kingdom · Scandinavia and the Baltic
Kingdom of Iceland
Origins
After a century of national struggle led by figures such as Jón Sigurðsson, Iceland won home rule in 1904. The Danish-Icelandic Act of Union, effective 1 December 1918, recognised Iceland as a sovereign kingdom sharing a king, Christian X, with Denmark, with the right to end the union after 25 years.
Rule and society
Iceland governed itself through the Althing and its own cabinet, while Denmark handled foreign affairs and fisheries protection on its behalf. A Supreme Court was set up in 1920, and in 1930 the Althing celebrated its millennium at Þingvellir. The economy depended on fishing, and the Depression hit hard.
Decline and legacy
When Germany occupied Denmark in 1940, Iceland took over its own foreign affairs and Britain, then the United States, occupied the island. Sveinn Björnsson became regent in 1941. In a 1944 referendum Icelanders voted overwhelmingly to end the union, and the Republic of Iceland was proclaimed on 17 June 1944.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- Kingdom of Iceland in personal union with Kingdom of Denmark1918 CE – 1944 CE
More states of Scandinavia and the Baltic →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Iceland. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-iceland
- MLA
- “Kingdom of Iceland.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-iceland. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Iceland.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-iceland.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Iceland’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-iceland (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻