by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Count Ingolf of Rosenborg with his wife, Countess Sussie (ctr) and sister Princess Elisabeth of Denmark. Photo: BilledBladet.dk
To date, the title Count of Rosenborg has been granted to seven Danish princes, all of whom relinquished their position within the Royal Family upon marrying without official consent from the monarch. The first three, Aage, Erik and Viggo, retained some of their royal status, however, the others lost all of their official connection to royalty, being delegated to the highest level of the Danish aristocracy.
- 1914 – HRH Prince Aage of Denmark – eldest son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Aage, Count of Rosenborg
- 1924 – HRH Prince Erik of Denmark – third son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Erik, Count of Rosenborg
- 1924 – HRH Prince Viggo of Denmark – fourth son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Viggo, Count of Rosenborg
- 1948 – HH Prince Oluf of Denmark– younger son of Prince Harald (son of King Frederik VIII) became His Excellency Count Oluf of Rosenborg
- 1949 – HH Prince Flemming of Denmark – son of Prince Axel (son of Prince Valdemar – son of King Christian IX) became His Excellency Count Flemming of Rosenborg
- 1968 – HH Prince Ingolf of Denmark – elder son of Prince Knud (son of King Christian X) became His Excellency Count Ingolf of Rosenborg
- 1971 – HH Prince Christian of Denmark – younger son of Prince Knud (son of King Christian X) became His Excellency Count Christian of Rosenborg
The first three all gave up their status during the reign of King Christian X, their first cousin. He allowed them to retain the title of Prince (without the “of Denmark” designation), with the lesser style of His Highness. This was limited to them and their wives only and did not pass to their children. However, the Rosenborg title was granted to them with the provision that it would pass down through male-line descendants. Sons continue to carry the title, while daughters retain it until such time as they marry.
However, by 1948 when Prince Oluf relinquished his status, there was a new King on the throne -Frederik IX. Privately, the King was more accepting of ‘unequal’ marriages, however, he feared that giving his consent would encourage previous royals who had lost their titles to re-claim their royal status and succession rights. So Princes Oluf, Flemming, Ingolf, and Christian all gave up their royal status completely and became simply His Excellency Count XX of Rosenborg. No longer considered part of the Royal House or Royal Family, they were relegated to the top level of the Danish aristocracy.
The last surviving (of the seven initially granted the title) is Count Ingolf of Rosenborg. Count Ingolf and his wife Countess Sussie undertake no official duties but are usually seen at family functions and occasionally at State events. Despite his non-royal status, Ingolf continues to receive an appanage from the State. His brother Christian did not receive this, nor did his sister Princess Elisabeth who remained in the line of succession.
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