The funeral procession
In Denmark, a funeral often involves a funeral procession.
In Denmark, it has long been common practice for the mourners to escort the deceased on their final journey, also in connection with royal funerals.
Frederik II’s funeral procession
During the 16th century, grand funeral processions were the height of fashion at European royal and noble courts. When Frederik II died, in 1588, his widow, Queen Sophie, wanted a royal funeral procession that met contemporary standards and measured up to other royal or princely funerals at the time.
When Frederik II died, in Antvorskov by Slagelse, the transfer of his body to Roskilde took two days. Therefore, the actual funeral procession took place in Roskilde on the day of the funeral. The procession included some 400 people, including the country’s highest-ranking civil servants, clerics, nobles and members of the royal court. A detailed plan governed the relative positions of the different groups in the procession. The events surrounding the death of Frederik II attracted great public attention, and books about the event were published in several languages. The purpose of the procession was to pay tribute to the late king. Frederik II’s funeral procession served as a model for the funerals of subsequent Danish kings.
Funeral processions under absolutism
Under absolutism too, funeral processions were a regular element of the official events related to the death and funeral of a monarch. The purpose of the procession was to celebrate the late king’s power and accomplishments and the elevated status of the monarchy. Since the 17th century, royal funeral processions in Copenhagen have followed more or less the same route: from the chapel at Copenhagen Castle (later Christiansborg), via Højbro Square and down what is now Strøget.
Along the route through town, building facades and city squares were traditionally adorned with mourning decorations as a tribute to the late king, and the city echoed with the tolling of its many church bells. The tradition of the royal funeral procession has continued largely unchanged to this day.
The timing of the procession
The procession takes place after the castrum doloris ceremony, during which the royal coffin is placed on public view. The procession escorts the coffin to Roskilde, where the funeral takes place. Under absolutism, the procession typically took place in the afternoon and early evening, so that the trip to Roskilde could be made at night. Later, the procession was moved to the early part of the day, allowing the funeral in Roskilde to take place on the same day. Until 1906, the procession ended at the edge of town, at which point some of the mourners returned to the palace, while a smaller group escorted the coffin through the night to Roskilde Cathedral. Since the death of Christian IX, in 1906, the coffin has been transferred from Copenhagen to Roskilde by rail. This has reduced the overall duration and made it possible to have the procession and the funeral on the same day. Thus, today, the funeral procession marks the beginning of the funeral ceremony.
Who is part of the procession?
In addition to the Royal Family, high-ranking civil servants and foreign heads of state, the Danish military has historically had a strong representation in royal funeral processions. In the past, the royal family would escort the coffin in horse-drawn coaches, but at the funeral of Frederik IX, in 1972, the Royal Family chose to escort the coffin on foot. This practice continued at the funeral of Queen Ingrid, in 2000, and of Prince Henrik, in 2018. Royal funeral processions have always drawn great public interest, with large numbers of people showing up along the route.
Film: The funeral procession
Museum curator Jesper Munk Andersen explains the route of the funeral procession and how Danes have bid farewell to a monarch throughout history.