Monarchs of Denmark

The following is a list of reigning kings and queens of Denmark. A Danish kingship of greater or lesser power can be traced back to the early 6th century, and many records (and copious archaeological remains) exist testifying to centralised monarchic power in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries.

However, actual Danish record-keeping (as opposed to foreign sources or archaeological traces) begin with the Jelling stones, which record the existence of Gorm, the first Danish king who we know for certain to have been undisputed ruler of all of Denmark.

Gorm (935-950) "den Gamle" ("the Old")
Harald I (950-986) "Blåtand" ("Bluetooth") - a.k.a. Harold Bluetooth
Svend I (986-1014) "Tveskæg" ("Forkbeard") - a.k.a. Sweyn Forkbeard
Harald II (1014-1018)
Knud I (1019-1035) "den Store" ("the Great") - a.k.a. Canute
Hardeknud (1035-1042) - a.k.a. Hardicanute
Magnus (1042-1047) "den Gode" ("the Good")
Svend II Estridsen (1047-1074)
Harald III (1074-1080) "Hen" ("Whetstone")
Knud IV (1080-1086) "den Hellige" ("the Holy")
Oluf I (1086-1095) "Hunger" ("Hunger")
Erik I (1095-1103) "Ejegod" ("the Kind")
Niels (1104-1134)
Erik II (1134-1137) "Emune" ("the Memorable")
Erik III (1137-1146) "Lam" ("the Lame")

(1146-1157) Civil war - three simultaneous kings:
Svend II, Knud V and Valdemar I, followed by:

Valdemar I (1157-1182) "den Store" ("the Great")
Knud VI (1182-1202)

Valdemar II (1202-1241) "Sejr" ("the Victorious")
Erik IV (1241-1250) "Plovpenning" ("Plowpenny")
Abel (1250-1252)
Christoffer I (1252-1259)
Erik V (1259-1286) "Klipping" ("Cutpenny")
Erik VI (1286-1319) "Menved" (untranslatable cognomen)
Christoffer II (1320-1326)
Valdemar III Eriksen (1326-1330)
Christoffer II (1330-1332) (again)

(1332-1340) Interregnum

Valdemar IV (1340-1375) "Atterdag" ("Day Again")
Oluf II (1376-1387)
Queen Margrete I (1387-1412)
Erik VII (1412-1439) "af Pommern" ("of Pomerania")
Christoffer II (1440-1448) "af Bayern" ("of Bavaria")
Christian I (1448-1481)
Hans (1481-1513)
Christian II (1513-1523)
Frederik I (1523-1533)

(1533-1534) Interregnum

Christian III (1534-1559)
Frederik II (1559-1588)
Christian IV (1588-1648)
Frederik III (1648-1670)
Christian V (1670-1699)
Frederik IV (1699-1730)
Christian VI (1730-1746)
Frederik V (1746-1766)
Christian VII (1766-1808)
Frederik VI (1808-1839)
Christian VIII (1839-1848)
Frederik VII (1848-1863)
Christian IX (1863-1906)
Frederik VIII (1906-1912)
Christian X (1912-1947)
Frederik IX (1947-1972)
Queen Margrethe II (1972-)

Related writeups:

Queen Ingeborg of France - Empress Maria Fyodorovna of Russia - Danish Myths and Legends - Prime ministers of Denmark