1-150-365 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'Our Danish Difficulty', 1864. Here we see John Bull with the Danish Princess of Wales on one side, and Princess Victoria, daughter-in-law of the King of Prussia, on the other. This cartoon refers to the Schleswig-Holstein question. In the fifteenth century, the two duchies were joined with the Danish kingdom. Holstein and south Schleswig were by now German-speaking, and north Schleswig was mainly Danish. It was becoming more difficult for a compromise to be reached. The question of succession was also causing problems with Frederick VII having no male heir. The Danish kingdom allowed a female heir, whereas the duchies recognised only the male line. The problems came to a head when Frederick died in November 1863, and the succession was given to his nearest male heir, Christian IX but the situation did not resolve to the satisfaction of either faction and Bismarck suggested that the duchies become part of the kingdom of Prussia. From Punch, or the London Charivari, February 13, 1864.