The Danish Royal House Anno 2023

Abstract

This thesis aims to understand the phenomenon of the Danish royal house in 2023 and how it balances being relatable without undermining its position. Looking at the scandals across European monarchies, it seems they are on the verge of dissolution. However, the Danish royal house continues to experience widespread support among the Danish population. Using the hermeneutic method, the thesis interprets various texts on events and incidents encountered or involving the royal house and the behavior of its members to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. The hermeneutic research emphasizes the author's interpretations, why this thesis is affected by my biases and preconceptions. Throughout the three sub-analyses, my knowledge was renewed until I reach a fairly understanding of the Danish royal house in 2023.

The analysis shows that the royal house is a complex phenomenon and finds itself in several paradoxes. The royal house relies mainly on normative and cognitive structures since it gains support by following normative behavior and common worldview. This illustrates institutional pressures toward conformity exerted on it, demanding its members to behave more informally and relatable – but not so much that it undermines their position. The royal house actively acquiesces to the pressure by incorporating a more modern behavior which also helps its members gain both personal and structural legitimacy. The current behavior also reflects the mediatization of society and how it is now expected of the royal family to act more in the middle region than before, where the line between the front stage and backstage was more precise.

Further, examining the royal house’s legitimacy deduces how it possesses cognitive legitimacy based on comprehensibility and taken-for-grantedness. With its long history, there is an understanding that the royal house is a significant part of Danish cultural history and society. It also emphasizes how it is taken for granted because it is how it has always been. Because of the transformation of society, where we value and fight for equality on many levels, and the scandals among the monarchies, including the Danish, there has been increasing attention on the royal house. However, the Danish royal house faces how the side effect of the overt attention is problematizing comprehensibility and disrupting the taken-for-grantedness. The Danish royal house needs to balance the potential conflict between populist behavior and the need to maintain a sense of elevated status – also to keep the magic surrounding it.