Frederick II of Denmark

• 1. Childhood In The Feud

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  On the 1st of July 1534, a boy named Frederick was born inside Haderslevhus Castle. His father Christian III had just become King of Denmark three days earlier after winning the Count's Feud civil war. This conflict left the kingdom unstable for over a year before Christian took power. The Council of the Realm had not chosen a successor when the previous king died on the 10th of April 1533. Noblemen from the old nobility and Catholic bishops held the majority in that council. They resisted the new Protestant king until Christian III finally won. Frederick grew up during this period of interregnum and subsequent risings. He lived with his mother Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg and siblings Anna, Magnus, John, and another girl born in 1546. Queen Dorothea refused to send her children away to maternal grandparents despite tradition. She feared exposing them to Catholic influences since her own mother had such sympathies. The royal couple kept their children close due to the tense political situation prevailing in the first ten years of Frederick's life.

• 2. The Dyslexic Prince

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  Frederick began his schooling at age seven in 1541 under Hans Svenning. This humanist professor taught rhetoric at the University of Copenhagen. The boy learned to write beautiful clear letters but struggled terribly with reading and spelling. Svenning viewed this deranged spelling as sloppy laziness even though the royal boy seemed smart enough otherwise. Time and time again Frederick faced punishment from both teacher and strict mother. His heavy dyslexia led contemporaries to perceive him as unlettered and illiterate. Both parents looked with skepticism at the heir to the throne. They kept him under the watchful eye of knowledgeable men to prevent public speaking errors. Neither father nor son entrusted Frederik with administrative duties during these early years. It was only at age twenty in 1554 that Frederik held his own court at Malmö Castle. There he escaped the tightly regulated existence of the main royal court. Just outside the moats around Malmö Castle lay a lively trading town offering all-out experiences for a young man. He became known as the Prince of Scania though no official decree confirmed this title.

• 3. War And The Cost Of Pride

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  Within weeks of Christian III's death on the 1st of January 1559, Frederick joined uncles John and Adolf in Holstein. They launched a military campaign to conquer Dithmarschen under Johan Rantzau. This quick relatively painless victory offered cold comforts to Council members like Johan Friis. Friis had warned Frederick about a real threat of conflict with Sweden looming just over the horizon. The king ignored warnings and did not consult the Council about Dithmarschen. Open warfare broke out in 1563 starting the Northern Seven Years War against Eric XIV of Sweden. Leading councillors feared Swedish onslaught for several years yet few wanted war initially. Frederik preferred preemptive strike while Council waited until forced upon them. Despite opposition the Council went along with the king. Frederik retained chief operational control but entrusted responsibility to councillors including Holger Ottesen Rosenkrants Marshal Otte Krumpen and Admiral Herluf Trolle. Only one constitutional crisis emerged during the war when late 1569 Council decided not to provide further taxation grants. The war developed into extremely expensive attrition ravaging Scania areas while Norway was almost lost. King Frederick II led his army personally on battlefield though overall without much result.

• 4. The King Who Built Castles

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  After the Northern Seven Years War ended by Treaty of Stettin in 1570, affluence followed Danish-Norwegian history. Greater financial liquidity allowed Frederick to be less frugal than late father Christian III. Considerable funds expanded Danish-Norwegian fleet facilities beyond security purposes to aid Baltic Sea pirate eradication. Increased revenues enabled construction of Denmark's first national road network called kongevej connecting larger towns and royal residences. Most visible expenditure area involved royal castles and court itself. In 1560 Frederick converted North Sealand farm Hillerødsholm into great Renaissance castle Frederiksborg. He rebuilt Kronborg in Elsinore from medieval fortress into magnificent Renaissance castle between 1574 and 1585. Commissioned so-called Kronborg Tapestries for Great Hall created by Dutch tapestry makers in Helsingør. These forty-three tapestries depicted more than one hundred Danish kings starting with legendary King Dan ending with himself and young crown prince Christian IV standing before Kronborg Castle. In 1561 Frederik developed and fortified Skanderborg Castle using materials from Øm Abbey. Antvorskov near Slagelse became favorite hunting-castle where he later died.

• 5. The Astronomer And The Island

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  Frederick II fascination with alchemy and astrology sped rise of astronomer Tycho Brahe to international renown as pioneer in Europe Scientific Revolution. Tycho came from highest ranks of Danish ruling elite; father Otte Brahe til Knudstrup was fiefholder in Scania and Council member. After extensive education abroad Tycho returned not to pursue state service career but retreated to monastery at Herrevad. There he and maternal uncle Sten Bille experimented paper glass manufacture maintaining private observatory. Brahe treatise on supernova appearing Cassiopeia November 1572 published at behest rigshofmester Peder Oxe brought activities attention to Frederik court. At king insistence Brahe took lectureship University Copenhagen 1574 two years later granted island Ven as fief. As fiefholder turned out minor disaster but observatory Uraniborg drew students all over Europe. From 1576 until expulsion Christian IV 1597 Brahe supervised first publicly funded scientific research institute European history. Frederick picked island Ven place where Brahe could conduct experiments without distraction. King demonstrated finely tuned appreciation intellectual talent despite fiscal caution matters state giving abundance royal support directed life mind.

• 6. The Queen Who Followed

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  On the 20th of July 1572 Frederick married Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow descendant King John Denmark also own first half-cousin through grandfather Frederick I. Their marriage harmonious happy described consistently in Frederick handwritten diary mynt Soffye meaning my Sophie. She followed him country as court very mobile. Queen Sophie loving mother nursing children personally during illnesses. When Frederick sick malaria 1575 she personally nursed wrote many worried letters father about progress. After Frederick death Sophie granted life estate Dowager-pension consisting Nykøbing Castle islands Lolland Falster. Dowager Queen managed estates Lolland-Falster well son borrow money several occasions wars. Frederick and Sophie had seven children including Elizabeth Anne Christian IV Ulrik Augusta Hedwig John. Anne married James VI Scotland later James I England having seven children. Christian IV became King Denmark Norway marrying Kirsten Morganatically having twelve children plus five other illegitimate children.

• 7. The Fool And The Scholar

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  Many recent historians Poul Grinder-Hansen Paul Douglas Lockhart Thomas Kingston Derry Frede P Jensen expressed difficult see reign especially later reign Frederik II viewed anything other than resounding success. Frederick character throughout time misinterpreted Danish historians unlettered foolish stupid leaving state affairs councillors go hunting countryside. However incorrect Frederick highly intelligent craved company learned men composed inner circle intellectuals interests medicine alchemy astrology theology. Paul Douglas Lockhart stated Frederik II may near illiterate nonetheless enlightened few monarchs generation difficult see Danish historians long laboured impression little better drunken fool. Negative portrayal founded cultural historian Troels Frederik Lund 1906 biography Peder Oxe opinion saved Denmark brink abyss against foolhardy young king German war-mad officers. Erik Arup wrote often described wilful impatient easily moved anger early twenties exhibited weakness strong drink addiction hunt traits Danish historians focused resulting prevailing portrait Frederik man king unlettered inebriated brutish sot virtually abdicated responsibilities king favour hunting binge drinking. This portrayal unfair inaccurate thanks research Frede P Jensen redrawn. Frederik indeed no great scholar owing largely fact very dyslexic struggled difficulty reading writing embarrassed immensely life. But as those close attest highly intelligent craved company learned men correspondence legislation dictated secretaries showed quick-witted articulate.