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Margrethe II of Denmark

b. 1940

Born
16 Apr 1940, Copenhagen
Country of birth
Denmark

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

facts
6
sources
1
images and files
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Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Copenhagen

    Birth, Copenhagen

  2. Child born: Frederik X of Denmark

    Birth, Rigshospitalet

  3. Child born: Prince Joachim of Denmark

    Birth, Rigshospitalet

What was it like?

The world around Copenhagen, 1940: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Margrethe was born the same year as John Lennon, Pelé, and Bruce Lee.

Born the same year

  • John Lennon

    British musician (1940–1980)

  • Pelé

    Brazilian footballer (1940–2022)

  • Bruce Lee

    Hong Kong–American martial artist and actor (1940–1973)

  • Jair da Costa

    Brazilian footballer (1940–2025)

  • Al Pacino

    American actor (born 1940)

  • Wangari Muta Maathai

    Kenyan environmentalist and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 (1940–2011)

Fashion

Wartime scarcity in clothing materials

During the 1940s, standardized suits of poor quality were sold for a maximum of 100 kr, and women wore shoes with cork heels and soles made of tanned plaice fish skin.

Around 1943–1944

Handmade dress during World War II

Due to wartime shortages, a dress for a 10-year-old girl was hand-sewn in 1943-44 for 35 kr using home-spun yarn from the family's rabbits and sheep.

Music

The Fanø dance tradition in Denmark

On the island of Fanø, a distinct tradition known as Fanø music and dance, including dances like sønderhoning and fannikedans, was performed throughout the 20th century using a set repertoire of about 120 melodies.

Around 1918–1939

Home music in interwar rural Denmark

In rural bourgeois-like homes during the interwar period, families entertained guests with piano performances featuring classical-romantic repertoire or dance music during dinners and coffee gatherings.

Getting around

Bicycles were the most common transport

While cars became more accessible due to mass production, the bicycle remained the most common mode of transport for ordinary people.

Around 1935–1935

Bridge reduced train travel time significantly

The completion of the Little Belt Bridge in 1935 reduced the train journey between Copenhagen and Esbjerg by approximately 40 percent to 4 hours and 34 minutes.

Daily life
Around 1920–1939

Rural Home Life and Lighting

In Meløse, rural homes often lacked electricity, forcing residents to rely on kerosene lamps for light and stoves or tiled ovens for cooking and heat.

Around 1920–1939

Rural Schooling and Work

Children in rural areas often attended school only every other day, starting from the fourth grade, to allow them to work on farms during the harvest season. Their education focused on memorizing the monarchy, multiplication tables, and the Ten Commandments.

Food

Cooking Porridge in a Haybox

Due to fuel rationing, families used an insulated box called a haybox (høkasse) to finish cooking porridge; after a short boil on the stove, the pot was placed in the haybox to cook for hours without using more gas.

Wartime Rationing of Alcohol and Tobacco

During the occupation, wartime aquavit made from potatoes was limited to one bottle per month for home use and cost about 20 kroner for a fifth. To cope with cigarette shortages, Danish women often turned to smoking cigars.

Prices and wages
Around 1938–1938

Purchasing power of 25 øre in 1938

By 1938, the purchasing power of 25 øre had decreased, allowing the purchase of only 1 kg of rye bread or slightly less than 400 g of cod.

Around 1950–1970

Rising Food Prices 1950–1970

In 1950, a loaf of rye bread cost 1.17 kr. and a loaf of white bread cost 1.23 kr. By 1970, prices had risen to 2.50 kr. for rye bread and 1.04 kr. for a loaf of white bread, while butter increased from 6.70 kr. per pound in 1950 to 11.51 kr. in 1970.

Work

Common jobs for children and youth

Common jobs included grocery delivery boys (svajere), domestic servants, and agricultural laborers, with children frequently performing domestic chores or working on farms to supplement family income.

Earnings in the early 20th century

A 14-year-old girl working on a farm in the 1930s earned 20 kroner a month plus room and board, while a truck driver in the 1920s might be paid 60-70 kroner per week.

News and letters
Around 1941–1943

War Caused Significant Mail Delays

Due to war conditions and censorship, a letter sent from China in 1941 did not reach its recipient in Denmark until over two years later in 1943.

Creative Mailbag Materials During Occupation

During the occupation, shortages were so severe that postal workers made new mailbags from materials like nettles, straw, potato tops, and even old paper.

During their lifetime

  1. 1953

    First supermarket opens in 1953

    In 1953, the first supermarket in Denmark opened in the Copenhagen suburb of Islev, changing how people shopped by allowing them to select pre-packaged items with a basket.

  2. 1955

    First motorway opens in 1955

    Denmark's first motorway, Hørsholmvejen, opened in 1955, marking a significant change in national infrastructure.

  3. 1959

    Coca-Cola and Elvis arrive in 1959

    Coca-Cola and Elvis Presley albums became available to the general Danish public for the first time in 1959.

  4. 1962

    First pedestrian street opens in 1962

    In 1962, Denmark's first pedestrian street, Strøget, was established in Copenhagen.

  5. 1968

    Pondus piggy bank launch in 1968

    Landmandsbanken launched the iconic Pondus penguin piggy bank in 1968, which quickly became a huge success with 300,000 children within six months.

  6. 1973

    Car-free Sundays during oil crisis 1973

    Denmark introduced car-free Sundays from November 1973 to February 1974 due to the global oil crisis.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.