Christopher of Denmark, elected King upon the…

Christopher of Denmark, elected King upon the death of his older brother Abel in the summer of 1252, had been crowned at Lund Cathedral on Christmas Day 1252.

Christopher had begun organizing the effort to have his brother Erik IV Plovpenning canonized, laying his murder directly at the feet of his other brother Abel.

If recognized by the pope, the murder will exclude Abel's sons from the succession and guarantee Christopher's own sons Denmark's crown.

This means that Christopher as a younger son tries to keep the sons of his older brothers from ruling Denmark, which goes against prevailing customs.

The king will spend most of his reign fighting his many opponents.

By allowing Abel's son, Valdemar Abelsøn, to be Duke of Schleswig, he prevents an all-out civil war, but becomes the target of intrigue and treachery.

Southern Jutland, including Schleswig and Holstein, are independent from the king's rule for a time.

Christopher also gains a ferocious enemy in the newly named Archbishop of Lund, Jacob Erlandsen, who is closely connected with Abel's family.

Erlandsen asserts his rights often at odds with the king.

King Christopher insists that the church pay taxes like any other land owner.

Bishop Jacob refuses and goes so far as to forbid peasants who live or work on church properties to give military service to King Christopher.

Erlandsen is perhaps the wealthiest man in the kingdom and insists that the secular government has no control or hold over the church, its property, or ecclesiastical personnel.

He simply excommunicates the king to show that he isn't about to surrender to the king's will.