The Margrethe TV series is a new Danish period drama from TV 2 that will follow the early life of Queen Margrethe II, from her birth in 1940 through the constitutional changes of 1953 that made her heir to the throne.
A royal coming-of-age set during war and succession reform
The first season will focus on Princess Margrethe growing up at Amalienborg in Copenhagen during the Second World War and the uncertain early post-war years, before the 1953 change in succession rules that put her in line for the crown.
Rather than covering her reign, the series is framed as the story of a child whose role was shaped by duty and institutional expectations, with scenes expected to move between the royal household and the staff who kept the court running day to day.
Cast and characters
The production is led by a well-known Nordic cast. Asta Tvilling Jensen plays the young Princess Margrethe, while Danish actor Nikolaj Lie Kaas portrays her father, King Frederik IX. Swedish actor Josefin Asplund appears as Queen Ingrid.
Danish reporting also highlights the role of Karen, a nanny in the royal household, played by Marie Reuther, signalling that the series will likely use the perspective of palace staff to show life behind formal ceremonies and public appearances.
Who is behind the series
TV 2 is developing the project with SAM Productions, the Danish production company known internationally for political drama Borgen. The involvement of a producer with experience in large-scale prestige television has led several outlets to describe the series as Denmark’s “The Crown”-style entry in the expanding genre of European royal dramas.
Filming for the first season has been reported as completed, with the first release currently expected in 2027 on TV 2 Play and TV 2.
Why Queen Margrethe still attracts TV storytellers
Queen Margrethe II remains one of the most recognisable public figures in Denmark and in Nordic political culture, in part because her reign spanned major shifts in Scandinavian society and European integration. She abdicated in January 2024 after more than five decades on the throne, and her son King Frederik X became head of state.
The series arrives after a wave of Nordic and European productions that use monarchy as a lens on power, identity and modern institutions. For international audiences, Denmark’s historical setting and constitutional politics may also offer a different angle from the British focus of The Crown, with the 1953 succession reform providing a clear political turning point for a character-driven story.
