Frederik IX

Frederik IX (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972.

Frederik was born into the House of Glücksburg during the reign of his great-grandfather King Christian IX. He was the first child of Prince Christian of Denmark and Princess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (later King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine). He became crown prince when his father succeeded as king in 1912. As a young man, he was educated at the Royal Danish Naval Academy. In 1935, he married Princess Ingrid of Sweden. They had three daughters: Margrethe, Benedikte and Anne-Marie. During Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark, Frederik acted as regent from 1942 until 1943 on behalf of his father, who had suffered a horseback riding accident in October 1942.

Frederik became king on his father's death in April 1947. During Frederik's reign, Danish society changed rapidly, the welfare state was expanded and, as a consequence of the booming economy of the 1960s, women entered the labour market. The modernization brought new demands on the monarchy and Frederik's role as a constitutional monarch. Frederik died in 1972, and was succeeded by his eldest daughter, Margrethe II.