Figure 1.--Frederick II and a young crown prince Christian depicted on one of the 15 surviving Kronborg Tapestries. Click on the image for an enlargement of Crown Prince (Christian IV). Banquet halls and other important rooms in medieval and early modern castles were hung with tapestries over 1,000 years of Eureopean history. They were hung in the impoortnt rooms of these royal residences to keep the cold out and impress domestic and foreign visitors. Tapatries are not as descriptive as paintings, but have the imprortant value as being comtemprary evidence.

The House of Oldenburg dominates the Danish monarchy. Frederick began his personal rule over Denmark and Norway at the age of 24 years (1559). He inherited capable and strong realms, largely because of the work of his father, Christian II. Christian weathered the Count's Feud a civil war). It is athis this time that Denmark led by Christian became Protestant--the second country after Sweden to become officially Protestant (1536). His reign became a period of economic recovery. Christian greatly increased authority of the Crown as a centralized power. Frederick continued his father's conversion to Protestantism. This played an important role in the survival of the Reformation in its early years. Denmark at the time was an important European power. Frederick is described in his youth as belligerent and adversarial, easily aroused by ideas of honor and national pride. 【Danmarks Historien】 He built a powerful fleet. The result was two wars. The first went well under the elderly commander Johan Rantzau because Frederick did not take on a major power. The result was taking back Dithmarschen -- part of Schleswig-Holstein. The second war did not go so well -- the Northern Seven Years' War. Somewhat chastened, Frederick adopted a more cautions foreign policy. The result was a more tranquil reign in which the population prospered. Frederick spent turned himself to domestic matters, spending time hunting and feasting with members of the court. He focused his attention to architecture and science which was beginning to become important. Historians varied in their assessment of Frederick: unlettered, inebriated, brutish, intelligent, quick-witted, articulate, open, and loyal. Over time opinions bout him have tended to be more positive. Frederick married his cousin Sophie of Mecklenburg (1572). It was one of the happier royal marriages of the era. In only 10 years after the wedding, they had seven children. Contemporary sources describe them inseparable and harmonious. His son Christian was only 10 years old when he died (1588). Here we see a tapestry show King Frederick an Prince Christian (figure 1). The tapestry is not real clear, but he was also painted byHans Knieper in a similar outfit.

Sources

Danmarks Historien (Christoffersen Peder and Gyldendals Forlag), side 298.

Created: 8:45 PM 5/20/2026
Last updated: 6:30 AM 5/22/2026