Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/79

 5. Princess Louise, born Nov. 18, 1820; nominated abbess of the convent of Itzehoe, Holstein, Aug. 3, 1860. 6. Prince Julius, born Oct. 14, 1824; general in the Danish army. 7. Prince Hans, born Dec. 5, 1825, general in the Danish army.

The Crown of Denmark was elective from the earliest times. In 1448, after the death of the last male scion of the princely House of Svend Estridsen, the Danish Diet elected to the throne Christian I., Count of Oldenburg, in whose family the royal dignity remained for more than four centuries, although the crown was not rendered hereditary by right till the year 1660. The direct male line of the House of Oldenburg became extinct with the sixteenth king, Frederik VII., on November 15, 1863. In view of the death of the king without direct heirs, the great powers of Europe, 'taking into consideration that the maintenance of the integrity of the Danish monarchy, as connected with the general interests of the balance of power in Europe, is of high importance to the preservation of peace,' signed a treaty at London on May 8, 1852, by the terms of which the succession to the Crown of Denmark was made over to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and to the direct male descendants of his union with the Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel, niece of King Christian VIII. of Denmark. In accordance with this treaty, a law concerning the succession to the Danish crown was adopted by the Diet, and obtained the royal sanction July 31, 1853.

King Christian IX. has a civil list of 500,000 rigsdalers, or 55,555 £., settled upon him by vote of the Rigsraad, approved Dec. 17, 1863. The heir-apparent of the Crown has, in addition, an allowance of 60,000 rigsdalers, or 6,666 £., settled by law of March 20, 1868.

Subjoined is a list of the kings of Denmark, with the dates of their accession, from the time of election of Christian I. of Oldenburg:—

The sixteen members of the House of Oldenburg, who filled the throne of Denmark for 415 years, had an average reign of 26 years.