Danish Women

 

2000: The 20th Century. Issue 1 (Design - Keith Bassford)

Keep spreading the news

women have got the vote - in Denmark, when King Christian signed the revised constitution on 5th June 1915.

Another constitutional amendment in 1953 did away with gender bias to who inherited the Danish throne and as the eldest child Margrethe succeeded her father on his death in 1972;  the first female monarch since her namesake Margrethe I in the 14th Century.  During her long reign Margrethe II has been portrayed in a multitude of stamps.  The ones I show above are the 4.75 from the 1990-96 definitives and the later 2000-09 issue.  Of course she gets special occasion stamps as well

1997: 25th Anniversary Reign of Queen Margrethe

such as the 25th anniversary of her reign which shows her with her consort Prince Henrik, then with her son Crown Price Henrik, her New Year's speech and lastly meeting the people.

1971: Centenary Women's Association (Design - C Linck after a photo; Engraver - Cz Slania)

For Mathilde Fibiger (1830-1872) a Danish feminist, the vote for women would have been but a dream.  Her debut novel 'Cara Raphael 'had a great influence on the women's movement but her writing, although well regarded, did not make much money so she turned to painting porcelain, dressmaking and translating German novels for income.  She then trained as a Telegraph Operator in 1866 and became the first female official of Danish State Telegraph.  The Danish Women's Association's Mathilde Prize is named after her  as an advocate of women's rights and is awarded to women, men, companies and organisations who are working for full legal and factual equality between men and women.

1988: Europa - Transport and communications

 

Perhaps if Mathilde had been born in the 20th Century she might have become a postie like this one.

 

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Women - for the female of the species -  See It On A Postcard