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# Tolkien kept the drawings of Ingahild Grathmer, who turned out to be the Queen of Denmark
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/koroleva-danii-margrete-ii-okazalas-odnim-iz-priznannykh-illiustratorov-vlastelina-kolets/
- Published: 2023-09-07T17:56:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-02T18:42:40.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Art, Books, Monarchies, People

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Proves to Be One of the Acknowledged Illustrators of "The Lord of the Rings"

Tolkien once received a letter from a certain Ingahild Grathmer, who sent him her drawings, inspired by the universe of Middle-earth. Although he preferred his books to have no pictures, so that the reader might imagine his magical world for himself, he liked the drawings of the unknown artist. Above all, they resembled Tolkien's own drawings. He kept them, studied them attentively, left comments in the margins, and even carried two of the sketches about in his overcoat.

After Tolkien's death, these drawings, with the writer's notes upon them, were found in his study.

The artist turned out to be the Queen of Denmark.

In 1977 the drawings were published in the Danish translation of the book, and later in the British edition. Thereafter "The Lord of the Rings" illustrated by Queen Margrethe appeared in 2001 and again in 2021.

![](https://theparnassian.com/content/images/2026/09/photo_9713@07-09-2023_20-56-14.jpg)

![](https://theparnassian.com/content/images/2026/09/photo_9714@07-09-2023_20-56-14.jpg)

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