Frederick II of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.
and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg
. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he was strongly affected by military ideals. Already as a young man he made friendship with German war princes. He had desired to marry his mistress, Anne of Hardenberg
, but was finally persuaded not to. Shortly after his succession he won his first victory by the conquest of Dithmarschen
in the summer of 1559.
From his predecessor, he inherited the Livonian War
, where he implemented his younger brother Magnus of Holstein, whom he considered troublesome, in the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek. Else, he largely tried to avoid conflict in Livonia and consolidated amicable relations to Ivan IV of Russia
in the 1562 Treaty of Mozhaysk
. The dominating conflict of his rule was the Scandinavian Seven Years' War from 1563 to 1570, in which he tried in vain to conquer Sweden, which was ruled by his cousin, the insane King Eric XIV. It developed into an extremely expensive war of attrition
in which the areas of Scania
were ravaged by the Swedes and Norway was almost lost. During this war the king led his army personally on the battlefield but without much result and the conflict damaged his relationship to his noble councillors. However, internal unrest in Sweden
and the taking over of Danish administration by the able Steward of the Realm Peder Oxe
stabilised the situation. After Erik's successor John III of Sweden
refused to accept a peace favoring Denmark in the Treaties of Roskilde (1568)
, the war dragged on until it was ended by a status quo peace in the Treaty of Stettin (1570) that let Denmark save face but also showed the limits of Danish military power.
After the war Frederick kept the peace without giving up his attempt of trying to expand his prestige as a naval ruler. His foreign politics were marked by a moral support of the Protestant powers – in his time as a bachelor he wooed Queen Elizabeth I of England
, an initiative which made him Knight of the Garter - but at the same time by a strict neutrality. Councillors of experience like Peder Oxe, Niels Kaas, Arild Huitfeldt
and Christoffer Valkendorff
took care of the domestic administration.
As a person Frederick was described as hot-headed, vain, courageous and ambitious. He was a lover of hunting, wine and feasts and at his death it was a common opinion that he had drunk himself to death. He rebuilt Kronborg castle in Elsinore
between 1574 and 1585. In 1567 he founded Fredrikstad
in Norway
. Frederik II upper secondary school
in Fredrikstad
, one of the largest schools of its kind in Norway, is named after Frederick.
This was a period of affluence and growth in Danish history. Frederick was also a major patron and close personal friend of the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe
. On 4 April 1588 he died and was succeeded by his eldest son Christian IV
. He was interred in Roskilde Cathedral
.
King of Denmark
Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of DenmarkChristian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg
Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg
Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg , consort of Christian III from 1525 and Queen consort of Denmark and Norway. She was daughter of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine, daughter of Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he was strongly affected by military ideals. Already as a young man he made friendship with German war princes. He had desired to marry his mistress, Anne of Hardenberg
Anne of Hardenberg
Anne Corfitzdatter of Hardenberg was a Danish noblewoman. She served as a lady-in-waiting to the Dowager Queen Dorothea of Denmark from 1559–1572 and was the mistress to Frederick II.-Biography:...
, but was finally persuaded not to. Shortly after his succession he won his first victory by the conquest of Dithmarschen
Dithmarschen
Dithmarschen is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Nordfriesland, Schleswig-Flensburg, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, and Steinburg, by the state of Lower Saxony , and by the North Sea.-Geography:The district is located on the North Sea...
in the summer of 1559.
From his predecessor, he inherited the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
, where he implemented his younger brother Magnus of Holstein, whom he considered troublesome, in the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek. Else, he largely tried to avoid conflict in Livonia and consolidated amicable relations to Ivan IV of Russia
Ivan IV of Russia
Ivan IV Vasilyevich , known in English as Ivan the Terrible , was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres,...
in the 1562 Treaty of Mozhaysk
Treaty of Mozhaysk
The Treaty of Mozhaysk was a Danish-Russian treaty concluded on 7 August 1562, during the Livonian War...
. The dominating conflict of his rule was the Scandinavian Seven Years' War from 1563 to 1570, in which he tried in vain to conquer Sweden, which was ruled by his cousin, the insane King Eric XIV. It developed into an extremely expensive war of attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
in which the areas of Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
were ravaged by the Swedes and Norway was almost lost. During this war the king led his army personally on the battlefield but without much result and the conflict damaged his relationship to his noble councillors. However, internal unrest in Sweden
Sture Murders
The Sture Murders in Uppsala, Sweden of 24 May 1567 were the murders of five incarcerated Swedish nobles by Erik XIV of Sweden, who at that time was in a state of serious mental disorder, and his guards. The nobles, among them three members of the influential Sture family, had been charged with...
and the taking over of Danish administration by the able Steward of the Realm Peder Oxe
Peder Oxe
Peder Oxe was a Danish finance minister and Steward of the Realm.-Background:...
stabilised the situation. After Erik's successor John III of Sweden
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
refused to accept a peace favoring Denmark in the Treaties of Roskilde (1568)
Treaties of Roskilde (1568)
The Treaties of Roskilde of 18 and 22 November 1568 were peace treaties between the kingdoms of Denmark-Norway and the allied Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck on one side, and the Swedish kingdom on the other side, supposed to end the Northern Seven Years' War after the de facto succession of the...
, the war dragged on until it was ended by a status quo peace in the Treaty of Stettin (1570) that let Denmark save face but also showed the limits of Danish military power.
After the war Frederick kept the peace without giving up his attempt of trying to expand his prestige as a naval ruler. His foreign politics were marked by a moral support of the Protestant powers – in his time as a bachelor he wooed Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, an initiative which made him Knight of the Garter - but at the same time by a strict neutrality. Councillors of experience like Peder Oxe, Niels Kaas, Arild Huitfeldt
Arild Huitfeldt
Arild Huitfeldt was a Danish historian and state official, known for his vernacular Chronicle of Denmark.-Life:...
and Christoffer Valkendorff
Christoffer Valkendorff
Christoffer Valkendorff was a Danish statesman and Steward of the Realm.He descended from a German immigrant aristocratic family. During the 1550s he made himself a career in Norway where he successfully opposed the last remains of Hanseatic influence, which earned him the benevolence of King...
took care of the domestic administration.
As a person Frederick was described as hot-headed, vain, courageous and ambitious. He was a lover of hunting, wine and feasts and at his death it was a common opinion that he had drunk himself to death. He rebuilt Kronborg castle in Elsinore
Elsinore
Helsingør is a city and the municipal seat of Helsingør municipality on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Helsingør has a population of 46,279 including the southern suburbs of Snekkersten and Espergærde...
between 1574 and 1585. In 1567 he founded Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Frederik II upper secondary school
Frederik II Upper Secondary School
Frederik II Videregående skole is the name of an upper secondary school located in the Norwegian city of Fredrikstad. The school is named after the Danish-Norwegian king Frederik II. The school is, with more than 1,200 students, one of the largest schools of its kind in Norway.- External links :*...
in Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
, one of the largest schools of its kind in Norway, is named after Frederick.
This was a period of affluence and growth in Danish history. Frederick was also a major patron and close personal friend of the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe , born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, was a Danish nobleman known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations...
. On 4 April 1588 he died and was succeeded by his eldest son Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
. He was interred in Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
.
Family and children
On 20 July 1572 he was married to Sophia of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, a descendant of King Hans of Denmark, and also his own first half-cousin, through their Grandfather, Frederick I, King of Denmark and Norway. They had eight children:- ElisabethElisabeth of Denmark, Duchess of BraunshweigElisabeth of Denmark was duchess consort of Brunswick-Lüneburg as married to Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg. She was regent of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1616-1622....
(25 August 1573 – 19 June 1626), married in 1590 to Duke Henry Julius of Braunschweig. - AnnaAnne of DenmarkAnne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
(12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619), married on 23 November 1589 to James VI, King of ScotsJames I of EnglandJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and later 1st of England - Christian IV of Denmark and Norway (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648)
- UlrikUlrik of Denmark (1578–1624)Prince Ulrik John of Denmark, was a son of King Frederick II of Denmark and his consort, Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow...
(30 December 1578 – 27 March 1624 in RühnRühnRühn is a municipality in the Rostock district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
), last Bishop of the old Schleswig see (1602–1624), and as Ulrich II Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin (1603–1624), married Lady Catherine HahnVon Hahnvon Hahn is the name of the German-Baltic-Russian noble family with the coat of arms: Striding red rooster on the silver shield.-Origin:...
-Hinrichshagen - John August (1579–1579), died in infancy
- AugustaAugusta of DenmarkPrincess Augusta of Denmark was the third daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophia of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp as the wife of Duke John Adolf...
(8 April 1580 – 5 February 1639), married on 30 August 1596 to Duke Johann Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp - HedwigHedwig of DenmarkPrincess Hedwig of Denmark was the youngest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Electress of Saxony from 1602 to 1611 as the wife of Christian II....
(5 August 1581 – 26 November 1641), married on 12 September 1602 to Christian II, Elector of Saxony - Johan of Schleswig-Holstein (9 July 1583 – 28 October 1602)