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Waldemar, Prince of Denmark (1858-1939) |
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Return to King Christian |
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Prince Waldemar, the younger of King Christian IX's children had a charming perosnality , as the rest of the Danish Royal Family. In 1885, he married a French princess, the daughter of the Duc de Chartres and niece of the Comte de Paris, pretender to the French throne. She was Princess Marie of Orleans, who in consequence was a great-granddaughter of the last French King, Louis Phillip. It was a provocative match for the German chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, because the hostility between France and Germany were a very important factor at that time. |
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Prince Waldemar of Denmark |
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Princess Marie revealed herself to be an ardent French patriot and a fervent anti-German; she did whatever she could to further the French cause. Besides her political enthusiasm, Marie, as her husband, was not ambitious. They were both satisfied to remain in the background. In 1886 the Bulgarian throne was offered to Prince Waldemar, but he and Marie agreed to refuse. Marie's commetn on the match was: "Nothing would induce me to go down there" (Aronson). So fanathical was Marie to the cause of France that she even tried to hurry his brother in law, Tsar Alexander III of Russia, to ratify a treaty of alliance with France.
Marie took special interest in her children's education. The four sons were educated as Protestants; the daugher as a Catholic. Marie was an artist; she painted, modeled and sculptured. She was also an active member of the Copenhagen fire brigade. On one occasion, she surprised her guests at the Yellow Palace when she appeared wearing a fireman helmet, excused herself and hurried off to fight a fire that had broken out on a ship at the harbour.
This energetic Princess died suddenly in 1909. She was only 44 years old. The quiet and pacific Prince Waldemar was heart-broken since he had been devoted to his wife. He refused to have her buried at Roskild with the rest of the Daish Royal family; instead, her coffin was kept for several time at the Sailor's Church in Copenhagen where he could visited her more easily.
Waldemar was to outlive his wife by thrity years. He was the last survivor of King Christian IX's children and he became one of the most respected royals in Europe; he was known as the "Uncle of the Kings". One of his closests companions was his nephew, Prince George of Greece, with whom he used to stroll about the streets of Copenhagen,as cheerful and approachable as ever. Prince Waldemar finally died, after a 10-days-illness, on January 14, 1939, when he was 81 years old. Eighteen months later, the Germans invaded Denmark.
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Prince Waldemar's children: |
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Prince Axel (1888-1964): He married Princess Margretha of Sweden, daughter of his cousin Ingeborg and sister of Princess Martha of Norway and of Queen Astrid of Belgium. They had two sons: Prince Georg and Prince Flemming. |
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Prince Aage (1885-1949): He renounced to his rights to the Danish throne in 1914, to marry Mathilda Calvi di Bergolo. They had one only son, Waldemar. |
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Prince Erik (1890-1950): He renounced his rights to the Danish throne in 1924 to marry Lois Frances Booth, whom he divorced in 1937. They had two children: Alexandra and Christian. |
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Prince Erik of Denmark |
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Princess Margaretha (1895-1992): She married in 1921 to Prince Rene of Bourbon Parma. She had four children: Jacques, Anne (married to King Michael of Roumania), Michel and Andre. |
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Prince Viggo(1893-1970): He, as two of his brothers, renounced to his rights to the throne to marry Eleanor Green in 1924. |
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Bibliography: |
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Aronson, Theo: A Family of Kings. |
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