Den 19. december

Dansk
Nu hvor Juleenglen er forsvundet har Nissefar været nødsaget til at tage grødskeen i den anden hånd og selv klare resten af julerejsen gennem Kongerækken. Vel at mærke inden det bliver juleaften, for der er kun fem dage til den 24. december. Så der er ingen tid at spilde, eftersom Nissefar stadig mangler at få en række regenter på plads i sin hue, før han har fundet den røde tråd fra Kong Gorm den Gamle til Hendes Majestæt Dronningen.

Nissefar synes, at han har gennemskuet et mønster. Nemlig at alle danske konger siden 1513 på skift har heddet Frederik eller Christian. ”Og det er egentlig vældig praktisk, at de har numre alle sammen,” siger Nissemor og sjusser sig frem til, at den næste konge de skal gå i bedene må være Frederik 7. Derfor tager nisseægteparret til Jægerspris Slot på den sjællandske halvø Hornsherred. Jagtslottet var i mange år et fast tilholdssted for Frederik 7, hvor kongen dyrkede sine interesser for jagt og arkæologi. Så det må være det helt perfekte sted at blive klogere på den konge, der den 5. juni 1849 underskrev Grundloven og dermed afskaffede enevælden, som i næsten 200 år havde været styreformen i Danmark. Inde på Kongens arbejdsværelse, der står, som da Kongen sad bag skrivebordet for sidste gang, opdager Nissefar et billede af en kvinde, som han mener at have set før.

”Det er Lensgrevinde Danner. Hun var Kongens tredje hustru” siger Nissemor og fortæller om det stormombruste forhold mellem Frederik 7. og den senere grevinde, der oprindeligt hed Louise Rasmussen og var modehandlerske og tidligere balletdanser. Efter at Frederik 7. som kronprins var blevet skilt to gange ville han giftes med sin Louise. Men mange forsøgte ihærdigt at bryde forbindelsen. Kongen stod dog fast og sagde ”Hende til kone, eller jeg er ikke konge mere”. Nissefar ser helt forelsket på sin Nissemor. ”Kærlighedsfortællinger kan man ikke få for mange af, og slet ikke op til jul,” siger den lettere rødmende nisse og giver Nissemor et lille kys på kinden. På slottet finder de flere billeder af Kongen og Lensgrevindens kærlighed til hunde, og Nissemor mener at huske, at parret altid kaldte deres hunde for Tyrk og Holger.

”Men fik Frederik 7. fik aldrig selv børn?” spørger Nissefar. ”Nej, det gjorde han ikke, og dermed blev han den sidste konge i den gren af oldenborgske kongeslægt”. Hvordan nisserne kommer videre herfra, bliver derfor spændende.

English
Now that the Christmas Angel has vanished, Elf Father has been compelled to change his methods and cope with the rest of the journey through the Royal Lineage himself. Mind you, before Christmas Eve, because there are only five days left until 24 December. So, there’s no time to waste, since Elf Father still needs to get a number of monarchs in order in his mind before he can find the red thread stretching from King Gorm the Old to Her Majesty The Queen.

Elf Father thinks he has recognized a pattern. That is, all Danish kings since 1513 have alternately been named Frederik or Christian. “And it’s really enormously handy that they all have numbers,” says Elf Mother, who makes an informed guess that the next king they’ll poach around for must be Frederik VII. So, the elf husband and wife go to Jægerspris Castle on the Zealand peninsula Hornsherred. For many years, the hunting seat was a permanent abode for Frederik VII, and there The King pursued his interests in hunting and archaeology. So, that must be the absolutely perfect place to become wiser about the king who signed the Constitution on 5 June 1849 and thus abolished the absolute monarchy, which had been Denmark’s form of government for nearly 200 years. In The King’s study, which still stands the way it did when The King sat behind the desk for the last time, Elf Father discovers a picture of a woman he thinks he has seen before.

“That’s Countess Danner. She was The King’s third wife,” says Elf Mother, who then tells about the stormy relationship between Frederik VII and the future countess, who was originally called Louise Rasmussen and was a fashion retailer and former ballet dancer. After Frederik VII had been divorced two times as crown prince, he wanted to marry his Louise. But many people persistently tried to break up the relationship. The King stood fast and said, “Her for my wife, or I am no longer king.” Elf Father looks at Elf Mother, completely in love. “You can never get enough stories about love – and especially not around Christmas,” says the slightly blushed Elf Father, who then gives Elf Mother a little kiss on the cheek. At the castle, they find several pictures of the love The King and the Countess had for dogs, and Elf Mother believes she remembers that the couple always called their dogs Turk and Holger.

“But Frederik VII never had children himself?” asks Elf Father.  “No, he did not, and therefore he was the last king of the House of Oldenburg.” So, how the elves move on from here will be very interesting.