Christian the Prince Elect

Christian, 1603-1647, Prince Elect. Son of Christian IV and Queen Anna Cathrine. He was married in 1634 to Princess Magdalena Sibylla of Saxony.

Prince Christian was chosen by the Rigsrådet (Government) in 1608 as Successor to the Throne, and he received a good education. In 1626, power of government was handed to him while Christian IV was commanding an army in Germany. During that period, the Prince began a relationship with the noblelady, Anne Lykke. That, combined with his debauched life style in general, met with his father’s disapproval, and after that he rarely took part in the governing of the Kingdom. His wedding with Magdalena Sibylla in 1634 became known as the Great Bilager. It was celebrated with sumptous festivities, meant to demonstrate that Denmark-Norway, despite the unsuccesful interference in the Thirty Year’s War in 1626, was still a leading European power.

The Prince’s debauched life left him deeply in debt and destroyed his health, and he died in 1647 on a journey to a health resort. Christian was a great collector of art and antiquities; his collection included the Golden Horns.