by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

King Christian V of Denmark and Norway was born on April 15, 1646, at Duborg Castle (link in Danish) in Flensburg, Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. He was the eldest of the seven children and the eldest of the three sons of Frederik III, King of Denmark and Norway and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Christian had seven siblings. His brother George (Jørgen) married Queen Anne of Great Britain and his sister Ulrika Eleonora married King Carl XI of Sweden.

• Anna Sophia of Denmark and Norway (1647 – 1717), married Johann Georg III, Elector of Saxony, had two sons
• Frederika Amalia of Denmark and Norway (1649 – 1704), married Christian Albrecht, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, had two daughters and two sons
• Wilhelmina Ernestina of Denmark and Norway (1650 – 1706), married Karl II, Elector Palatine, no children
• Frederik of Denmark and Norway (1651 – 1652), died in infancy
• George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (1653 – 1708), married Queen Anne of Great Britain, seventeen pregnancies, three lives births, none survived childhood
• Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark and Norway (1656 – 1693), married King Karl XI of Sweden, had five sons and two daughters including King Carl XII of Sweden and Queen (Regnant) Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden
• Dorothea of Denmark and Norway (1657 – 1658) died in infancy

As a teenager, Christian went on a Grand Tour of Europe, visiting Holland, England, France, and various German monarchies. In 1663, soon after his return, he became involved in government affairs as preparation for his future duties as king. In 1665, a hereditary, absolute monarchy was confirmed by law.

On June 25, 1667, at Nykøbing Castle in Falster, Denmark, Christian married Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, the daughter of Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg.

Christian and Charlotte Amalie had seven children:

• Frederik IV, King of Denmark and Norway (1671 – 1730); married (1) Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, had four sons and one daughter including King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway (2) bigamously Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, had one son (illegitimate, died in infancy) (3) Anna Sophie von Reventlow, married bigamously in 1712, had three illegitimate children; married legally in 1721, had legitimate three legitimate children, all six children died in infancy
• Christian Vilhelm of Denmark and Norway (1672 – 1673), died in infancy
• Christian of Denmark and Norway (1675 – 1695), unmarried, died from smallpox at age 20
• Sophia Hedwig of Denmark and Norway (1677 – 1735), unmarried
• Christiane Charlotte of Denmark and Norway (1679 – 1689)
• Carl of Denmark and Norway (1680 – 1729), unmarried
• Vilhelm of Denmark and Norway (1687 – 1705), died at age 18

Upon his father’s death in 1670, Christian succeeded him as Christian V, King of Denmark and Norway. Christian was anointed at Frederiksborg Castle Church on June 7, 1671. During the time of the elected monarchs, the clergy and nobility placed the crown on the king’s head at the coronation ceremony. After the introduction of the absolute monarchy, the crowning was replaced by anointing. The king arrived at the church wearing the crown and was consecrated by being anointed with oil. The regalia used at Christian V’s anointing, except for a new crown, had been made for the crowning of Christian V’s father.

A magnificent throne chair had been constructed during his father’s reign, ready for Christian V’s use. The throne chair was used at anointings between 1671 and 1840. When the absolute monarchy was replaced by a constitutional monarchy in 1849, Danish monarchs were no longer anointed. The throne chair and regalia are now on display at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. Christian V’s crown and the regalia are still displayed on the monarch’s coffin while lying in state.

Shortly after Christian became king, 16-year-old Sophie Amalie Moth became his mistress. Sophie Amalie, the daughter of King Frederik III’s doctor Paul Moth, had grown up at court with her siblings. In 1677, she was recognized as Christian’s official mistress and was created Countess of Samsø. Christian and Sophie Amalie had six children, all publicly acknowledged. Following the practice of his grandfather and father, Christian also gave his illegitimate children the surname Gyldenløve which means Golden Love.

• Christiane Gyldenløve (link in Danish) (1672 – 1689), married Count Frederik Ahlefeldt (link in Danish), no children
• Christian Gyldenløve (1674 – 1703), married (1) Countess Charlotte Amalie of Danneskiold-Samsøe, daughter of an illegitimate son of King Frederik III, had two daughters (2) Dorothea Krag, had two sons
• Sophie Christiane Gyldenløve (1675 – 1684), died in childhood
• Anna Christiane Gyldenløve (1676 – 1689), died in childhood
• Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve, Count of Samsø, (1678 – 1719), Danish Navy Admiral and Governor of Iceland
• A daughter (1682 – 1684), died in childhood

Christian’s major disappointment was his unsuccessful attempt in the Scanian War to regain Skåne, Halland, and Blekinge, annexed by Sweden during his father’s reign. Christian introduced the 1683 Danish Code (Danske Lov), the first law code for all of Denmark. He also introduced a similar 1687 Norwegian Code (Norske Lov) to replace Christian IV’s 1604 Norwegian Code in Norway. During Christian’s reign, colonies were established in Africa and the Caribbean as part of the Danish triangle trade. The city of Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas, is the capital and the largest city in the United States Virgin Islands and was named after Christian V’s wife.

Christian V died from the after-effects of a hunting accident that occurred on October 19, 1698. Christian was hunting with his two surviving sons and his half-brother. While taking a break, they received the news that the hunting dogs had exhausted and surrounded a deer. Christian immediately left to give the deer the death blow. Instead, he missed and the deer kicked him. The injuries were severe and Christian never recovered, dying on August 25, 1699, aged 53, at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was buried in The Chancel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

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Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Kingdom of Denmark Index
• Danish Orders and Honours
• Danish Royal Burial Sites: House of Oldenburg, 1448 – 1863
• Danish Royal Burial Sites: House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, 1863 – present
• Danish Royal Christenings
• Danish Royal Dates
• Danish Royal Residences
• Danish Royal Weddings
• Line of Succession to the Danish Throne
• Profiles of the Danish Royal Family

Works Cited

• Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian 5.. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_5.> [Accessed 29 April 2020].
• De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian V. (Dänemark Und Norwegen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_V._(D%C3%A4nemark_und_Norwegen)> [Accessed 29 April 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian V Of Denmark. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_V_of_Denmark> [Accessed 29 April 2020].