Count Ingolf of Rosenborg (born 17 February 1940) is a Danish count and former prince. Born Prince Ingolf of Denmark Ingolf Christian Frederik Knud Harald Gorm Gustav Viggo Valdemar Aage) he appeared likely to some day become king until the constitution was changed in 1953 to allow females to inherit the crown, placing his branch of the dynasty behind that of his cousin Princess Margrethe and her two younger sisters. He later gave up his princely rank and his rights to the throne in order to marry a commoner.
Family
Ingolf was born at Sorgenfri Palace, Sorgenfri, as His Highness Prince Ingolf of Denmark. He was the elder son of Hereditary Prince Knud, by his wife and first cousin, Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde.
Loss Of Place In Succession
From the death of his grandfather in 1947, Ingolf stood only behind his father in the order of hereditary succession to the throne and was expected to become king in his turn. His father Prince Knud was then the heir presumptive, due to succeed Ingolf's uncle King Frederick IX, who had three daughters but no sons.
In 1953, the Constitution of Denmark was amended to allow cognatic primogeniture. The new law made thirteen-year-old Princess Margrethe the new heir presumptive, placing her and her two sisters before Prince Knud and his family in the succession. Ingolf was thus relegated to fifth in the line of succession to the Danish throne, but more importantly, he now ranked behind Margrethe and others who were likely to have dynastic children of their own (as has, in fact, happened). The princess became Queen Margrethe II in 1972 and is still reigning as of 2022. Ingolf's place in the line of succession, were he still eligible, would be no higher than twelfth today.
Loss Of Dynastic Rights
In 1968, now with little hope of ascending the throne, Ingolf chose to forfeit his right of succession to the throne by marrying without having received the royal assent of the monarch in the Council of State. The king's permission to marry was not sough because it was expected to be denied, since Ingolf's fiancee was an untiled commoner. Though Frederick IX had liberalized traditional practice by allowing royal spouses who were not themselves royal, but who claimed noble blood and were known by courtesy titles (Anne Bowes-Lyon was the granddaughter of an Earl and through her first marriage to the son of an Earl bore the title of Viscountess; Henri Laborde Monpezat used the title of Count, though his family's claim to nobility was later acknowledged to be flawed), it would not be until 1995 that Margrethe II would allow her children to marry commoners with neither title nor claim to noble blood.
Ingolf was given the title Count of Rosenborg and the style of Your Excellency, as was customary in the twentieth century for Danish princes who forfeited their dynastic rights.
Prior to his son's wedding, Prince Knud sough to convince his brother that Ingolf should be allowed to retain his royal title after marriage. But the king refused, on the grounds that other males of the dynasty who had been demoted to Counts of Rosenborg upon marriage might try to reclaim their rank if Ingolf were allowed to do so, despite marrying a commoner as they had done. So, in 1968, Ingolf forfeited his rights to the throne and took the title Count of Rosenborg. His younger brother Christian did the same three years later.
Ingolf married firstly Inge Terney (Copenhagen, 21 January 1938-21 July 1996), daughter of Georg Terney (1906-1977) and wife Jenny Hanson (1908-1990), on 13 January 1968, at Lyngby, Denmark. After being widowed, he married secondly Sussie Hjorhoy (born Copenhagen, 20 February 1950), who thus became "Her Excellency Countess Sussie of Rosenborg" on 7 March 1998, at Egtved, Denmark. He has no children. Ingolf is godfather to his great-nephew, Leopold Rosanes of Rosenborg, who is the grandson of his brother Christian.
Public Role
Count Ingolf usually takes part in major public events associated with the royal family; he and Countess Sussie attended the wedding on 14 May 2004 of Crown Prince Frederik at Copenhagen Cathedral, and the subsequent reception at Fredensborg Palace. They also attended the Memorial Service in honor of Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia held on 22 September 2006. On some occasions, they are listed as members of the Royal Family, such as when they attended the wedding of Prince Joachim in 2008 and the luncheon to celebrate the 75th birthday of Prince Henrik at Fredensborg Palace on 11 June 2009. On other occasions, such as the celebration for the Queen's 70th birthday, they are listed along with non-royal guests but even in this case, usually at the ceremonies themselves they are given precedence immediately after his sister Princess Elisabeth of Denmark. Count Ingolf and Countess Sussie attended the Queen's Ruby jubilee celebrations. In 1964, when still Prince Ingolf, he acted as groomsman to his third cousin, Constantine II of Greece, on his marriage to Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark (also Ingolf's cousin).
According to Jyllands-Posten, he carries out official engagements around 200 days of the year typically relating to agriculture and defense, mostly in Jutland.
Ingolf receives an annual allowance of 1.4 million kroner according to the Danish Royal House web-site. His sister, Princess Elisabeth, does not receive such an allowance, though she remains in the line of succession. His brother did not receive it either.
Title
17 February 1940-13 January 1968 His Highness Prince Ingolf Christian Frederik Knud Harald Gorm Gustav Viggo Valdemar Aage of Denmark
13 January 1968:- His Excellency Count Ingolf Christian Frederik Knud Harald Gorm Gustav Viggo Valdemar Aage of Rosenborg
House: Glucksburg
Honors
National Honors
-Denmark: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Elephant
-Denmark: Recipient of the Gold Medal of Merit, 2nd Class
-Denmark: Recipient of the Silver Royal Medal of Recompense, 1st Class
-Denmark: Recipient of the Reserve Long Service Medal
-Denmark: Recipient of the Homeguard Medal of Merit
-Denmark: Recipient of the Homeguard 25 Year Service Medal
-Denmark: Recipient of the Civil Defense Long Service Medal
-Denmark: Recipient: of the Medal of Honor of the League of Reserve Officers
-Denmark: Recipient of the Medal of Honor of the League of Civil Defense
-Denmark: Recipient of the Red Cross Medal of Honor
-Denmark: Recipient of the Red Cross Medal of Merit
-Denmark: Recipient of the Peace Prize Medal
-Denmark: Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Frederick VIII
-Denmark: Recipient of the 100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Christian X
-Denmark: Recipient of the 50th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
-Denmark: Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik
-Denmark: Recipient of the Silver Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II
-Denmark: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Prince Henrik
-Denmark: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
-Denmark: Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II
-Denmark: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
Award
-Denmark: Recipient of the Danish Christmas Seal Foundation Medal
Patronage
-Denmark: Parton of the Danish Christmas Seal Foundation