Neither Belgium or Denmark had a settled population but both areas were used for transit and passage as staging posts along the mercantile routes from the Somme to the North Sea.

In the subsequent forty years, Belgium was rendered vulnerable by the Danes and was constantly invaded by the Vikings who sacked and ruined its monasteries and estates.

Flanders experienced attacks in 850, 851, 852, 859, 860, 861, 862, 864, 879 and 880 before the Vikings changed their target to the fertile Meuse basin in 881 and 882 as they had stripped the Scheldt of all its wealth.

After being handed Friesland by the Charles the Fat in exchange of never returning to his domains, the Vikings went westward and began raiding Flanders, Brabant and Hainaut.

The resistance was led by Dukes, Counts and other local officials and the victory of Arnulf of Carinthia in Leuven in October 891 exhausted the Vikings enough to make them retreat from Belgium.

[7] In June 1521, Christian II visited Brussels where he was received by his brother-in-law Charles V. During his trip, he also had his portrait painted by Flemish painter Quentin Matsys.

The visit to the Low Countries had a large impact on the administrative and legislative reforms of Christian II back in Denmark.

The Danish King then had around two hundred people from predominantly Nieuwpoort and Mechelen settle in southern Amager near Copenhagen (Hollænderbyen) to grow vegetables.

[8] Throughout the 16th century and during the reign of Christian IV, Danish kings secured the services of artists and architects from Belgium, including Cornelis Floris de Vriendt, Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder and Thomas Quellinus.

[9] In regards to music, the Burgundian School was highly appreciated in Denmark and composers as Josquin des Prez and Orlande de Lassus had pupils and emulators in the chapels of the Danish kings.

[3] A treaty of trade and shipping was signed between the two countries on 18 June 1895 and Christian X and his wife Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin visited Belgium some weeks before World War I, where they were received by King Albert I.