Early Life
On 20 April 1947, King Christian X died and Benedikte's father ascended the throne as King Frederick IX.
Like her sisters, Benedikte grew up at Amalienborg Palace and attended local schools. She spent summer holidays with the royal family at Gråsten Palace in Southern Jutland.
At the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark. As her parents had no sons, it was assumed that her uncle Prince Knud would one day assume the throne. The popularity of Frederick IX and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life, paved the way for a new Act of Succession in 1953 which permitted female succession to the throne following the principle of male-preference primogeniture, where a female can ascend to the throne if she has no brothers. Benedikte's elder sister Margrethe therefore became the Heiress presumptive, and Princess Benedikte became second in the line of succession.
Along with her younger sister, Anne-Marie, Benedikte was a bridesmaid at the 1962 wedding of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark.
Read more about this topic: Princess Benedikte Of Denmark
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