On the death, in 1863, of Frederick VII., the present king, prince Christian of Slesvig Holstein-Glticksborg, ascended the throne under the title of Christian IX., in conform ity with the act known as the treaty of London of 1852, by which the succession to the Danish crown had been settled on him, and his descendants by his wife, princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel, niece of king Christian VIII. of D. With Frederick VII., the direct Oldenburg line had expired, and, at his death, the question of the succession to the duchies acquired an importance .which it had never before possessed. A pre tender. backed by German influence and help, at once started up in the person of the eldest son of the duke of Augustenborg, whose defeat in 1848, and solemn renunciation of all claims on the titles or possessions of the Danish royal house, in consideration of his receiving a free pardon, and accepting a large sum of money from the crown, had been regarded in D. as the final settlement of his pretensions.
The cause of the Augustenborg prince, who assumed the title of duke Frederick VIII. of Slesvig,-Holstein, was speedily merged and lost sight of by Prussia and Austria in their direct aim of incorporating the duchies with the German confederation. D.,
unaided by the neighbors and allies on whose support she had relied, was forced to go single-handed into the unequal contest. After a brave but utterly futile attempt at resistance, the Panes found themselves forced to submit to the terms conceded to them by their powerful foes, and resign not only Lauenborg and Holstein, but the ancient crown-appanage of Slesvig into the hands of the German confederate powers. By the peace of Vienna, 1864, the Danish king bound himself to abide by the decision which Prussia and Austria should adopt in regard to the destiny of the severed Danish prov inces. The dissensions between these two great powers, which led to the Austro-Prus sian war of 1866, and resulted in the triumph of Prussia, have left the fate of the SleS entirely in the hands of the latter state, which has hitherto refused to relinquish its hold upon the province. Since the war, D., although reduced to the narrow limits of the islands and Jutland, has recovered from its fall, and the degree of political and social freedom enjoyed by the nation now perhaps as high as is to be found in any country in Europe.