The Nazis invaded Denmark in 1940, and everybody expected King Christian X to depart. He remained. He rode his horse every morning, alone, through the city of Copenhagen. There were no speeches and no bodyguards. He was just demonstrating that he was present, and the people were present too.

The tales circulated fast. They said he wore the Star of David to show support for the Jews. It is not necessarily literally true, but so it seemed. Another tale is about a Nazi flag being hoisted on a building. The King instructed a German general to remove it or he would. The flag was removed.

In 1943 Hitler got angry over a short birthday reply and ordered the arrest of every Danish Jew. That is when the country moved. Fishermen police and regular citizens smuggled almost the entire Jewish population to Sweden. Ninety nine percent survived.

The King did not give stirring speeches or lead charges. He stood still. Watching. Waiting. Making sure nobody believed the Nazis had triumphed. By just existing, he kept Denmark's spirits from breaking.

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