Princess Benedikte is 80 today

 

@kongehuset

HRH Princess Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid of Denmark was born April 29, 1944 at the Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen.  She was born during the German occupation of Denmark in the Second World War.   She is the second of three daughters of King Frederik IX of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Denmark.  Her two sisters are Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne Marie of the Hellenes.

Queen Anne Marie, Princess Benedikte & Queen Margrethe II  4/28/2024 @Kongehuset

She was baptized on May 24, 1944, in Copenhagen's Holmen church.  Her godparents were King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark (grandparents), Prince Gustav of Denmark,  Count Sigvard Bernadotte, Sir Alexander Ramsay of Mar, and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom.

Prince Gustav was the infant princess' paternal great-uncle, the youngest son of King Frederik VIII.  He died in October 1944.   Count Sigvard was Queen Ingrid's brother.   Sir Alexander Ramsay of Mar was the husband of Princess Patricia of Connaught (Lady Patricia Ramsay), the younger sister of Princess Margaret of Connaught who married Hereditary Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden.  Lady Patricia was Queen Ingrid's maternal aunt.   

Queen Elizabeth was the consort of King George VI.

These images are a selection from my collection

Benedikte married Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1934–2017) on 3 February 1968 at Fredensborg Palace Church.  They had three children: Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1969), Princess Alexandra  (1970), and Princess Nathalie.  

The princess has six grandchildren:  Hereditary Prince Gustav Albrecht of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and his newly born unnamed sister,  Count Richard and Countess Ingrid von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth and Konstantin and Louisa Johannsman.  

A family birthday dinner was held at Christian VII's Palace at Amalienborg.  The guest list included Queen Margethe II,  Princess Alexandra and her husband Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, and  Princess Nathalie, and their children, and friends.