# Swein Forkbeard

_King of Denmark, England, and Norway_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/swein-forkbeard
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Swein Forkbeard was King of Denmark from c. 986 and briefly King of England from December 1013. He was also overlord of Norway c. 986 – c. 994 and from c. 1000. He married the sister of Boleslaus, ruler of Poland, and had three known children by her: King Harald II of Denmark, King Cnut of England, and Estrid, the mother of the Danish king Sweyn Estridsson. Swein also had a daughter, Gytha, by an earlier liaison.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 17 April 963 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Denmark ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P19))
- **Died:** 3 February 1014 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P570))
- **Place of death:** Gainsborough ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Kingdom of Denmark ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P27))
- **Occupation:** ruler ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P106))
- **Spouse:** Gunhild of Wenden; Sigrid the Haughty ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P26))
- **Positions held:** Monarch of England (1013–1014); Monarch of Norway (1000–1014); Monarch of Denmark (0986–1014); Monarch of Norway (0986–0995) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896#P39))

## Questions

**When was Swein Forkbeard born?**  
Swein Forkbeard was born on 17 April 963 in Denmark.

**What positions has Swein Forkbeard held?**  
Positions held by Swein Forkbeard include: Monarch of England (1013–1014); Monarch of Norway (1000–1014); Monarch of Denmark (0986–1014); Monarch of Norway (0986–0995).

## Related

- [Anne, Queen of Great Britain](https://diginpl.com/people/anne-queen-of-great-britain)
- [Cnut](https://diginpl.com/people/cnut)
- [Harthacnut](https://diginpl.com/people/harthacnut)
- [Christopher of Bavaria](https://diginpl.com/people/christopher-of-bavaria)
- [Christian VIII](https://diginpl.com/people/christian-viii)
- [Frederick I of Denmark](https://diginpl.com/people/frederick-i-of-denmark)
- [Hans, King of Denmark](https://diginpl.com/people/hans-king-of-denmark)
- [Frederick II of Denmark](https://diginpl.com/people/frederick-ii-of-denmark)
- [Christian X](https://diginpl.com/people/christian-x)
- [Frederik X](https://diginpl.com/people/frederik-x)
- [Harald Klak](https://diginpl.com/people/harald-klak)
- [Halfdan the Old](https://diginpl.com/people/halfdan-the-old)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Swein Forkbeard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swein_Forkbeard) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q181896](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181896) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Sweyn Forkbeard by L. Frølich (cropped).jpg by Ole Ryhl Olsson (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweyn_Forkbeard_by_L._Fr%C3%B8lich_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Swein Forkbeard, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Sweyn Forkbeard by L. Frølich (cropped).jpg — Ole Ryhl Olsson, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Swein Forkbeard". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/swein-forkbeard. Retrieved 6 November 2026.