Early Kings of Denmark

 

 

 

 

   One Gorm "the Old" became King of Denmark in 935. He m. Thyra N (d.ca 935), and he himself d.ca 950. He left issue:

 

1a) Knut Danaast, murdered ca 940

 

1b) Gold-Harald, murdered ca 970

 

2a) Harald "Bluetooth", King of Denmark and (from 970) Norway, d.before 988; m.1st Gunhild N; m.2nd Tove (possibly a dau.of Pr Mistiwoj of the Wends)

 

1b) Svend I "Fork-beard" King of Denmark and (from 1002) Norway, and (from 1013) England, d.3 Feb 1014; m.Gunhild (d.after 1014) dau.of Duke Miecislaw of Poland

 

1c) Knut "the Great", King of England 1016, of Denmark 1018, and of Norway (1028) (995-12 Nov 1035); m.Jul 1017 Emma (d.6 Mar 1052) dau.of Duke Richard I of Normandy, widow of King Aethelred II of England

 

1d) Hardeknut, King of Denmark and (since 1040) England, d.8 Jun 1042

 

2d) Gunhild=Kunigunde (d.18 Jul 1038; bur Kl Limburg); m.Jun 1036 Emperor Heinrich III (d.5 Oct 1056)

 

3d) [?illegitimate by Aelfgifu Aelfhelmsdotter] Svend, King of Norway 1030-35, d.1036; note: a correspondent has sent me information which casts doubt on the assertion that Svend and Harald Harefoot were sons of Knut: “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says: “And Harold, who said that he was son of Cnut and the other Ælfgifu – although this was not true” (version C), “And Harold said that he was son of Cnut and the Northampton Ælfgifu – although this was not true” (version D). According to a later work, the Chronicon ex Chronicis, Harald was the son of a shoemaker, and Swein of a priest.”

 

4d) [?illegitimate by Aelfgifu] Harald "Harefoot" King of England, d.17 Mar 1040; see note under 3d) Svend, above

 

2c) Harald, King of Denmark 1014, d.1018

 

3c) Gyda; m.ca 996 Erik Hakonson Jarl, Reichsverweser of Norway (d.1024)

 

4c) Estrid; m.1st Duke Richard II of Normandy; m.2nd Ulf Jarl, Reichsverweser of Denmark (murdered 1026)

 

2b) Gunhild, murdered 13 Nov 1002; m.Pallig, an Ealdorman in Devonshire (murdered 1002)

 

3b) ? Hakon, who settled in Northumbria

 

4b) ?Thyra, d.1000; m.1st Bjorn "the Strong" of Sweden (d.985); m.2nd Pr Borislaw of the Wends; m.3rd 998 King Olaf Trygveson of Norway (d.1000)

 

3a) ?Gunhild, d.after 970;  m.Erik "Bloodaxe", King of Norway and Northumbria (d.954)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 2

 

   This line starts with one Thorgils Sprakling. Burke's Guide to the Royal Family says that he was son of Styrbjorn by his wife Thyra, dau.of King Harald Bluetooth. Europäische Stammtafeln does not show his parentage and does not show Styrbjorn among the husbands of Thyra.[See Part 1]; A correspondent has sent me further information on this: “Searle (Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings and Nobles) shows Thurgils Sprakalegg as the son of Styrbiörn (son of Olaf king of Sweden) by an unnamed daughter of Harald Blátand. One of the sources he cites is the Chronicon ex Chronicis annal for year 1049, which records the death of Beorn, Earl of the Middle Angles and supplies his ancestry: Beorn comes, filius avunculi sui Danici comitis Ulfi filii Spraclingi filii Ursi, ac frater Suani Danorum Regis (Earl Bjorn, son of the Danish Jarl Ulfr, son of Spracling, son of Bjorn, and brother of Swein, king of the Danes). Apparently there was a recent essay on this lineage entitled “Was the Family of Earl Siward and Earl Waltheof a Lost Line of the Ancestors of the Danish Royal Family” in Nottingham Medieval Studies 51: 41-71.”

 

At any rate, Thorgils had two children: a dau., Gytha, who m.Earl Godwin and was mother of King Harald Godwinson of England, and:

 

   Ulf Jarl, and earl in England, Reichsverweser of Denmark, murdered 1026. He m.Estrid, dau.of King Svend I of Denmark [See Part 1]. They had issue:

 

1a) Svend Estridsen, became King of Denmark 1047 (1020-28 Apr 1076); m.1st (div 1052) Gunhild, dau.of Sven Hakonsson Jarl by Holmfrid of Sweden; m.2nd Gyda N; m.3rd Thora Thorbergsdotter

 

1b) [by 1st m.] Svend, murdered 1097; m.Florine (d.1097) dau.of Eudes I, Duc de Bourgogne

 

2b) [by 3rd m.] Magnus, d.young

 

3b) [illegitimate] Harald Hen, King of Denmark 1076, d.17 Apr 1080; m.Margareta, dau.of Asbjorn Odanejarl

 

4b) [illegitimate] [St.] Knut II, King of Denmark 1080, murdered 10 Jul 1086; m.ca 1080 Adele (1065-Apr 1115) dau.of Ct Robert of Flanders (and later wife of Duke Roger of Apulia)

 

1c) Charles "the Good", Count of Flanders 1119 (1084-murdered at Bruges 2 Mar 1127); m.ca 1119 Marguerite, dau of Renaud Cte de Clermont (and later wife of Hugues Cte de St.Pol, and of Baudouin d’Encre)

 

2c) Cecilie; m.Erik Jarl of Falster

 

3c) Ingegerd; m.Folke "the Fat", a Swede; their son Arnold was a contender for the Flemish throne after the death of his uncle Charles

 

5b) [illegitimate] Olaf I Hunger, King of Denmark 1086, d.18 Aug 1095; m.Ingegerd, dau.of King Harald Hardrade of Norway

 

6b) [illegitimate] Erik "the Good", King of Denmark 1095, d.at Cyprus 10 Jul 1103; m.before 1086 Bodil (d.1103) dau.of Thrugot Ulfsen

 

1c) Knut Lavand, King of South Jutland 1115, King of the Wends 1129 (12 Mar 1096-murdered 7 Jan 1131); m.ca 1116 Ingeborg, dau.of Gr Pr Mstislaw of Kiev

 

1d) Waldemar I "the Great" King of Denmark 1157 (14 Jan 1131-12 May 1182); m.1157 Sophia (1141-5 May 1198) dau.of Pr Wolodar of Minsk; for their descendants, See Part 3

 

2d) Margareta; m.Stig Hvitaledr

 

3d) Christina, b.1118; m.1133 King Magnus "the Blind" of Norway (k.a.12 Nov 1139)

 

4d) Katharina; m.ca 1159 Prislaw of the Wends

 

2c) [illegitimate] Harald Kesja, Reichsverweser of Denmark, murdered 1135; m.Ragnhild, dau.of King Harald BearFoot of Norway; the first six of his children below are presumed to be legitimate; the other six are presumed to be illegitimate

 

1d) Erik Haraldsen, drowned 1134

 

2d) Bjorn Jernside, drowned 1134; m.Katharina, dau.of King Inge I of Sweden

 

1e) Christina; m.[St.] Erik, King of Sweden (d.1159)

 

3d) Magnus Haraldsen, k.a.4 Jun 1134

 

4d) Olaf Haraldsen, anti-King, k.a.1143; he may have been father of King Harald "the Thin" of Sweden

 

5d) Harald Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

6d) Knut Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

7d) Sivard Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

8d) Erik Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

9d) Svend Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

10d) Niels Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

11d) Benedikt Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

12d) Mistivint Haraldsen, murdered 1135

 

3c) [illegitimate] Benedikt

 

4c) [illegitimate] Erik II Emun, King of Denmark 1134, d.18 Sep 1137; m.ca 1130 Malmfrid (d.after 1137) dau.of Gr Pr Mstislaw I of Kiev

 

1d) Svend II, King of Seeland 1147, King of Denmark 1152, murdered 23 Oct 1157; m.ca 1152 Adela, dau.of Konrad "the Great" Gf von Wettin

 

1e) Erik, d.ca 1157

 

2e) Luitgard; m.ca 1180 Berthold Gf von Andechs, Mgve of Istria

 

5c) [illegitimate] Ragnhild; m.Hakon Sunnivasson

 

1d) Erik III Lam, King of Denmark 1137, d.27 Aug 1146; m.1144 Luitgard, dau.of Rudolf Gf von Stade

 

1e) [illegitimate] Magnus, living 1178

 

7b) [illegitimate] Svend, d.1104

 

1c) Henrik "the Limper", k.a.4 Jun 1134; m.Ingrid (d.after 1161) dau.of Ragnvald Ingersson of Sweden

 

1d) Magnus, King of Sweden 1160, k.a.1161; m.Brigitta, dau.of King Harald Gille of Norway

 

2d) Ragnvald, Jarl in Sweden, k.a.1161

 

3d) Knut, Duke of Jutland, d.12 Mar 1162

 

4d) Buris, Duke of South Jutland, b.1130, murdered 1167; m.ca 1166 a dau.of Hermann Gf von Winzenburg

 

5d) Johann, Jarl in Sweden, d.ca 1161

 

 

8b) [illegitimate] Niels, King of Denmark 1104, murdered 25 Jun 1134; m.1st ca 1105 Margareta, dau.of King Inge I of Sweden; m.2nd Ulvhild, dau.of Hakon Finsson

 

1c) Magnus "the Strong", King of Västergotland, King of Denmark 1134 (1106-k.a.4 Jun 1134); m.ca 1127 Richiza (1116-after 1155) dau.of Duke Boleslaw III of Poland

 

1d) Knut III Magnussen, King of Jutland 1147, co-King of Denmark 1154, murdered 9 Aug 1157; m.1156 a dau.of King Sverker of Sweden

 

1e) [St.] Niels, d.1180

 

2e) Waldemar, Bp of Schleswig 1182, Archbishop of Bremen 1211, d.Citeaux 18 Jul 1236

 

2d) Niels, d.1158

 

2c) Inge, d.1121

 

3c) [illegitimate] Ingrid; m.before 1117 Ubbe Esbernsen (murdered 1133)

 

9b) [illegitimate] Thorgils

 

10b) [illegitimate] Sigurd, k.a.

 

11b) [illegitimate] Benedikt, k.a.1086

 

12b) [illegitimate] Bjorn, murdered 1100

 

13b) [illegitimate] Guttorm

 

14b) [illegitimate] Eymund

 

15b) [illegitimate] Ulf

 

16b) [illegitimate] Ragnhild; m.Sven Askelsson of Norway

 

17b) [illegitimate] Helene=Gunhild

 

2a) Bjorn, Jarl in England, murdered 1049

 

1b) Asmund "Free-booter", k.a.1065

 

3a) Asbjorn, Jarl in Denmark, d.1086

 

 

 

 

 

Part 3

 

 

King Waldemar I "the Great" of Denmark [See Part 2] had issue:

 

 

1a) Knut IV, King of Denmark 1182 (1162-12 Nov 1202); m.Feb 1177 Gertrud (d.1 Jul 1197) dau.of Duke Heinrich "the Lion" of Saxony, and widow of Friedrich von Hohenstaufen, Duke of Swabia

 

2a) Waldemar II "the Conqueror", King of Denmark 1202 (1170-28 Mar 1241); m.1st 1205 Dagmar=Margareta (d.24 May 1212) dau.of King Przemysl Otakar I of Bohemia; m.2nd 18/24 May 1214 Berengaria (d.27 Mar 1221) dau.of King Sancho I of Portugal

 

1b) Waldemar III, King of Denmark 1215 (1209-28 Nov 1231); m.24 Jun 1229 Eleonora (d.28 Aug 1231) dau.of King Affonso II of Portugal

 

2b) Erik IV "Plough-Penny" King of Denmark 1241 (1216-murdered 10 Aug 1250); m.9 Oct 1239 Jutta, dau.of Duke Albrecht I of Saxony (and later wife of Burchard Bggf von Magdeburg)

 

1c) Christoffer, d.by 10 Aug 1250

 

2c) Knut, d.by 10 Aug 1250

 

3c) Sophie, d.1286; m.1260 King Waldemar of Sweden (d.1302)

 

4c) Ingeborg (1244-24/26 Mar 1287); m.11 Sep 1261 King Magnus IV of Norway (d.1280)

 

5c) Jutta, Abbess of St.Agneta in Roskilde (1246-1284)

 

6c) Agnes, Abbess of St.Agneta in Roskilde (1249-1288/95)

 

3b) Abel, King of Denmark 1250, k.a.29 Jun 1252; m.25 Apr 1237 Mechtild (d.1288) dau.of Adolf Gf von Holstein (and later wife of Birger Jarl, Swedish Reichsverweser)

 

1c) Waldemar III, Duke of South Jutland (1238-1257)

 

2c) Erich I, Duke of Schleswig (South Jutland), d.27 May 1272; m.1259/60 Margareta (d.1272) dau.of Pr Jaromar II of Rügen

 

1d) Waldemar IV, Duke of Schleswig, d.1312; m.1st 1287 Elisabeth (d.ca 1306) dau.of Duke Johann I of Saxe-Lauenburg; m.2nd 1306 Anastasia, dau.of Nikolaus Gf von Schwerin

 

1e) Erich II, Duke of Schleswig, d.12 Mar 1325; m.1313 Adelheid (d.1349/50) dau.of Heinrich Gf von Holstein

 

1f) Waldemar V, Duke of Schleswig, anti-King of Denmark 1326/30 (1315-1364); m.Richardis, dau.of Gunzel Gf von Schwerin

 

1g) Heinrich, Duke of Schleswig, d.1375; m.1370 Kunigunde N (d.1385)

 

2g) Waldemar, d.ca 1364

 

2f) Heilwig, d.1374; m.shortly before 4 Jun 1340 King Waldemar IV of Denmark (d.1375)

 

2e) [illegitimate] Abel Waldemarsen; m.Cecilie N à issue

 

2d) Erik Eriksen "Long-bone", Pr of Langeland (1272-1310); m.1295 Sophie (d.1325) dau.of Burchard Gf von Rosenberg, Bggf von Magdeburg

 

3d) Margareta, d.after 14 Aug 1313; m.bfore 1287 Helmold III Gf von Schwerin

 

3c) Abel (1252-2 Apr 1279); m.Mechtild, dau.of Gunzel Gf von Schwerin

 

1d) Margareta, a nun in Zarrentin, d.1281

 

4c) Sophie (1240-after 1284); m.1258 Bernhard I, Fürst von Anhalt-Bernburg (d.1286/7)

 

4b) Christoph I, King of Denmark 1252 (1219-29 May 1259); m.1248 Margareta=Swinislawa (d.Dec 1282) dau.of Duke Sambor III of Pomerelia

 

1c) Erik V Klipping, King of Denmark 1259 (1249-murdered 22 Nov 1286); m.11 Nov 1273 Agnes (1257-29 Nov 1304) dau.of Mgve Johann I of Brandenburg (and later wife of Gerhard Gf von Holstein)

 

1d) Erik VI Mändved, King of Denmark 1286 (1274-13 Nov 1319); m.1296 Ingeborg (d.1319) dau.of King Magnus Ladulas of Sweden

 

1e) Waldemar, d.1302

 

2e) Erik, d.young

 

3e) Magnus, d.young

 

4e) a son, b.and d.1318

 

2d) Christoph II, King of Denmark 1320-6, 1329-32 (29 Sep 1276-2 Aug 1332); m.before 1307 Euphemia (1285-26 Jul 1330) dau.of Duke Boguslaw IV of Pomerania

 

1e) Erik (1307-1332); m.1330 Elisabeth, dau.of Heinrich Gf von Holstein

 

2e) Otto, Duke of Lolland and Estonia

 

3e) Waldemar IV Atterdag, King of Denmark 1340 (1320-24 Oct 1375); m.shortly before 4 Jun 1340 Heilwig (d.ca 1374), dau.of Duke Erich II of Schleswig

 

1f) Christopher, Duke of Lolland (1341-11 Jun 1363)

 

2f) Waldemar, b.1350, d.young

 

3f) Margareta (1345-1350)

 

4f) Ingeborg (1 Apr 1347-by 16 Jun 1370); m.1361/2 Duke Heinrich III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (d.1383)

 

1g) Duke Albrecht IV, recognized as heir of Denmark 1375, d.1388; m.Elisabeth Gfn von Holstein (d.25 Jan 1416)

 

2g) Marie (1363-1402); m.1380 Duke Wratislaw VII of Pomerania (d.1394/5)

 

1h) Bogislaw, became King Erich I of Norway [1389-1442] and of Denmark and Sweden [1396-1439] (1382-1459); m.24 Oct 1406 Philippa (4 Jul 1394-5 Jan 1430) dau.of King Henry IV of England

 

2h) Catharine (ca 1390-Kloster Gnadenburg 4 Mar 1426); m.1407 Johann, Pfalzgraf von Neumarkt (Neunburg vorm Wald ca 1383-Benedictine Kloster Kastl/Oberpfalz 13 Mar 1443, bur Neunburg vorm Wald)

 

1i) King Christoph III of Sweden, Denmark and Norway (Neumarkt 26 Feb 1416-Helsingborg 5/6 Jan 1448); m.Copenhagen 12 Sep 1445 Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430-Kalundborg 10 Nov 1495); on Christoph's death, Christian of Oldenburg was chosen to succeed him; to solidify his claim, Christian married Dorothea

 

5f) Katharina, b.1349, d.young

 

6f) Margareta, Queen of Denmark 1387, of Norway 1388, and of Sweden 1389 (1353-28 Oct 1412); m.9 Apr 1363 King Hakon VI of Norway and Sweden (d.1380)

 

1g) Olaf II & IV, King of Denmark 1376 and of Norway 1381 (Dec 1370-3 Aug 1387)

 

4e) Margareta (1305-1340); m.Dec 1324 Duke Ludwig V of Bavaria, Mgve of Brandenburg (d.1361)

 

5e) Agnes, d.1312

 

6e) Heilwig

 

7e) [illegitimate] Regitze Christoffersdatter; m.Peter Stigsen, of Krapperup

 

8e) [illegitimate] Erik Christoffersen; he left descendants extinct in the male line in the 16th century.

 

3d) Waldemar, d.1304

 

4d) Richiza, d.ca 1308; m.1291/1301 Nikolaus II, Pr of Werle (d.1316)

 

5d) Margareta, d.2 Mar 1341; m.25 Nov 1298 King Birger of Sweden (d.1321)

 

6d) Katharina, b.and d.1283

 

7d) Elisabeth, b.and d.1283

 

2c) Waldemar, d.1259

 

3c) Niels, d.young

 

4c) Mechtild, d.1299/1300; m.ca 1269 Mgve Albrecht III of Brandenburg (d.1300)

 

5c) Margareta, d.2 Feb 1306; m.ca 1276 Johann II Gf von Holstein (d.1321)

 

5b) Sophie (1217-2 Nov 1247); m.ca 1236 Mgve Johann I of Brandenburg (d.1266)

 

6b) [illegitimate] Niels I, Ct of Halland, d.1218/9; m.1217/8 Oda, heiress of half of Schwerin, dau.of Gunzel Gf von Schwerin à issue

 

7b) [illegitimate by Helene Guttormsdotter] Knut, Duke of Estonia, Blekinge and Lolland, d.1260; m.a dau.of Duke Swantepolk of Pomerelia à issue

 

8b) an illegitimate dau.

 

3a) Sophie (1159-1208); m.1181 Siegfried Gf von Orlamünde (d.1206)

 

4a) Margareta, a nun at Roskilde

 

5a) Maria, a nun at Roskilde

 

6a) Ingeborg (1175-1237/8); m.1193 (repudiated 1193) King Philippe II Auguste of France

 

7a) Helene, d.1123; m.Duke Wilhelm of Saxe-Lauenburg (d.1213)

 

8a) Rikissa, d.8 May 1220; m.1210 King Erik of Sweden (d.1216)

 

9a) [illegitimate] Christoffer, Duke of South Jutland (1150-1173)