Christian III of Denmark

Christian III
Portrait by Jakob Binck, 1550
King of Denmark (more...)
Reign	4 July 1534 – 1 January 1559
Coronation	12 August 1537 Copenhagen Cathedral
Predecessor	Frederick I
Successor	Frederick II
King of Norway
Reign	1537–1559
Coronation	12 August 1537, Copenhagen
Predecessor	Frederick I
Successor	Frederick II
Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
Reign	1533 – 10 April 1559
Predecessor	Frederik of Denmark
Successor	Frederick II
Born	12 August 1503 Gottorf Castle, Schleswig, Denmark (now Germany)
Died	1 January 1559(1559-01-01) (aged 55) Koldinghus, Kolding, Denmark
Burial	Roskilde Cathedral, Zealand, Denmark
Spouse	Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg ​ ​ (m. 1525)​
Issue	Anna, 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
House	Oldenburg
Father	Frederick I of Denmark
Mother	Anna of Brandenburg
Religion	Lutheran
Signature

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]