Accusations against author of Danish royal family book withdrawn

A legal dispute between journalist Peter Kramer and museum curator Gry Scavenius Bertelsen over a book examining the Danish royal family’s ties to Nazi Germany has been settled out of court, publisher Momenta announced on Monday.

The case centred on Kramer’s 2024 book Ridser i lakken – kongehusets forbindelser til Hitlers Tyskland (Scratches in the Varnish – The Royal Family’s Connections to Hitler’s Germany), which prompted Bertelsen to accuse the author in a review for Flensborg Avis of fabricating historical events.

Kramer subsequently sued for defamation, but the parties have now reached an agreement. In a statement, Bertelsen clarified that she “does not consider Peter Kramer dishonest” and had “no intention of accusing him of inventing sources or individuals.” She also acknowledged that the book had sparked academic debate, contributing to historical research.

“Let’s move on,” Kramer said in the publisher’s press release. “As a journalist, I cannot accept being accused of dishonesty, which is why I pursued legal action. After her admission, this is no longer necessary.”

The settlement does not require Flensborg Avis to amend the original review, according to legal experts cited by Kristeligt Dagblad, as the parties lack authority over the newspaper’s editorial decisions.

Kramer’s book claimed that Danish royals attended the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth despite an international boycott over Nazi persecution of Jews and political repression. Bertelsen had disputed these conclusions in her review.