deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

Princess Benedikte of Denmark, born Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid on April 29, 1944. She is a member of the Danish Royal family. She is the second daughter of King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid. She is the younger sister of Queen Margrethe II and therefor the aunt of the current King of Denmark Frederik X.

“Her birth took place during Nazi Germany‘s Occupation of Denmark. The day after the birth of the princess, members of the Danish resistance groupHolger Danske performed a salute of 21 bombs in the Ørstedsparkenpublic park in central Copenhagen as a reference to the traditional 21-gun salute performed by the Danish Army and Navy at the occasion of royal births”

When Benedikte’s father became King of Denmark there was an issue. At this point only males could ascend to the throne, the issue became who would succeed Frederik? The closest male was Prince Knud, Benedikte’s uncle. King Frederik and his daughters were so popular that in1953 a new Act of Succession was enacted that made the way for Frederick’s daughter, Margrethe, Benedikte’s sister, to become Queen.

When Frederik IX passed, Margrethe became Queen. She was a popular ruler and she abdicated the throne to allow her son, Frederik X, to become King. He has been a very popular King who is in the news now because of the tension over Greenland.

Without the pressure of ruling Benedikte became ‘everyone’s favorite, cool Aunty’. It was said that she provided the glamor and beauty to royalty.

She even meets a real live Prince, falls in love and marries. Her marriage to His Highness Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein Berleburg of Germany brought her to Germany to live. Benedikte remained a loyal member of the Royal Family of Denmark traveling back to Copenhagen once a month to show her support for her sister then her nephew. She had three children in Germany Gustav, Alexandra and Nathalie. Back in Denmark Queen Margrethe made the decision that if Benedikte’s children were to be considered to be in line for any type of succession rights they must be raised in Denmark. Benedikte said she would not disrupt her kids’ life so they would remain in their home in Germany. Her husband, Prince Richard died at 82 in 2017.

Benedikte was a warm, compassionate leader and maintained a dignified commitment to public service. Queen Margrethe said of her sister: ‘Benedikte is really the most royal of us all.’