Marriage of Princess Thyra of Denmark

Marriage of Princess Thyra of Denmark

Princess Thyra of Denmark (1853–1933), the youngest daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark, married Crown Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover (1845–1923), son and heir of King George V of Hanover, the last king of Hanover. Although a surprising and slightly controversial couple, the two had a content marriage that produced six children and their descendants are still heads of the House of Hanover.

The Daughters of King Christian IX of Denmark

The three daughters of King Christian IX of Denmark were considered good candidates for successful royal marriages. Denmark was a politically uncontroversial country, and the royal family of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg was known to be unpretentious and likable. Powerful royal families looked to Denmark when searching for a bride. Bertie, the Prince of Wales, married Princess Alexandra of Denmark, eventually making her Queen Alexandra of Great Britain. And Princess Dagmar of Denmark married the heir to the Russian throne, becoming Tsarina Marie Feodorovna when her husband became Tsar Alexander III of Russia.

Princess Thyra of Denmark

Although all of the Danish princesses were beautiful, Princess Thyra was the plainest and the shyest. But she was also the kindest of the three sisters. King Christian IX of Denmark always called Princess Thyra “my good daughter.” She was truthful, gentle, amiable, and had a very attractive character.

There was much speculation about whom Princess Thyra of Denmark would marry. There were rumors about her marrying a British prince, either Prince Alfred of Edinburgh or Prince Arthur of Connaught, but these rumors proved unfounded. There was another false rumor that she would marry Prince Louis, the Prince Imperial of France. The widowed King William III of The Netherlands wanted to marry her, but Princess Thyra was not attracted to the much older king. The Danish royal family soon began to wonder if she would ever marry.