There were regional differences and different traditions, so it was (and very complicated). But the point is that Danes never really have had a strong concept of the father's name taking presidence (as patronymics were not 100% surnames).
After 1856 some families started to use their former "family names" as second first names. So rather than Jens Jensen Lund you would be Jens Lund Jensen (Jensen, Jens Lund) and still be informally known as Jens Lund. And Lund could be the "family name" of both Jens'father and mother. If the father's family did not have a "nickname" Jens would often get his mother's family's nickname. Both in the country side and towns.
In 1961, the concept of "middle names" was introduced, giving a special status to the "semi-surname". And it became easier for Jens Lund Jensen to remove Jensen and be officially named Jens Lund.
It is this mechanism Birgitte van Deurs used in 1966. Her parents gave her VD as her "Middle name" because they wanted to keep the link with the mother's much more interesting name.
I thought at the time, children in Denmark only were registred with their father's family name.
The current duchess of Gloucester was born Birgitte Eva Henrikssen and after her parent's divorce she took her mother's name van Deurs.
This is not entirely correct. She was born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen, but dropped Henriksen on 15 January 1966. This was long after her parents' divorce (her mother remarried in 1951).
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