House of Oldenburg

House of Oldenburg
Country	Russian Empire, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Greece, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, Duchy of Schleswig, Duchy of Holstein
Founded	1101
Founder	Elimar I, Count of Oldenburg
Current head	Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein
Final ruler	Russia: Nicholas II (1894–1917) Sweden: Charles XIII (1809–18) Greece: Constantine II (1964–1973) Oldenburg: Friedrich August II (1900–18) Saxe-Lauenburg: Christian II (1863–64) Schleswig and Holstein: Christian IX (1863–64)
Titles	Current: King of Denmark King of Norway Former: Emperor of Russia King of Sweden King of Greece King of Iceland Grand Duke of Oldenburg Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg Duke of Schleswig Duke of Holstein
Deposition	Russia: February Revolution, 1917 Greece: Greek military junta, 1973 Oldenburg: German Revolution, 1918 Saxe-Lauenburg: Second Schleswig War, 1864 Schleswig and Holstein: Second Schleswig War, 1864
Cadet branches	Augustenburg (extinct) Glücksburg Holstein-Gottorp Romanov line Swedish line (extinct) Grand ducal line

The House of Oldenburg is a European dynasty of North German origin. It is one of Europe's most influential royal houses, with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Schleswig, Holstein, and Oldenburg. The current Queen of Denmark and King of Norway, the former King of Greece, the consort of the monarch of the United Kingdom, as well as the first thirteen persons in the line of succession to the British throne, are all patrilineal members of the Glücksburg branch of this house.

The dynasty rose to prominence when Count Christian I of Oldenburg was elected as King of Denmark in 1448, of Norway in 1450 and of Sweden in 1457. The house has occupied the Danish throne ever since.

History

Marriages of medieval counts of Oldenburg had paved the way for their heirs to become kings of various Scandinavian kingdoms. Through marriage with a descendant of King Valdemar I of Sweden and of King Eric IV of Denmark, a claim to Sweden and Denmark was staked, since 1350.

At that time, its competitors were the successors of Margaret I of Denmark. In the 15th century, the Oldenburg heir of that claim married Hedwig of Schauenburg, a descendant of Euphemia of Sweden and Norway and also a descendant of Eric V of Denmark and Abel of Denmark. Since descendants better situated in genealogical charts died out, their son Christian (the abovementioned) became the king of all three kingdoms of the whole Kalmar Union. The House of Mecklenburg was its chief competitor regarding the Northern thrones, and other aspirants included the Duke of Lauenburg. Different Oldenburgine branches have reigned in several countries. The House of Oldenburg was briefly poised to claim the British thrones through the marriage of Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark and Norway; however, due to the early deaths of all their children, the crown passed to the House of Hanover.

Main line

• Kings of Denmark (1448–1863)
• Kings of Norway (1450–1814)
• Kings of Sweden (1457–64, 1497–1501 and 1520–21)
• Counts of Oldenburg (1101–1773)
• Dukes of Schleswig and Counts of Holstein (1460–1544)
• Dukes of Schleswig and Holstein, ruling only part of the Duchies (1544–1721/1773)
• Dukes of Schleswig (1721–1864, ruling the entire Duchy)
• Dukes of Holstein (1773–1864, ruling the entire Duchy)

Branches

• Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, extinct in male line in 1931
  1. Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein (claimant in 1863, then titular dukes until 1931)
• Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
  1. Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein (titular dukes since 1931)
  2. Kings of Denmark (since 1863)
  3. King of Iceland (1918–44)
  4. Kings of the Hellenes (1863–1924, 1935–73)
     • Mountbatten-Windsor line: although Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, his children and his sons' children are patrilineally descended from this branch, his male-line descendants bearing the style of "Royal Highness" are de jure members of the House of Windsor, by declaration of the British monarch.
  5. Kings of Norway (since 1905)
• Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
  1. Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp (1544–1739)
  • Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov (commonly still called Romanov)
    1. Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp (1739–73)
    2. Emperors of Russia (1762 and 1796–1917)
  • Holstein-Gottorp (Swedish line), extinct
    1. Kings of Sweden (1751–1818)
    2. King of Norway (1814–18)
  • Holstein-Gottorp (Grand ducal line)
    1. Dukes (later Grand Dukes) of Oldenburg (1774–1918)

Gallery

• 

  The first Oldenburg king was Christian I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1426–1481)

• 

  Sweden's most prominent Oldenburg king was Gustav III (1746–1792)

• 

  Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg (1852–1931)

• 

  Nicholas II (1868–1918) was the last Emperor of Russia

• 

  Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Greece and Denmark (*1921)

• 

  King Harald V of Norway (*1937)

• 

  Queen Sofía of Spain, Princess of Greece and Denmark (*1938)

• 

  Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (*1940)

• 

  Former King Constantine II (*1940) and Queen Anne-Marie (*1946) of Greece, both Oldenburgs, she being a princess of Denmark

• 

  Christoph, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein (*1949), head of the House of Oldenburg since 1980

See also

List of rulers of Oldenburg List of consorts of Oldenburg List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein (contains more information about the partitions of Schleswig and Holstein) List of members of the House of Oldenburg (male descendants of the Glücksburg branch)

Family tree of Oldenburg monarchs of Denmark Genealogical Chart of the Danish House of Oldenburg/Oldenborg and Glucksburg/Glucksborg Oldenborg Dynasty Family Tree (in Czech) Genealogy of the House of Oldenburg from 1040 to the present day (in German)

Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg, for the minor branches of the House of Oldenburg Coat of arms of Oldenburg Armorial of the House of Oldenburg (in French)

External links

• Media related to House of Oldenburg at Wikimedia Commons
• Marek, Miroslav, The House of Oldenburg, Genealogy.EU.

House of Oldenburg
Preceded by House of Romanov	Imperial house of Russia 1762–1917	Vacant February Revolution
Preceded by House of Wittelsbach	Royal house of Greece 1863–1973	Monarchy abolished
Preceded by House of Palatinate-Neumarkt	Royal house of Denmark 1448–present	Present house (branch: Glücksburg)
Preceded by House of Bernadotte	Royal house of Norway 1905–present
Vacant Title last held by House of Bonde	Royal house of Norway 1450–1818	Succeeded by House of Bernadotte
	Royal house of Sweden 1457-1464	Vacant Title next held by House of Bonde
	Royal house of Sweden 1497–1501	Vacant
Vacant	Royal house of Sweden 1520–1521	Vacant Title next held by House of Vasa
Preceded by House of Schaumburg	Comital House of Holstein 1460–1474	County raised to duchy
	Ducal house of Schleswig 1474-1864	Second Schleswig War
County raised to duchy	Ducal House of Holstein 1474-1864
Vacant Title last held by House of Hanover	Ducal House of Saxe-Lauenburg 1814–1864	Vacant Title next held by House of Hohenzollern