Fact Check: King Christian X Of Denmark Did NOT Wear A Yellow Star -- Pictured Couple Were In Budapest, Hungary

Misidentified

Did King Christian X of Denmark and his wife Alexandrine wear the yellow Star of David sewn on their clothing as an act of resistance against a Nazi rule, thereby encouraging all Danes to do this to protect Danish Jews -- and is this a photo of the King of Denmark and his wife? No, neither of these claims is true: King Christian X never wore a yellow star, and the Nazis never made a requirement for Jews in Denmark to wear the "Jewish badge." This badge was however a requirement in Budapest, Hungary, where this unidentified couple was photographed by Soviet photographer Yevgeny Khaldei in 1945, at the time of the liberation of the Budapest ghetto.

The myth about King Christian X of Denmark wearing a "yellow badge" is well-known and dates back to 1942, but there is a difference between what was written about things the king may have said he'd do, and what he actually did do. This well-known myth reappeared in a post published on Facebook on October 17, 2021. It was captioned:

The only Nazi occupied European country whose inhabitants were able to successfully resist the Holocaust was Denmark.

When the Nazis ordered Danish Jews to wear the star of David sewn on their clothes, the next day almost all Danes took to the streets with exactly the same stars.

After this event, the order "about the stars" was canceled.

Later, after learning of the Nazis ' plans to exterminate the Jews, members of the Danish resistance organized their transportation by sea to Sweden.

Only 120 Danish Jews died during the war.

Hundreds or even thousands of times less than in other European countries.

In the photo - king Christian X with his wife with the stars of David sewn on their clothes.

"Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ."

(Gal.6:2)

From German occupation headquarters at the Hotel D'Angleterre came the decree: ALL JEWS MUST WEAR A YELLOW ARM BAND WITH A STAR OF DAVID.

That night the underground radio transmitted a message to all the Danes. "From Amalienborg Palace King Christian has given the following answer to the German command that Jews must wear the Star of David. The King has said that one Dane is exactly the same as the next Dane. He himself will wear the first Star of David and he expects that every loyal Dane will do the same."

The following day the Germans rescinded the order.

When the King was told the Germans were going to press for the introduction of the Yellow Badge for Jews, he declared: "When this happens, I shall wear the Yellow Star on my uniform in public and I shall order the entire Royal household to follow my example."

In total, some 120 Danish Jews died during the Holocaust, either in Theresienstadt or during the flight from Denmark. This relatively small number represents one of the highest Jewish survival rates for any German-occupied European country.