Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark

Princess Caroline-Mathilde's birthplace Jægersborghus in 1909.

Princess Caroline-Mathilde was born on 27 April 1912 at Jægersborghus country house in Gentofte north of Copenhagen, Denmark.[1] She was the second child and daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark, son of King Frederick VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden. Her mother was Princess Helena of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, daughter of Friedrich Ferdinand, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg.[1]

The princess was named for her maternal grandmother, and was known as 'Calma' to her family.

Prince Knud of Denmark in 1935.

Caroline-Mathilde married her first cousin Prince Knud of Denmark, second son and youngest child of Christian X of Denmark and Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin[1] on 8 September 1933 at Fredensborg Palace, Zealand, Denmark.[1] The couple were given Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby north of Copenhagen as their residence. The couple had three children:

• Princess Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margrethe Désirée of Denmark (8 May 1935 – 19 June 2018).
• Prince Ingolf Christian Frederik Knud Harald Gorm Gustav Viggo Valdemar Aage of Denmark (born 17 February 1940). Married Inge Terney without consent and lost his royal title, thereby becoming His Excellency Count Ingolf of Rosenborg.
• Prince Christian Frederik Franz Knud Harald Carl Oluf Gustav Georg Erik of Denmark (22 October 1942 – 21 May 2013). Married Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen without consent and lost his royal title, thereby becoming His Excellency Count Christian of Rosenborg.

Sorgenfri Palace

From 1947 to 1953, Prince Knud was heir presumptive of his older brother King Frederick IX. Knud would have become king and Caroline Mathilde queen in their turn, but a change in the constitution in 1953 caused Knud to lose his place in the succession to his niece, Margrethe II. After the change, Prince Knud was given the title of Hereditary Prince and Caroline Mathilde became Hereditary Princess.

Hereditary Prince Knud died on 14 June 1976. Hereditary Princess Caroline Mathilde survived her husband by 19 years and died on 12 December 1995 at Sorgenfri Palace.[1] She was buried at Roskilde Cathedral next to her husband.

The Princess Caroline-Mathilde Alps in Greenland were named in her honour by the 1938–39 Mørkefjord Expedition, as her husband, Prince Knud, had been the patron of the expedition.[2]

•  Denmark:
  • Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Elephant[3][4]
  • Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of King Christian X, 2nd Class[5]
  • Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of King Frederick IX, 2nd Class[6]
  • Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of Queen Margrethe II, 2nd Class
  • Recipient of the Red Cross Medal of Honour[6]
  • Recipient of the Red Cross Medal of Merit[6]
  • Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Frederick VIII
  • Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Christian X
  • Recipient of the 50th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
  • Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik