Editing Christian X (section)

==Early life==
===Birth===
[[File:Louise of Sweden, Crown Princess of Denmark with her eldest child.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Crown Princess Louise with her eldest child, early 1870s]]
Christian was born on 26 September 1870 at his parents' country residence, the [[Charlottenlund Palace]], located on the shores of the [[Øresund Strait]] 10 kilometers north of [[Copenhagen]] on the island of [[Zealand]] in Denmark, during the reign of his paternal grandfather, [[Christian IX of Denmark|King Christian IX]].{{sfn|Thorsøe|1889|p=529}} He was the first child of [[Frederick VIII of Denmark|Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark]] and his wife [[Louise of Sweden]].<ref name="Burke's Royal Families">{{cite book|editor1-last=Montgomery-Massingberd|editor1-first=Hugh|editor1-link=Hugh Massingberd|title=Burke's Royal Families of the World|volume=1|location=London, UK|publisher=[[Burke's Peerage]] Ltd|year=1977|page=71}}</ref> His father was the eldest son of [[Christian IX of Denmark|King Christian IX of Denmark]] and [[Louise of Hesse-Kassel]], and his mother was the only daughter of [[Charles XV of Sweden|King Charles XV of Sweden and Norway]] and [[Louise of the Netherlands]]. The Danish author [[Hans Christian Andersen]] wrote the next day in his diary: "The night before 12 a Prince was born by the Crown Princess, the whole city flagged today in the beautiful weather."<ref name=hca>{{cite web|url=http://base.kb.dk/hca_pub/cv/main/Page.xsql?nnoc=hca_pub&p_VolNo=8&p_PageNo=416&p_mode=facsimile|title=H.C. Andersens dagbøger|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060930004640/http://base.kb.dk/hca_pub/cv/main/Page.xsql?nnoc=hca_pub&p_VolNo=8&p_PageNo=416&p_mode=facsimile|date=30 September 2006|publisher=The [[Royal Library, Denmark]]|archive-date=30 September 2006|language=da}}</ref> He was baptised with the names ''Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm'' in the [[Christiansborg Palace Chapel|chapel]] of [[Christiansborg Palace]] on 31 October 1870 by the [[Diocese of Zealand|Bishop of Zealand]], [[Hans Lassen Martensen]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Allerh. approb. Program for høitidelige Daabshandling i Christiansborg Slotskirke d. 31. Oct 1870.|location=Copenhagen|date=1870|language=da}}</ref> The [[royal christening gown (Denmark)|royal christening gown]], which has been used for the baptism of almost all royal children in Denmark ever since, was used for the first time at his christening. This gown is made of [[Brussels lace]], and was bought by [[Louise of Sweden|Crown Princess Louise]] in [[Belgium]] for her eldest son's christening.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/royal-collections/baptismal-font-basin-and-gowns/|title=Baptismal font, basins and gowns|author=<!--Not stated-->|publisher=[[Monarchy of Denmark]]|website=kongehuset.dk|accessdate=26 February 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Prince Christian with his little brother Carl.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Prince Christian with his younger brother, the then [[Haakon VII of Norway|Prince Carl]] in 1887]]
Prince Christian was raised with his siblings in the royal household in Copenhagen, and grew up between his parents' residence in [[Copenhagen]], the [[Frederick VIII's Palace]], an 18th century [[palace]] which forms part of the [[Amalienborg|Amalienborg Palace]] complex in central [[Copenhagen]], and their country residence, the [[Charlottenlund Palace]], located by the coastline of the [[Øresund]] [[strait]] north of the city. As a grandchild of the reigning [[Danish monarch]] in the male line and the eldest son of the Crown Prince, he was second in line to the throne, after his father. In contrast to the usual practise of the period, where royal children were brought up by [[governess]]es, the children were raised by Crown Princess Louise herself. Under the supervision of their mother, the children of the Crown Princess received a rather strict Christian-dominated upbringing, which was characterized by severity, the fulfillment of duties, care and order.{{sfn|Bramsen|1992|p=274}} Prince Christian was less than two years older than his brother Prince Carl, and the two princes had a joint [[confirmation]] at the chapel of [[Christiansborg Palace]] in 1887.{{sfn|Thorsøe|1889|p=529}} The two princes were educated at home by private [[tutor]]s. In 1889 Prince Christian passed the [[examen artium]] (the university [[Matriculation examination|entrance examination]] in Denmark) in 1889 as the first member of the [[Danish royal family]].{{sfn|Thorsøe|1889|p=529}} Afterwards he started a military education as was customary for princes at that time. He subsequently served with the 5th Dragoon Regiment and later studied at the Officers Academy in Randers from 1891 to 1892.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jensen|first1=Tina Knudsen|title=Thorsgade Kaserne|url=http://www.kulturarv.dk/1001fortaellinger/da_DK/thorsgade-kaserne/stories/prinsen-og-randers|access-date=21 March 2016|language=da}}</ref>

===Marriage===
[[Image:Christian and Alexandrine H.jpg|thumb|upright|Prince Christian and [[Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Princess Alexandrine]] with their son [[Frederik IX of Denmark|Frederik]] in 1900|left]]

As a young man, Prince Christian fell in love with the French [[Princess Marguerite d'Orléans|Princess Marguerite of Orléans]], who was the younger sister of his uncle [[Prince Valdemar of Denmark|Prince Valdemar]]'s wife [[Princess Marie of Orléans (1865–1909)|Princess Marie of Orléans]]. The feelings, however, were not reciprocated, and after a few years of unhappy infatuation, she married in 1896 [[Marie Armand Patrice de Mac Mahon]], 2nd Duke of Magenta, son of the French [[Marshal]] and [[President of France|President]] [[Patrice de MacMahon]].{{sfn|Jespersen|2007|p=71-76}}

During a stay in [[Cannes]] in March 1897, Christian met and fell in love with [[Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]; she was a daughter of [[Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]], and [[Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia]]. They were engaged in [[Schwerin]] on 24 March 1897 and married in Cannes on 26 April 1898. She eventually became his [[queen consort]]. They had two sons:

* Prince Frederik (1899–1972), later King [[Frederick IX of Denmark]]
* Prince Knud (1900–1976), later [[Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark]]

The couple were given Christian VIII's Palace at [[Amalienborg|Amalienborg Palace]] in Copenhagen as their residence and [[Sorgenfri Palace]] north of Copenhagen as a summer residence. Furthermore, the couple received [[Marselisborg Palace]] in [[Aarhus]] as a wedding present from the people of Denmark in 1898. In 1914, the King also built the [[villa]] [[Klitgården]] in [[Skagen]].

===Crown Prince===
On 29 January 1906, King Christian IX died, and Christian's father ascended the throne as King Frederick VIII. Christian himself became crown prince.
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