Frederick III

Frederick III (born March 18, 1609, Haderslev, Den.—died Feb. 9, 1670, Copenhagen) was the king of Denmark and Norway (1648–70) whose reign saw the establishment of an absolute monarchy, maintained in Denmark until 1848. In his youth Frederick served successively as bishop coadjutor (i.e., assistant bishop with the right of succession) of the German dioceses of Bremen, Verden, and Halberstadt. He commanded Danish forces in Schleswig-Holstein during Denmark’s disastrous war with Sweden (1643–45) and succeeded...