Margrethe the 1st

Margrete lived up to her father Valdemar 4. Atterdag's boldness and tact to turn a situation to her own advantage. And since she was also equipped with the necessary patience to wait for the right moment, she managed to become the real Danish ruler for 36 years, even though she never had the title of reigning queen. When Valdemar Atterdag died, she thus had her son Oluf II installed as king and herself as guardian with a quick maneuver. This happened at the expense of sister Ingeborg's son Albrecht, who had actually been promised the throne. And when Oluf died at the age of 17, Margrete again succeeded in preventing Albrecht from becoming king. Only a week after Oluf's death, she had been appointed "representative wife and husband, guardian of the kingdom of Denmark". Shortly afterwards, she also achieved a similar title in Norway and Sweden. She also had a decisive influence on the upcoming election of the king, which she used in 1396 to install her young relative Eric VII of Pomerania as king, but with herself as the actual regent.