Queen Margrethe rejects claims of Danish royal family’s ties to Nazi Germany during interview

Queen Margrethe has rejected claims that the Danish royal family had close ties to Nazi Germany during an interview related to her upcoming acceptance of a prize from a Danish newspaper. She stated that these claims have been sensationalized in a new book, although she is unsure how sensational they truly are.

The controversy stems from the book “Ridser i lakken – kongehusets forbindelser til Hitlers Tyskland,” in which author Peter Kramer asserts that King Christian X met with Adolf Hitler several times prior to World War II and that then Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Ingrid met with Hermann Göring in 1937. Queen Margrethe’s parents, Frederik and Ingrid, also attended an opera festival in Bayreuth, Germany.

Kramer has emphasized that the Danish royal family maintained close connections with Nazi Germany. However, experts, including senior researcher Steen Andersen, pointed out that there is no evidence suggesting that King Christian X, Queen Alexandrine, or the then Crown Prince couple held any sympathy for the Nazis.

In the interview, Queen Margrethe reminisced about her parents’ visit to Bayreuth but could not recall the specific year, noting her father was relieved not to have encountered Hitler and highlighting her mother’s disdain for Göring, whom she reportedly referred to as “quite dreadful.”

Royal commentator Thomas Larsen remarked that the queen’s response is unusual, as she rarely counters public criticisms. He believes she felt compelled to clarify her parents’ legacy. Editor Jeppe Duvå from Kristeligt Dagblad noted that while Queen Margrethe was not born when these events occurred, her perspective is invaluable for understanding her parents’ stance during the Nazi era.