Helle Thorning-Schmidt was born in Rødovre to Holger Thorning-Schmidt, a lecturer in mathematics and national economics at the University of Copenhagen, and his wife Grete.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt lahir di Rødovre pada tahun 1966 untuk Holger Schmidt Thorning-, seorang dosen matematika dan ekonom nasional di Universitas Kopenhagen Grete, dan istrinya.