History

The Danish Church in London is distinctive among Danish churches abroad in that it is housed in a historic church building. St Katharine’s is a 200-year-old neo-Gothic church in Regent’s Park. The congregation leases the church from the Crown Estate, which owns most of the buildings around Regent’s Park. The church originally belonged to a charitable foundation named after St Katherine, hence the name St Katharine’s.

When the Danes took over the church, it underwent a complete restoration, and the architect Mogens Koch designed a new pulpit, font and altar. King Frederik and Queen Ingrid attended the inauguration of St Katharine’s as the Danish church on 11 May 1952. Although the Danes did not move in until after the Second World War, the historic setting is a reminder that there has been a Danish church in London for centuries.

The first Danish church was consecrated in 1696 at Wellclose Square, near the Tower of London. The building was sold in 1868. For many years afterwards, services were held in one of the royal chapels, Marlborough House Chapel. The Danish congregation was able to use the chapel largely thanks to the kind intervention of the future Queen Alexandra, who was born in Denmark. During the Second World War and until 1952, Danish services were held at the Swedish Church in Harcourt Street and at St Clement Danes.

Following the establishment of the Danish Seamen’s Church in Foreign Ports in 1867, a separate seamen’s church operated in London. It was sold in 1985, after which St Katharine’s became the base for serving both seafarers and the permanent Danish community. Today, The Danish Church in London also serves as a seamen’s church within DKIU, the Danish Seamen’s and Churches Abroad organisation.

The dedicated position of seamen’s chaplain was discontinued in 2012 for financial reasons.