of King Frederik in January 1972 was a sad blow for Benedikte. He had been visibly frail for some time. With Margrethe’s children still toddlers and Queen Ingrid adjusting to a new life without her husband, Benedikte was a great support to the new Queen Margrethe II and was able to carry on with her duties as a Counsellor of State.
With the passage of time and other commitments permitting, the Princess has undertaken a plethora of engagements throughout Denmark. These increased following the death of her beloved mother, Queen Ingrid, in November 2000, as Benedikte would now assume many of her patronages. As she has previously revealed, ‘I was brought up to believe duties are not a burden but a joy.’ One can sense the influence of Queen Ingrid in that comment. The Princess is currently Patron or Chairman or Honorary Member of nearly fifty organisations in her homeland, and describing each of these in detail is beyond the limits of this article but it includes social, cultural, health and sport issues. However, here is a flavour of her involvement:
The Princess has always displayed a strong commitment to equestrian sports for she both owns and breeds throughbred horses. She is Patron of the Danish Equestrian Federation; Danish Warmblood Association (which is responsible for the breeding, selecting and sales of young horses) as well as Hestens Vaern (which deals with the wellbeing and welfare of horses). She is also involved with the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses. 2022 was to prove a spectacular year for Danish equestrian sport: At the World Equestrian Championships which took place in Herning in August, the Princess, who was Patron of the event, was overjoyed when the Danish team won a total of ten medals, five of which were gold. Princess Benedikte was also able to proudly present the Lis Hartel’s Memorial Award to her daughter Princess Nathalie, who coached the Danish dressage team. To celebrate the medal wins, Benedikte held a party at the Amalienborg’s Christian VII Palace the following month for organisers, volunteers, and riders including the Danish dressage star and gold medallist, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.
Princess Benedikte is a long-time patron of the Alzheimer’s Association in Denmark and invariably presents the association’s annual Research Prize. The event is often serenaded by a “Dementia Choir.” The Association is involved in providing advice to sufferers, their families and carers. It also undertakes research into why dementia occurs, as well as examining new methods of treatment and care. On-line forums have also been introduced. In recent years, the Princess has opened a dementia-friendly garden and participated in a “dance-to- remember” event in Roskilde.
Her Royal Highness is also interested in work among the young and vulnerable. Four years ago she took a role as Patron of Hellebro which provides accommodation, welfare facilities, residential training and work experience opportunities for the homeless. On one occasion, the Princess visited the organisation at Christmastime and kindly arranged for the St. Annæ Girls’ Choir (of which she is also Patron) to provide a choral selection as part of the Saint Lucia celebrations which features a procession of candle-bearing young women dressed in white, all of whom are led by a young “Lucia bride” wearing a crown or garland of candles. Non-alcoholic mulled wine and nibbles were served and by the time Her Royal Highness departed, everyone seemed uplifted.
The Princess also has a long association with the Scout movement, as did her late mother Queen Ingrid, whom she succeeds. A keen girl scout in her youth, she is patron of the Girl Scouts, as well as of the Danish Scout Corps. Benedikte is also involved with the World [Girl] Guide Foundation and has, since 1984, been a board member of the Olive Baden-Powell Society (named after the wife of the founder of scouting, Lord Baden Powell) which oversees strategies for the advancement of Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding worldwide. In 1993 the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts presented Princess Benedikte with their prestigious Silver Medal for outstanding service. Furthermore, on her 70th birthday she was featured on a Danish stamp wearing her scout uniform. Her Royal Highness tries to attend local camps and the Princess Benedikte Award is given out annually, in her honour, to generous benefactors.
In recent years, the Princess, as Patron of the Association for Eating Disorders and Self Harm (a patronage she has held since 2001) has become greatly concerned by ‘the prevalence’ of eating disorders and attempts at self-harm. She puts this down to us being a ‘more self-centred society’ and feels that there has developed too ‘a culture of perfection’ which a lot of people find difficult to handle. She herself has participated in ‘workshops’ held in such places as a girls’ boarding school at Herlufsholm. Benedikte has also visited the Associations offices in Copenhagen’s Dronningens Tværgade and is a keen fundraiser for the organisation. Indeed, in 2020, she received a donation of DK200,000 from Danish Freemasons as they celebrated their 275th anniversary.
However, Benedikte’s official work is not limited to the shores of Denmark. She has no less than ten overseas patronages. For instance, since 2001, she has been Patron of the Danish YMCA [Dansk KFUK] in London. Again, this role is especially poignant as Queen Ingrid previously held the position of Patron. The Princess has visited regularly, be it to open the Queen Ingrid’s Student Residence or to attend the annual Christmas Fayre or preside at the Centenary Celebrations. On the other side of the globe, Her Royal Highness is also Patron of The Princess Benedikte Institute (IPB), a non-profit civil association in Brazil which works with vulnerable children. In October 2019 she travelled to Curitiba, a city of around two million in the south, to inspect the organisations new headquarters which, in addition to administrative offices, also provides care and accommodation for around twenty children, up to the age of ten, who are awaiting court decisions on guardianship or adoption. These youngsters are often victims of mistreatment, sexual violence and or have serious impairments. The Institute also champions the rights of children and adolescents.
Following the death of Prince Richard in March 2017, at the age of 82 (he was said to have been suffering from skin cancer), Benedikte’s son Prince Gustav took over the running of Berleburg Castle and the estate. Gustav was in a long-term relationship with Carina Axelsson and the couple would go on to marry in June 2022. A son, Gustav Albrecht was born in May 2023 in the United States to a surrogate mother with both parents present during the birth. He is Benedikte’s fifth grandchild.
Benedikte was the first of the three Danish royal sisters to be widowed (Margrethe lost her husband Henrik the following year; while Anne-Marie’s husband, King Constantine died in January 2023). When not in Denmark, she again occupied the house in the grounds of Berleburg Castle where she had first lived following upon her marriage to Richard. The Princess has reflected on the fact that she had ‘a nice and happy marriage’ but has also conceded that for all her love of married life at beautiful Berleburg ‘if I had not also had Denmark and Copenhagen, it would have been more difficult for me, I think.’ It had certainly given her experience of living for spells on her own. Nonetheless, she naturally misses her husband greatly, especially being able to share some ‘fun experiences’ and to discuss things with.
For a period the Princess had been involved in breeding horses with her daughter Nathalie at Berleburg. The latter is a professional dressage rider and trainer who, until her divorce in 2022 was married to horse breeder Alexander Johannsmann. She has competed for Denmark in the Olympics, winning two bronze medals. Nathalie lives in the West Wing of Berleburg Castle with her children, Konstantin (born in 2010) and Louisa (2015). Benedikte has often dropped by for meals and to catch up with her grandchildren. She is particularly amused that Louisa has recently become interested in football; while Konstantin is a devotee of handball.
Meanwhile, Princess Alexandra currently lives with her second husband Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille on his family estate at Egeskov Castle on the Danish island of Funen. The couple married in 2019. She has two children (by her first marriage to a German nobleman, Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth) Richard (born in 1999) and Ingrid (2003). Princess Benedikte is a frequent visitor to Egeskov and has spent Christmas there in recent times.
Although the Princess intends to celebrate her birthday privately with family and friends, her diary has been busy over the past few weeks, as many of the organisations with which she is involved have sought to commemorate this milestone 80th birthday. On 19 April a birthday dinner was held at Sølyst in Klampenborg. Seventy guests attended and the event was organised by Friends of Dressage and the other equestrian organisations of which Benedikte is Patron. Then, a few days later, Her Royal Highness was guest-of-honour at a concert by the Saint Annæ Girls’ Choir who were celebrating their 50th anniversary. The Princess has a long-standing connection with the choir and was a treated to a selection of well-known Danish songs. However, the event which literally moved her to tears, was the opening of an exhibition, “Princess’ Dresses” at the Koldinghus Museum in Kolding, Jutland. Twenty of the Princess’ dresses were placed on show (including Benedikte’s wedding dress [over which she lingered for some time] and a maternity dress). Most of the costumes were designed by the Danish designer Jørgen Bender, who also counted Queen Ingrid and Queen Margrethe as esteemed clients. Her Royal Highness is the Honorary Custodian of Royal Danish Collection Koldinghus. Also attending the opening with her were Princess Benedikte’s cousin Count Ingolf of Rosenborg and his wife Countess Sussie.
On 2 May, Princess Benedikte will hold a reception in the Great Hall of Rosenborg Castle for representatives of the many Danish (and overseas) organisations with which she is affiliated. There is no sense of an easing of the pace and the Princess has recently appointed a new lady-in-waiting Countess Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig to help assist her as she undertakes official engagements. They both share a love for all things equestrian. This appointment is also a sure sign that the Princess intends to carry on with her royal duties. Indeed, in a recent interview with newspaper Billed Bladett, Benedikte indicates that she hopes that there is still a need for her to still participate in the royal round. Certainly, there is no indication that her nephew, King Frederik X, has any intentions of not allowing his beloved aunt to continue in her current role. Why would he? The Princess also revealed that she now lives permanently in Denmark in her apartment at Christian VIII Palace at Amalienborg. Benedikte’s Copenhagen home is filled ‘entirely of things that have been in my parents’ home’ and the Princess makes use of her late mother’s desk when undertaking her administrative tasks relating to her official life. She firmly believes that ‘You have a duty to take care of the furniture you have inherited.’ Of course, she will still return to Berleburg from time to time and she currently spends a month there in the summer, when there is a three-day festival on the estate. Up to 7,000 people attend and they can participate in clay pigeon shooting, dancing, listening to music and beer drinking.
On almost the eve of her 80th birthday, Princess Benedikte has been thrilled to learn that her daughter Nathalie has lately been ‘overwhelmingly’ elected to the board of the Danish Equestrian Federation. When making her representations for the post, Nathalie admitted that ‘I can get a little angry sometimes, it comes from my dad. But my diplomacy – I got that from my mother.’ Diplomatic skills are certainly useful for the daughter, sister and aunt of reigning Danish monarchs, past and present.
As she reflects on a long life well-lived, Princess Benedikte will draw strength from her Christian faith which she regards ‘as a firm ground to stand on.’ Although not a regular church goer, she admits to enjoying the services and ‘our lovely Danish hymns.’ She praises too the role of women priests and bishops today. They now make up the majority of the ordained priests in Denmark.
As one assesses the Princess long life, one is conscious of a life of devotion to family and to her homeland. Her sense of duty remains as strong as ever, as does her determination to undertake her duties to the best of her ability with a speech well-researched and written, the facts and the faces of the organisations she is visiting at her fingertips. Of the three sisters, it is in Benedikte that one sees so much of her highly-organised, well-dressed and demure mother Queen Ingrid. Certainly, Queen Margrethe has openly stated in an interview with Kristeligt Dagblad in 2019. that ‘Benedikte is really the most royal of us all.’ Happy Birthday Princess Benedikt and many more of them.
RoyaltyRobert Blogger and Writer 