King Christian's 60th Birthday - 1930 Complete Set of 10

Denmark’s King Christian X (1870-1947) was a popular monarch who deeply cared for his people. In 1915 he signed a new constitution granting women the right to vote in elections (five years before the United States) and was known for his trust in his countrymen. Throughout his reign he would ride his horse through the streets of Copenhagen without a bodyguard. During the Nazi occupation, Christian X decided to remain in Denmark as a visible symbol of a national cause.

When a Nazi soldier remarked to a young boy that he found it odd that the king would ride with no bodyguard. The boy reportedly replied, "All of Denmark is his bodyguard."Denmark is known for its conservative stamp issuing policy and this 60th birthday set of 10 represents the fourth commemorative set ever issued by this tiny country.

King Christian X Anecdotes & Trivia

Early during the German occupation King Christian wanted the Nazi flag flying over Christiansborg Palace removed. According to the story, the king summoned a senior Nazi general and instructed him to remove the flag. When the general refused to do so, Christian declared, "A Danish soldier will remove it." The German officer said that such a soldier would be shot. The king's reply was "I think not. For I shall be that soldier." The general immediately ordered the removal of the flag.

The Danish West Indies, known today as the American Virgin Islands, were sold to the United States for $25 million in 1917 by Denmark.

Christian opposed Nazi demands for anti-Jewish legislation. His speech against the occupation forces in 1943 led to his imprisonment until the end of the war.