The Royals

King Christian IX of Denmark and his wife, Queen Louise, were known in the 1800s as ‘Europe’s parents-in-law’, as their children married widely into the European royal families. 
Every summer, the king and queen gathered their large extended family at the country seat of Fredensborg Palace for an event known as the Fredensborg Days. In 1883, one of these grand gatherings was immortalised by celebrated court painter Laurits Tuxen. His great group portrait, the Fredensborg Painting, depicts members of the royal families of Denmark, Russia, Greece, Hanover and Great Britain. 
In The Royals, Marianne Abrahamsen tells the story of each person in the portrait in short biographical chapters. Here are the stories of royal splendour, arranged marriages and bonds of kinship, but also of illegitimate children, depressed princes, closeted queer royalty and much more. 
 The Royals is a book for everyone interested in the royal families of Europe and in the royal adventures of the past. 
 Marianne Abrahamsen holds a Master of Arts and has many decades of teaching experience. She is the great-granddaughter of Laurits Tuxen and the author of two previous books about their illustrious family, art and the 1800s.