Christian V of Denmark
| Christian V | |
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| Jacob d'Agar has here crafted the official portrait of the king, who poses with full-bottomed wig, cuirass and cloak and with his hand authoritatively placed on the marshal's baton, as a true absolute monarch, ca. 1685 | |
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| Reign | 1670–1699 |
| Predecessor | Frederick III |
| Successor | Frederick IV |
| Spouse | Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel |
| Issue | |
| Frederick IV of Denmark Prince Christian Princess Sophia Hedwig Prince Charles Prince William |
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| House | House of Oldenburg |
| Father | Frederick III of Denmark |
| Mother | Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Born | 15 April 1646 Duborg Castle, Flensburg |
| Died | 25 August 1699 (aged 53) Copenhagen |
| Burial | Roskilde Cathedral |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Christian V (Danish: Christian den Femte 15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 to his death in 1699.
Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the decree that institutionalized the supremacy of the Danish king, he fortified the absolutist system against the aristocracy by accelerating his father’s practice of allowing Holstein nobles and Danish commoners into state service.
As king he wanted to show his power as absolute monarch through architecture, and dreamed of a Danish Versailles. He was the first to use the 1671 Throne Chair of Denmark, partly made for this purpose.[1] His motto was: Pietate et Justitia (With piety and justice).
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Reign:1670–99 [edit]
Christian was elected successor of his father already in 1650, however, it was not by virtue of choice, but as a result of the automatic succession, which was authorized by Royal Law in 1665.
It is generally argued that Christian V's personal courage and affability made him popular among the common people, but his image was marred by his unsuccessful attempt to regain Scania for Denmark in the Scanian War. The war exhausted Denmark's economic resources without securing any gains.[2]
Part of Christian's appeal to the common people may be explained by the fact that he allowed Danish commoners into state service, but his attempts to curtail the influence of the nobility also meant continuing his father's drive toward absolutism.[2][3] To accommodate non-aristocrats into state service, he created the new noble ranks of count and baron. One of the commoners elevated in this way by the king was Peder Schumacher, named Count Griffenfeldt by Christian V in 1670 and high councillor of Denmark in 1674.[2]
Griffenfeldt, a skilled statesman, better understood the precarious situation Denmark placed itself by attacking Sweden at a time when the country was allied with France, the major European power of the era. As Griffenfeldt predicted, Sweden's stronger ally France was the party that dictated the peace with Denmark's ally Holland, and in spite of Danish victory at sea in the battles against Sweden in 1675–1679 during the Scanian War, Danish hopes for border changes on the Scandinavian Peninsula between the two countries were dashed. The results of the war efforts proved politically and financially unremunerative for Denmark. The damage to the Danish economy was extensive. At this point, Christian V no longer had his most experienced foreign relations counsel around to repair the political damage — in 1676 he had been persuaded to sacrifice Griffenfeldt as a traitor, and to the clamour of his adversaries, Griffenfeldt was imprisoned for the remainder of his life.[4]
Like Charles XI of Sweden, who had never been outside Sweden, Christian spoke German and Danish only and was therefore often considered poorly educated due to his inability to communicate with visiting foreign diplomats.[5] Christian V was also often considered dependent on his councillors by contemporary sources. The Danish monarch did nothing to dispel this notion. In his memoirs, he listed "hunting, love-making, war and maritime affairs" as his main interests in life.[4]
Laws of Christian V [edit]
Christian V introduced Danske Lov (the Danish Code) in 1683, the first law code for all of Denmark.[6] It was succeeded by the similar Norske Lov (Norwegian Code) of 1687. He also introduced the land register of 1688, which attempted to work out the land value of the united monarchy in order to create a more just taxation. During his reign, science witnessed a golden age due to the work of the astronomer Ole Rømer in spite of the king’s personal lack of scientific knowledge and interest.
He died from the after-effects of a hunting accident and was interred in Roskilde Cathedral.[4]
Family matters and court life [edit]
After the Scanian War, his sister, Princess Ulrike Eleonora of Denmark, married the Swedish king Charles XI, whose mother was a stout supporter of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. In spite of the family ties, war between the brothers-in-law was close again in 1689, when Charles XI nearly provoked confrontation with Denmark by his support of the exiled Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in his claims to Holstein-Gottorp in Schleswig-Holstein.[5]
Christian V had eight children by his wife and five by his mistress. He publicly introduced his sixteen-year-old mistress, Sophie Amalie Moth (1654–1719), into court in 1672, a move which insulted his wife. His mistress was the daughter of his former tutor (Paul Moth), and he made her countess of Samsø on 31 December 1677.
Offspring [edit]
| Name | Birth | Death |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick IV | 2 October 1671 | 2 October 1730 |
| Christian Vilhelm | 1 December 1672 | 25 January 1673 |
| Christian | 25 March 1675 | 27 June 1695 |
| Sophie Hedevig | 28 August 1677 | 13 March 1735 |
| Charles | 26 October 1680 | 8 June 1729 |
| Christiane Charlotte | 17 July 1683 | 17 July 1683 |
| Vilhelm | 21 February 1687 | 23 November 1705 |
His children with his mistress, Sophie Amalie Moth;
| Name | Birth | Death |
|---|---|---|
| Christiane Gyldenløve | 1672 | 1689 |
| Christian Gyldenløve | 28 February 1674 | 16 July 1703 |
| Sophie Christiane Gyldenløve | 1675 | 18 August 1684 |
| Anna Christiane Gyldenløve | 1676 | 11 August 1689 |
| Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve | 24 June 1678 | 8 December 1719 |
Titles and styles [edit]
1670–1699 His Majesty the King: By the Grace of God, King of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst.
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Ancestry [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Written by the Frederiksborg's historian staff on the official website of the institution.
- ^ a b c "Christian V." (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 9 January 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
- ^ Jespersen, Knud J.V. The Introduction of Absolutism. Gyldendal Leksikon, quoted by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, on Denmark's official web site.
- ^ a b c Nielsen, Kay Søren (1999). Christian V – Konge og sportsmand. The Royal Danish Arsenal Museum, Net Publications, 1999.
- ^ a b Upton, Anthony F. (1998). Charles XI and Swedish Absolutism, 1660–1697. Cambridge University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-521-57390-4.
- ^ Jespersen, Knud J.V. Denmark as a Modern Bureaucracy. Gyldendal Leksikon, quoted by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, on Denmark's official web site.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Christian V of Denmark |
External links [edit]
- The Royal Orders of Chivalry (Order of Dannebrog, instituted by Christian V in 1671) — Official site of the Danish Monarchy
- Find-A-Grave entry for Christian V
- Nielsen, Kay Søren. "Christian V. Konge og sportsmand" (in Danish). The Royal Danish Arsenal Museum. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
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Christian V
Born: 14 April 1646 Died: 25 August 1699 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Frederick III |
King of Denmark and Norway Count of Oldenburg 1670–1699 |
Succeeded by Frederick IV |
| Preceded by Frederick III and Christian Albert |
Duke of Holstein and Schleswig 1670–1699 with Christian Albert (1670–1695) Frederick IV (1695–1699) |
Succeeded by Frederick IV (Denmark) and Frederick IV (Gottorp) |
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