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Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester

b. 1946

Born
20 Jun 1946, Odense
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
5
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Odense

    Birth, Odense

  2. Child born: Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster

    Birth, St Mary's Hospital

  3. Child born: Lady Davina Windsor

    Birth, St Mary's Hospital

  4. Child born: Lady Rose Windsor

    Birth, St Mary's Hospital

What was it like?

The world around Odense, 1946: 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.

Birgitte, was born around the same time as Bob Marley, Meryl Streep, and George Lucas.

Born around the same time

  • Bob Marley

    1945 · Jamaican reggae musician (1945–1981)

  • Meryl Streep

    1949 · American actress

  • George Lucas

    1944 · American filmmaker and philanthropist (born 1944)

  • Arsène Wenger

    1949 · French football manager (born 1949)

  • Charles III

    1948 · King of the United Kingdom since 2022 (born 1948)

  • Benjamin Netanyahu

    1949 · Prime Minister of Israel (born 1949), (1996–1999; 2009–2021; 2022–present)

Fashion
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.

Around 1940–1945

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.

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 1950–1959

Youth culture and rock music emergence

In the 1950s, young people embraced American rock music, the jitterbug dance, and new fashions like blue jeans and leather jackets, causing tension with older generations. Concerts, such as one in 1956 featuring Ib Jensen, were sometimes stopped by police due to fears of youth unrest.

Getting around
Around 1950–1950

The Railway as Primary Transport in 1950

In 1950, the railway was the most important means of transport for Danes, and the ferry route across the Great Belt was very busy.

Around 1950–1959

Bicycles and Horse-Drawn Travel in the 1950s

In the 1950s, many people still traveled locally by bicycle and horse-drawn vehicles like wagons. Private cars were rare, with most being pre-war models.

Daily life
Around 1950–1974

Improving living standards in Danish homes

In the early 1950s, many families lived in small homes without a private lavatory, warm running water, or a bathroom. By 1970, housing standards had improved significantly, with 88% of homes having their own lavatory and 71% having a bathroom.

Around 1950–1974

Modernization of cooking and kitchen appliances

Cooking transitioned from old coal or coke-fired stoves to modern appliances like electric stoves, which became standard symbols of prosperity. By the late 1950s, new houses were no longer built with traditional stoves, and items like refrigerators became increasingly common.

Food
Around 1940–1945

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.

Around 1940–1945

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 1956–1956

Daily Earnings and Expenses in 1956

A student in 1956 typically spent about 10 kr. per day to live. In August of that year, a foreman earned 113.57 kr. per day, while the student earned 46.67 kr. per day for his work in Greenland.

Work
Around 1953–1955

Wage differences and strike fines

In 1955, the hourly wage for unskilled men was 4.49 kroner, while for women it was 3.18 kroner. Workers at a slaughterhouse in 1953 faced fines of 100 kroner for men and 65 kroner for women for participating in an illegal strike.

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.

News and letters
Around 1940–1945

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.

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.

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.