Editing Christian IX (section)

===The Danish succession crisis===
{{See also|Danish royal family tree|Schleswig-Holstein Question}}
[[File:Christian VIII af Wilhelm Marstrand.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Louise of Hesse-Kassel|Princess Louise]]'s uncle, [[Christian VIII of Denmark]], faced a complex [[succession crisis]] during his reign.]]
In the 1840s, it became increasingly clear that the Danish monarchy was facing a [[succession crisis]]. When King Christian VIII succeeded his first cousin King Frederick VI in 1839, the elder male line of the [[House of Oldenburg]] was obviously on the point of extinction, as the king's only son and heir apparent [[Frederick VII of Denmark|Crown Prince Frederick]] seemed incapable of fathering children and the king's only brother [[Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark|Prince Ferdinand]]'s marriage to King Frederick VI's daughter was childless.{{sfn|Scocozza|1997|p=182}} King Frederick VII's childlessness presented a thorny dilemma and the question of succession to the Danish throne proved complex, as the rules of succession in the different parts of the Danish monarchy united under the king's rule, the Kingdom of Denmark proper and the three duchies of [[Duchy of Schleswig|Schleswig]], [[Duchy of Holstein|Holstein]] and [[Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg|Saxe-Lauenburg]], not being the same, the possibility of a separation of the crown of Denmark from its duchies became probable.{{sfn|Glenthøj|2014|p=136-37}}

[[File:Herzogtümer.png|thumb|The duchies of [[Duchy of Schleswig|Schleswig]], [[Duchy of Holstein|Holstein]] and [[Duchy of Lauenburg|Lauenburg]] before 1864.]]
The succession in the Kingdom of Denmark was regulated by the ''[[King's Law|Lex Regia]]'' ({{Langx|da|Kongeloven}}; ''Law of The King''), the [[Absolute monarchy|absolutist]] constitution of [[Denmark–Norway|Denmark and Norway]] promulgated by [[Frederick III of Denmark|Frederick III]] in 1665.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ekman|first=Ernst|date=1957|title=The Danish Royal Law of 1665|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/237987|journal=The Journal of Modern History|volume=29|issue=2|pages=102–107|doi=10.1086/237987|s2cid=145652129|issn=0022-2801}}</ref> With the Lex Regia, Denmark had adopted the [[Salic law]], but restricted the succession to the [[agnatic descent|agnatic descendants]] of Frederick III, who was the first [[hereditary monarchy|hereditary monarch]] of Denmark (before him, the kingdom was officially [[elective monarchy|elective]]). Agnatic descent from Frederick III would end with the death of the childless Frederick VII and his equally childless uncle, [[Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark|Prince Ferdinand]]. At that point, the Lex Regia provided for a [[Semi-Salic]] succession, which stipulated that after the extinction of all-male descendance, including all collateral male lines, a female agnate (such as a daughter) of the last male holder of the property would inherit, and after her, her own male heirs according to the Salic order. There were, however, several ways to interpret to whom the crown could pass, since the provision was not entirely clear as to whether a claimant to the throne could be the closest female relative or not. In the duchy of Holstein, where the king reigned as duke, the rules of succession also followed the Salic law, but did not limit the succession to the agnatic descendants of Frederick III. As there were several junior male lines of the House of Oldenburg, who were however not descendants of Frederick III, there were thus numerous agnatic descendants with succession rights in the Duchy of Holstein, who were however not eligible to succeed to the Danish throne. In addition, the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were permanently joined to each other by the [[Treaty of Ribe]] of 1460, which proclaimed that the two duchies should be "Forever Undivided".

[[File:SprogforholdSlesvig.png|thumb|The linguistic distribution in the [[Duchy of Schleswig]] around 1840.]]
The already complicated dynastic question of the succession was made even more complex as it took place against a background of equally complicated political issues. The movements of [[nationalism]] and liberalism had been on the rise in Europe since the [[Napoleonic era]]. Whereas the concepts of nation and [[homeland]] increasingly replaced dynastic questions for the nationalists, aristocratic privileges and the concept of an [[absolute monarchy|absolute ruler]] of divine right were poorly accepted by the liberals. Denmark and the Duchies were no exception, and the political movement of [[national liberalism]] had been on the rise since the 1830s. While the Danish and German national liberals were united in their liberal political aspirations and in their opposition to the absolutist rule of the House of Oldenburg, the two political movements were heavily opposed in the national question. It mainly concerned the question of the affiliation of the [[Duchy of Schleswig]]. Constitutionally, the Duchy of Schleswig was a Danish [[fief]], which had become increasingly independent from Denmark during the [[High Middle Ages]]. [[Linguistically]], however, Danish, German and [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] existed as [[vernacular]]s in different parts of the Duchy, and German functioned as the language of law and the ruling class.

The Danish national liberals insisted that Schleswig as a fief had belonged to Denmark for centuries and aimed to restore the southern frontier of Denmark on the [[Eider (river)|Eider river]], the historic border between Schleswig and Holstein. The Danish nationalists thus aspired to incorporate the Duchy of Schleswig into the Danish kingdom, in the process separating it from the duchy of Holstein, which should be allowed to pursue its own destiny as a member of the [[German Confederation]] or possibly a new united Germany. With the claim of the total integration of Schleswig into the Danish kingdom, the Danish national liberals opposed the German national liberals, whose goal was the union of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, their joint independence from Denmark and their membership in the German Confederation as an autonomous German state. The German nationalists thus sought to confirm Schleswig's association with Holstein, in the process detaching Schleswig from Denmark and bringing it into the German Confederation.

There was burgeoning nationalism within both Denmark and the German-speaking parts of [[Schleswig-Holstein]]. This meant that a resolution to keep the two Duchies together and as a part of the Danish kingdom could not satisfy the conflicting interests of both Danish and German nationalists, and hindered all hopes of a peaceful solution.

[[File:Christian August af Augustenborg.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]], [[pretender]] to the duchies during the succession crisis.]]
As the nations of Europe looked on, the numerous descendants of [[Hedvig of Holstein]] began to vie for the Danish throne. Frederick VII belonged to the senior branch of Hedvig's descendants. In the event of extinction of the senior branch, the house of [[Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]] would become the most senior branch of the House of Oldenburg, but it did not descend from King Frederick III. However, in the duchies, [[Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]], claimed the position of [[Order of succession|heir]] to the throne of the duchies of [[Schleswig]] and [[Holstein]], being head of the house of Augustenburg, and thus became a symbol of the nationalist German independence movement in Schleswig-Holstein.

The closest female relatives of Frederick VII were his paternal aunt, [[Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark]], who had married a scion of the [[cadet branch]] of the [[House of Hesse]], and her children. However, they were not agnatic descendants of the royal family, so were not eligible to succeed in Schleswig-Holstein.

The dynastic female heir reckoned most eligible according to the original law of primogeniture of Frederick III was [[Caroline of Denmark]] (1793–1881), the childless eldest daughter of the late king [[Frederick VI of Denmark|Frederick VI]]. Along with another childless daughter, [[Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark]] (1808–1891), Duchess of Glücksburg; the next heir was Louise, sister of Frederick VI, who had married the Duke of Augustenburg. The chief heir to that line was the selfsame [[Frederick VIII of Schleswig-Holstein|Frederick of Augustenburg]], but his turn would have come only after the death of two childless princesses who were very much alive in 1863.

The [[House of Glücksburg]] also held a significant interest in the succession to the throne. A more junior branch of the royal family, they were also descendants of Frederick III through the daughter of King [[Frederick V of Denmark]]. Lastly, there was yet a more junior agnatic branch that was eligible to succeed in Schleswig-Holstein. There was Christian himself and his three older brothers, the eldest of whom, Karl, was childless, but the others had produced children, and male children at that.

Prince Christian had been a foster "grandson" of the grandchildless royal couple Frederick VI and his Queen consort Marie (Marie Sophie Friederike of Hesse). Familiar with the royal court and the traditions of the recent monarchs, their young ward Prince Christian was a nephew of Queen Marie and a first cousin once removed of Frederick VI. He had been brought up as a Dane, having lived in Danish-speaking lands of the royal dynasty and not having become a German nationalist, which made him a relatively good candidate from the Danish point of view. As junior agnatic descendant, he was eligible to inherit Schleswig-Holstein, but was not the first in line. As a descendant of Frederick III, he was eligible to succeed in Denmark, although here too, he was not first in line.

{{chart top|width=100%}}
{{chart/start|align=center}}
{{Color sample|border=crimson|white; border-width:3px}} – Kings of Denmark<br>
{{Color sample|border=red|white; border-width:3px}} – Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg<br>
{{Color sample|border=tomato|white; border-width:3px}} – Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg<br>
{{Color sample|border=darkorange|white; border-width:3px}} – Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
{{chart| | | | | | | | | | AAA | |AAA=[[Christian III of Denmark]] 
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}}
{{chart | | | | | |,|-|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|.| | }}
{{chart | | | | | AAA | | | | | | | | EEE |AAA=[[Frederick II of Denmark]]|EEE=[[John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg|John II]]
| boxstyle_ AAA =border-width:2px; border-color:crimson
| boxstyle_ EEE =border-width:2px; border-color:red
}}
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{{chart | | | | | AAA | | | | | | | | EEE | |AAA=[[Christian IV of Denmark]]|EEE=[[Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg|Alexander]]
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| boxstyle_ EEE =border-width:2px; border-color:red
}}
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{{chart | | | | | AAA | | | | | | | | EEE | | FFF |AAA='''[[Frederick III of Denmark]]'''|EEE=[[Ernest Günther, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Ernest Günther]]|FFF=[[August Philipp, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck|August Philipp]]
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{{chart | | | | | AAA | | | | | | | | EEE | | FFF |AAA=[[Christian V of Denmark]]|EEE=[[Prince Frederick William of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg]]|FFF=[[Frederick Louis, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck|Frederick Louis]]
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{{chart | | | | | AAA | | | | | | | | EEE | | FFF |AAA=[[Frederick IV of Denmark]]|EEE=[[Christian August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Christian August]]|FFF=[[Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck|Peter August]]
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{{chart | | | | | AAA | | | | | | | | EEE | | FFF |AAA=[[Christian VI of Denmark]]|EEE=[[Frederick Christian I, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Frederick Christian I]]|FFF=[[Prince Karl Anton August of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck]]
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{{chart | | | | | AAA | |F|~|~|~|~|~| EEE | | FFF |AAA=[[Frederick V of Denmark]]|EEE=[[Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Frederick Christian II]]|FFF=[[Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck|Friedrich Karl Ludwig]]
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{{chart | AAA | | | | | |:| PLD | | | CCC |F| FFF |AAA=[[Christian VII of Denmark]]|PLD=[[Princess Louise of Denmark (1750–1831)]]|CCC=[[Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark]]|FFF=[[Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|Friedrich Wilhelm]]
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| boxstyle_ CCC =border-width:2px; border-color:crimson
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{{chart | AAA | | BBB | |F| CIX | | | CCC | | DDD |7|AAA=[[Princess Caroline of Denmark]]|BBB=[[Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg|Christian August II]]|CIX=(Prince Christian)<br>'''CHRISTIAN IX OF DENMARK'''|CCC=[[Frederick VII of Denmark]]|DDD=[[Louise of Hesse-Kassel]]
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{{chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

{{center|House of Oldenburg, 1863}}