Christian V of Denmark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christian V
Portrait by Jacob d'Agar, c. 1685. The king poses with his hand authoritatively placed on the marshal's baton, as a true absolute monarch.
King of Denmark and Norway (more...)
Reign	9 February 1670 – 25 August 1699
Coronation	7 June 1671 Frederiksborg Palace Chapel
Predecessor	Frederick III
Successor	Frederick IV
Grand Chancellors	See list Peder Griffenfeld Frederik Ahlefeldt
Born	(1646-04-15)15 April 1646 Duborg Castle, Flensburg
Died	25 August 1699(1699-08-25) (aged 53) Copenhagen, Denmark
Burial	Roskilde Cathedral
Spouse	Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel ​ (m. 1667)​
Issue among others...	Frederick IV of Denmark Prince Christian Princess Sophia Hedwig Prince Charles Prince William
House	Oldenburg
Father	Frederick III of Denmark
Mother	Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Religion	Lutheran

Christian V was the King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until he passed away in 1699. He was born on April 15, 1646, and died on August 25, 1699. People generally liked him, especially the common folk. He was the first king to be crowned at Frederiksborg Castle as an absolute monarch. This meant he had complete power, following a new law in Denmark-Norway.

Christian V made the king's power even stronger. He allowed people who were not nobles from Holstein, Denmark, or Norway to work in the government. This helped him control the powerful noble families. As king, he wanted to show his power through grand buildings. He even dreamed of a Danish Versailles, like the famous palace in France. He was also the first to use the special Throne Chair of Denmark in 1671, which was partly made for this purpose. His motto was: Pietate et Justitia, which means "With piety and justice."

Christian V: King of Denmark and Norway

Early Life and Becoming King

Christian V as a young prince in 1650, painted by Karel van Mander III.

Prince Christian was born on April 15, 1646, at Duborg Castle in Flensburg. At that time, Flensburg was part of the Duchy of Schleswig. He was the first son of Prince Frederick of Denmark and his wife, Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Calenberg. Prince Frederick was a younger son of King Christian IV. However, his older brother, Christian, passed away in 1647. This meant Frederick could become the next king.

After King Christian IV died in 1648, Frederick became King Frederick III of Denmark and Norway. Prince Christian was chosen to be his father's successor in June 1650. This was not a free choice, but more like an automatic passing down of the throne. Christian went on a long trip to Holland, England, and France. He saw how powerful kings like Louis XIV of France were. He also learned about the idea of the divine right of kings, which said kings got their power directly from God.

He came back to Denmark in August 1663. From 1664, he was allowed to join meetings of the State College. In 1665, a law called the Royal Law made it official that the throne would be passed down in the family. Christian was welcomed as the future king in Copenhagen in 1665. He was also welcomed in other cities like Odense, Viborg, and Christiania (now Oslo) in Norway. Just before he became king, he joined the Council of the Realm and the Supreme Court.

Becoming King of Denmark and Norway

The anointing of Christian V at Frederiksborg Palace in 1671.

On February 9, 1670, King Frederick III died at age 60. Christian immediately became the King of Denmark and Norway. He was only 24 years old. He was the second absolute monarch of Denmark-Norway.

He had a formal coronation ceremony on June 7, 1671. This took place in the chapel of Frederiksborg Palace. After this, Frederiksborg Palace became the usual place for Danish kings to be crowned. Christian was the first king whose right to rule was passed down through his family. To celebrate this, Denmark-Norway got new, expensive crown jewels and a beautiful ceremonial sword.

Christian V's Reign

Seal of Christian V.

Christian V was known for being brave and friendly. This made him popular with ordinary people. However, his image was hurt by a war he started to get back Scania from Sweden. This war was called the Scanian War. It used up a lot of Denmark's money and didn't gain any land.

Christian allowed common people from Denmark and Norway to work in the government. This was part of his plan to reduce the power of the nobles. To do this, he created new noble titles like count and baron. One person he promoted was Peder Griffenfeld. Christian V made him a Count in 1670 and a high government official in 1674.

Peder Griffenfeld was a very smart politician. He understood that attacking Sweden was risky because Sweden was allied with France, a very powerful country. But Christian V decided to start the Scanian War (1675-1679) anyway. He wanted to take back Scania, which Denmark had lost in 1658.

As Griffenfeld had warned, France, Sweden's strong ally, ended up deciding the peace terms. Even though Denmark won battles at sea, Denmark's hopes for changing borders with Sweden were crushed. The war was bad for Denmark-Norway's economy and didn't achieve its goals. By this time, Christian V no longer had Griffenfeld's advice. In 1676, Christian was convinced to put Griffenfeld in prison for the rest of his life.

King Christian V's rifle made by Trondheim's weapon-maker Lars Berg.

After the Scanian War, Christian's sister, Princess Ulrike Eleonora of Denmark, married the Swedish king, Charles XI. Even with these family ties, war almost broke out again in 1689. Charles XI supported the exiled Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, who claimed land in Schleswig-Holstein.

Christian V only spoke German and Danish. Because of this, some people thought he wasn't well-educated. He couldn't easily talk to foreign diplomats. People also thought he relied a lot on his advisors. In his own writings, Christian V said his main interests were "hunting, war and maritime affairs."

Christian V made important new laws. He introduced the Danish Code (Danske Lov) in 1683. This was the first set of laws for all of Denmark. He also introduced the similar Norske Lov (Norwegian Code) in 1687 for Norway. He also created a land register in 1688. This was a record of land values to help create fairer taxes.

During Christian V's rule, Denmark's trade grew. The trade of cattle, which had suffered from fires and wars, got much better. Thousands of cattle were moved through Jutland on the Oxen Way. These cattle were fattened in the Danish King's German area, County of Oldenburg. Then they went to a big market in Wedel and were sold across North Germany. As the population grew, the demand for beef, grains, and fish increased. By 1680, about 40,000 cattle were sold at each market. Denmark earned a lot of money from exporting farm products, especially cattle, to Germany and the Netherlands.

During his reign, science also had a great period. This was thanks to the work of the astronomer Ole Rømer. This happened even though the king himself wasn't very interested in science. Christian V died from problems after a hunting accident. He was buried in Roskilde Cathedral.

Family Life

Christian V with his eldest son, Crown Prince Frederick (IV), and his other sons Christian and Charles.

Christian V had eight children with his wife, Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel. He also had six children with his mistress, Sophie Amalie Moth (1654–1719). Sophie was the daughter of his old teacher. Christian introduced Sophie to the court in 1672, which upset his wife. He made Sophie the Countess of Samsø in 1677.

Here are his children with Queen Charlotte Amalie:

Here are his children with Sophie Amalie Moth:

Images for kids

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  Crown of Christian V, made in 1671.

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  Royal Monogram.

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  Coat of arms as King.

See also

In Spanish: Cristián V de Dinamarca para niños