The Danish Monarchy 1259-1286
King Erik Klipping
Nov 11, 2008 Julie Refnov Mortensen
Erik was only 10-years old when his father, King Christoffer, died at the altar of Ribe Cathedral. It was speculated that the king was murdered by drinking poisoned communion wine, as Christoffer had recently humiliated and imprisoned Archbishop Jacob Erlandsen, who was a prominent figure in the Danish church.
Since young Erik wasn’t of age to rule the country, his mother Queen Margaret Sambiria, was appointed to reign in his name until he was old enough.
Margaret was a strong and intelligent woman, who led the Danes through a difficult time.
Queen Margaret
When Margaret first stepped onto the throne she followed demands from the noblemen and the church.
The heirs of King Christoffer’s brother Abel were still fighting for the throne, which they thought rightfully theirs. To keep peace with them, the Queen made Erik Abelson, count of Slesvig, a strategically important part of Denmark.
In order to keep peace with the church she released Archbishop Erlandsen, but as soon as he was released, Erlandsen continued his fight against the young king and his mother.
But the archbishop wasn’t the only one discontent with the way Denmark was ruled during Erik Klipping and Queen Margaret’s reign. They met great opposition from the noblemen, who thought they were losing power to the monarchy.
In 1261 the Queen felt she had gained enough power to take up the fight against the Abel Family and decide for one last time, which family rightfully deserved the throne. But the opposition was too strong and both Margaret and her son were captured and thrown in jail in Hamburg. The queen was soon released but her son remained imprisoned for 3 years. To insure the crown would not fall into the hands of Abel’s descendants, Margaret wrote to the Pope to allow for women to inherit the throne, which would make it possible for one of Erik’s sisters to become reining Queen of Denmark. The wish was granted.
When he was released in 1264 the king was of age and the queen could step down as regent. She remained an important figure as an adviser for King Erik.
The Rule of Erik Klipping
King Erik fought during his years as king, to gain more power over both church and nobility in Denmark, but in 1281 the opposition from the noblemen had grown strong and the king was forced to sign an agreement, which limited the king’s power over the noblemen. The king no longer had the power to imprison whomever he wanted. Everybody was now entitled to a fair trail and no one was guilty until proven so. Furthermore, the agreement also stated that the king was obligated to meet with the noblemen once a year.
The Death of Erik Klipping
In 1286 the king and his men was hunting in Jutland where, after a long day, they took shelter in a church barn by the small town of Finderup. In the middle of the night a group of men dressed as monks entered the barn and stabbed the king 56 times.
Legend has it that personal hatred and revenge from some of the noblemen had led to the murder of the King, who over the years had gained many enemies among the nobles. Marsk Stig Andersen Hvide was said to be the leading force behind the murder and although the murder has never been solved, the Danish court, as a result of the murder, outlawed Stig Andersen among other powerful noblemen, who were suspected to have taken part in the assassination of King Erik Klipping.
For more on the history of Danish Monarchy read: The Danish Monarchy-The Beginning and The Danish Monarchy 1286-1319, King Erik Menved
Sources:
www.kingsofdenmark.dk
www.nationmaster.com
www.kongehuset.dk
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