Christian IX (1818-1906) was king of Denmark from 1863 to 1906. He was the country’s first ruler from the House of Glucksborg. Denmark lost about a third of its territory during his reign.
Christian IX was born on April 8, 1818, at Gottorp, near Flensburg, in what is now northern Germany. He was a descendant of the Danish kings Christian I, Frederik I, and Christian III, and succeeded King Frederik VII, who had no children. In 1863, under political pressure, Christian signed an act that tied the duchy of Schleswig more closely to Denmark. This led to an invasion by Prussia and Austria in 1864. They won a quick victory and took Schleswig and the duchy of Holstein.
Christian’s conservative politics made him unpopular. But when, in 1901, he agreed to appoint a liberal government, his popularity increased. He died on Jan. 29, 1906. His descendants have sat on the thrones of Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, Greece, and Russia.
