| Abel | |
|---|---|
 Abel depicted on the Kronborg Tapestries at Kronborg Castle | |
| King of Denmark and the Wends | |
| Reign | 1 November 1250 – 29 June 1252 |
| Coronation | 1 November 1250 |
| Predecessor | Eric IV |
| Successor | Christopher I |
| Born | 1218 |
| Died | 29 June 1252 (aged 33–34) Eiderstedt |
| Burial | Schleswig Cathedral, moved to Gottorf Castle |
| Spouse | Matilda of Holstein |
| Issue Detail | Valdemar III, Duke of Schleswig Eric I, Duke of Schleswig Abel, Lord of Langeland |
| House | Estridsen |
| Father | Valdemar II of Denmark |
| Mother | Berengaria of Portugal |
Abel Valdemarsen (1218 – 29 June 1252) was Duke of Schleswig from 1232 to 1252 and King of Denmark from 1250 until his death in 1252. He was the son of Valdemar II by his second wife, Berengaria of Portugal, and brother to kings Eric IV and Christopher I.[1]
As Duke of Schleswig, Abel came into conflict with his brother, King Eric IV, whose murder in 1250 he was suspected of orchestrating. Upon taking an oath to clear himself of the allegations, he was elected king. After a short reign, he was killed during a military expedition in Frisia.
Abel's reign was the shortest of any Danish monarch since the 9th century. He founded a line of dukes of Schleswig - the "Abel family" - which ruled the Duchy of Schleswig until 1375.[2]
- ^ Hartley, Mick The Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Dated September 29, 2007. Retrieved 14 Feb. 2008
- ^ "Abel, 1219-52, Konge". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved August 1, 2018.