Den 20. december

Dansk
Egentlig burde en vaskeægte Kongehusnisse vide alt til huespidserne om den danske Kongerække. Men når man hedder Nissefar og har julen som sin hobby, går det let ud over ens arbejde, der primært består i at holde styr på Danmarkshistoriens mange regenter. Men den manglende paratviden resulterede i går i en anelse panik, da nisserne fandt ud af, at Frederik 7. ikke fik nogen børn. For hvordan kommer man så videre på en julerejse gennem Kongerækken?

Gode råd har været dyre, men Nissemor foreslog, at de to seniornisser skulle tage til Nordsjælland og lede efter spor på deres egen hjemmebane - nemlig Fredensborg Slot. På denne tid af året plejer den lille nissefamilie at sprede julestemning på slottet og de kender derfor hver en krog på Fredensborg, der blev opført for næsten 300 år siden. ”Men vi skal kun halvt så langt tilbage i tiden,” siger Nissemor, da de er nået til slottets fine havesal. Pludselig skæver Nissefar til sin hustru. Han er kommet i tanke om et særligt maleri fra 1880’erne af Laurits Tuxen, der forestiller Danmarks konge og hans store familie i Havesalen på Fredensborg Slot.

”Jeg tror minsandten, at det er Christian 9., som vi er nået til! Det var jo kongen, der blev kaldt Europas svigerfar, og ham der ofte samlede sin store familie her på slottet til de såkaldte Fredensborgdage” siger Nissefar inden han øser ud af sin viden om de kongelige børn, der blev gift ind i datidens mægtigste fyrstefamilier. Således blev døtrene Dagmar og Alexandra i kraft af deres ægteskaber senere i livet henholdsvis Kejserinde af Rusland og Dronning af Storbritannien mens sønnen Vilhelm blev konge af Grækenland under navnet Georg 1 og den yngste datter Thyra blev Hertuginde af Cumberland.

Nisserne husker, at der blev talt mange sprog på slottene dengang, og langsomt – men sikkert – falder brikkerne på plads i nissernes huer. Således husker Nissefar nu, at Christian 9. blev født som Prins Christian af Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Glücksborg og han blev arving til den danske trone i forbindelse med Tronfølgeloven af 1853. Han var oldebarn af Frederik 5. og var således en del af en sidegren af det oldenborgske hus. Sammen med sin hustru, Dronning Louise (der i øvrigt var niece af Christian 8.), blev han stamfader til den glücksborgske kongeslægt, som nisserne skal blive klogere på de kommende dage.

English
Strictly speaking, an out-and-out Royal House elf ought to know everything to the hat-tips about the Danish Royal Lineage. But when you’re named Elf Father and have Christmas as a hobby, it easily goes beyond your line of work, which primarily consists of keeping track of the many sovereigns in Denmark’s history. But, yesterday, the lack of fingertip knowledge resulted in a touch of panic when the elves found out that the Oldenburg royal line died out with Frederik VII. Because how, then, can you make headway on a journey through the Royal Lineage?

The situation had looked desperate, but Elf Mother proposed that the two senior elves should go to North Zealand and look for clues on their own home turf – Fredensborg Palace, that is. At this time of year, the little Elf Family usually spreads Christmas cheer at the palace, and therefore they know every nook and cranny of Fredensborg Palace, which was built more than 300 years ago. “But we only have to go half so far back in time,” says Elf Mother when they reach the palace’s fine garden hall. Suddenly, Elf Father gives his wife a sidelong glance. He has thought of a special painting from the 1880s by Laurits Tuxen which depicts Denmark’s king and his large family in the Garden Hall at Fredensborg Palace.

“By Jove, I think it’s Christian IX that we’ve gotten to! It was The King, you know, who was called the ‘father-in-law of Europe’. And he often gathered his large family here at the palace for the so-called ‘Fredensborg Days’,” says Elf Father, before he splashes out his knowledge of the royal children who were married into the most powerful princely families of the time. Thus, by virtue of their marriages, the daughters Dagmar and Alexandra became The Empress of Russia and The Queen of the United Kingdom, respectively, while son Vilhelm became king of Greece under the name George I, and the youngest daughter Thrya became the Duchess of Cumberland.

The elves remember that many languages were spoken at the palace in those days, and slowly – but surely – the bricks start to fall in place in the elves’ hats. So, Elf Father now remembers that Christian IX was born as Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderborg-Glücksborg, and he became heir to the throne under “The Act on Succession to the Throne of the Kingdom of Denmark” of 1853. He was the great-grandchild of Frederik V and thus was a part of a side branch of the House of Oldenburg. Together with his wife, Queen Louise (who moreover was a niece of Christian VIII), he became the progenitor of the House of Glücksborg, which the elves must become wiser about over the next few days.