1577–1648
Christian IV
Christian, Prince-Elect, was the son of Christian IV.
✩ 10 April 1603 ✝ 2 June 1647
Christian, Prince-Elect
Prince Christian was elected to succeed his father, Christian IV, on the Danish throne. As fate would have it, however, the Prince-Elect died before his father, so he never became king.
Prince Christian led a life of debauchery, to the disapproval of his father, Christian IV. Unfortunately, he died one year before his father and thus never became king.
Survived his vulnerable early years
Christian, Prince Elect of Denmark, was the son of Christian IV and Queen Anna Cathrine of Brandenburg. However, he was not the Royal Couple's first-born son. In 1599, Queen Anna Cathrine gave birth to a boy, Frederik, who died just three weeks after birth. Four years later, in 1603, Prince Christian was born. After surviving his vulnerable early years, he was declared Heir Apparent to the throne, at the age of five. He grew up in the shadow of his domineering father, who was very involved in the boy's upbringing.
A grand wedding
When Christian IV went off to war in Germany, in 1626 the Prince-Elect was installed as acting head of government. In 1634, he married Princess Magdalena Sibylla of Saxony. Concurrently, however, the Prince was carrying on an affair with the noblewoman Anne Lykke. The King disapproved of his disorderly lifestyle , and the Prince was rarely involved in matters of government. His wedding to Magdalena Sibylla, in 1634, was a grand affair. The wedding was intended to demonstrate that at this time, in 1626, Denmark-Norway remained a leading European power, despite the failure of the united realm's involvement in the Thirty Years' War. The lavish wedding celebrations on the square in front of Copenhagen Castle included a magnificent fireworks display. The Prince's excessive lifestyle had not only put him deep into debt but had also ruined his health. He died in 1647 during a journey to a health spa, thus passing away one year before his father. Prince Christian was an avid collector of exquisite art and historical artefacts. Among other items, his collection included the larger of the two Golden Horns.
