Christian III of Denmark

Christian III
Portrait by Jakob Binck, 1550
King of Denmark
Reign4 July 1534 – 1 January 1559
Coronation12 August 1537
Copenhagen Cathedral
PredecessorFrederick I
SuccessorFrederick II
King of Norway
Reign1537–1559
Coronation12 August 1537, Copenhagen
PredecessorFrederick I
SuccessorFrederick II
Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
Reign1533 – 10 April 1559
PredecessorFrederik of Denmark
SuccessorFrederick II
Born12 August 1503
Gottorf Castle, Schleswig, Denmark (now Germany)
Died1 January 1559(1559-01-01) (aged 55)
Koldinghus, Kolding, Denmark
Burial
Spouse
(m. 1525)
IssueAnna, Electress of Saxony
Frederick II, King of Denmark and Norway
Magnus, Duke of Holstein
John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
Dorothea, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg
HouseOldenburg
FatherFrederick I of Denmark
MotherAnna of Brandenburg
ReligionLutheran
SignatureChristian III's signature
Painting depicting Christian III at Glücksborg
King Christian III on Norwegian silver coin (Gimsøydaleren) from 1546
Seal of Christian III
Danish rigsdaler minted under Christian III in 1537. His coat of arms on the reverse

Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established Lutheranism as the state religion within his realms as part of the Protestant Reformation, and was the first King of Denmark-Norway.[1][2]