Royal Profile: Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Princess Benedikte Astird Ingeborg Ingrid of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg was born 29 April 1944 as the second of three daughters of King Federik XI & Queen Ingrid of Denmark {Source}.  She has two sisters, two brothers-in-law, {Source}:
  1. Queen Margarethe II of Demark (1940)
    1. Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark (1934-2018, m. 1967-2018, his death)
      1. Crown Prince Frederik André Henrik Christian of Denmark (1968)
        1. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (1972, m 2004)
          1. Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John of Denmark (2005)
          2. Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe of Denmark (2007)
          3. Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander of Denmark (2011)\
          4. Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda of Denmark (2011)
      2. Prince Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian of Denmark (1969)
        1. Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg (1964, 1995-2005)
          1. Prince Nikolai William Alexander Fredrick of Denmark (1999)
          2. Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian of Denmark (2002)
        2. Princess Marie of Denmark (1976, m. 2008)
          1. Prince Henrik Carl Jochim Alin of Denmark (2009)
          2. Princess Athena Marguerite Françoise Marie of Denmark (2012)
  2. Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (1946)
    1. King Constantine of Greece (1940, m. 1964)
      1. Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark (1965)
        1. Mr. Carlos Morales Quintana (1970,m. 1999)
          1. Miss Arrietta Morales y de Grecia (2002)
          2. Miss Ana María Morales y de Grecia (2003)
          3. Mr. Carlos Morales y de Grecia (2005)
          4. Amelia Morales y de Grecia (2007)
      2. Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece & Denmark (1968)
        1. Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greecem  Princess of  Denmark (1968, m. 1995)
          1. Princess Maria Olympia of Greece & Denmark (1996)
          2. Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece & Denmark(1998)
          3. Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece & Denmark(2000)
          4. Prince Odysseus-Kimon of Greece & Denmark(2004)
          5. Prince Aristidis-Stavros of Greece & Denmark (2008)
      3. Prince Nikolas of Greece & Denmark (1969)
        1. Princess Tatiana of Greece & Denmark (1980, m. 2010)
      4. Prince Theodora of Greece & Denmark (1983)
        1. Matthew Kumar (engaged 2018)
      5. Prince Philippos of Greece & Denmark (1986)


She was married to Richard,6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in Denmark on 3 February 1968{Source}. Together, they have three children, a former son-in-law, two current sons-in-law, two grandsons and two granddaughters:

  1. Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittengenstein-Berleburg (1969)
    1. Carina Axelsson (not married)
  2. Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittengenstein-Berleburg, Countess Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (1970)
    1. Count Jefferson von von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (1967, m. 1998-2017, div)
      1. Count Fredrich von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (1999)
      2. Countess Ingrid Alexandra von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth (2003)
    2. Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (1965, m. 2019)
  3. Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittengenstein-Berleburg (1975)
    1. Mr. Alexander Johannsmann (1977, m. 2010)
      1. Master Konstantin Gustav Heinrich Richard Johannsmann (2010)
      2. Miss Louisa Margareta Benedikte Hanna Johannsmann (2015)

Princess Benedikte is patron of many national organizations, institutions, and foundations in Denmark and abroad {Source}. She also serves as honorary member of various associations and societies{Source}. Princess Benedikte is patron of the Olave Baden Powell Society (OB-PS){Source}. She is an honorary member of the St Georges Guilds in Denmark. In 2007, she was awarded with a prize of honor by the Scout association for adults.
Princess Benedikte served in a special scout unit created just for her so she could participate as a child. She is chairwoman of Pigespejdernes fællesråd (Joint Committee of Girl Guides in Denmark) since 2000{Source}. In 1963, she stood in for her mother during the Girl Scouts World Conference{Source}. In 1965, Princess Benedikte became president of the Girl Scouts ' Confederation Denmark{Source}.  She is patron for De grønne pigespejdere (The Green Girl Guides, Denmark) and Det Danske Spejderkorps (The Danish Guide and Scout Association){Source}.
She was not in line for the throne due to succession laws at birth.  However, things changed in 1947, allowed the Danish Royal women to succeed, which her sister did in 1972. Presently, the Danish Succession Act allows equal rights to the throne. Upon this change, Princess Benedikte became second in line.  Presently she is 10th in line, and last, after two nephews, and 8 great-nieces and nephews. Princess Benedikte's children are not in line for succession due to her father ruling that they must be brought up in Denmark in order to have succession rights. However, both her daughters have obtained Danish Citizenship.  

She was a horse breeder in Germany, something that her youngest child has followed in her footsteps doing.
She shares a birthday with 58 year old Prince Heinrich Julius of Hanover (1961) Also celebrating her birthday today is Norway's Maud Angelica Behn. The final birthday today is The Infanta Sofia of Spain.

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