Frederik III (1609-1670, ruled 1648-70) Frederik was the second son of King Christian IV and Queen Anna Cathrine. It was not envisaged that he would become king, so he received a scholarly education with a view to a career in the former ecclesiastical principalities of Northern Germany. Frederik managed to become an archbishop, and then a general during the Thirty Years War - all before he became king in 1648. While still young he developed his interests in a range of subjects including theology, the sciences, archaeology and constitutional law. These interests were of considerable significance for the establishment of the Royal Kunstkammer and the Royal Library. Read more about Frederik as Duke Frederik III, signed and dated: Paulus Prieur fecit Anno 1663. (Rosenborg) King Christian IV died in 1648, but his successor - Frederik's older brother - had died the previous year. This resulted in Frederik being elected as king by the Council of State, and then having to endorse a stringently-drawn-up coronation charter. Frederik was king during the Swedish Wars 1657-60, which ended with Denmark being forced to cede the provinces of Scania, Halland, Blekinge and Bohuslän. He was however popular with the people, and in 1660 he succeeded in having the harsh conditions in his coronation charter quashed. He instituted hereditary rule, and achieved absolute authority. Read more about Frederik as King Download the complete text about Frederik III Get Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader is required to open the download text. The program is free and can be downloaded here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html