Chapter 7 - Queen Regent Margarete 1554 - 1560
Queen Regent Margarete Beck knew her time as regent was going to be short, but was confident she could make up for her husband's disinterest in courtly affairs and leave a stronger realm for her son. Under the last two rulers, the various powers of the Kingdom had largely been left to their own devices so long as they did not threaten the peace of the realm. Margarete, however, had plans to exploit them.
New territories were incorporated by default into crown lands, administered by royal officials. Although many of these officials were individually corrupt and variously autonomous, they were largely independent of one another. As a whole, the nobility, clergy and merchant classes had very little unified power in the governance of the realm. On the one hand, this was beneficial to Danish monarchs, who had little to fear from organized uprisings or demands. Margarete, on the other hand, saw them as a massive untapped resource. Only a few months into her reign, Margarete received an offer from a major noble family in Skane requesting export privileges in northern Germany, threatening the local merchants who had been running those businesses for decades.
Margarete sided with the merchants, not only protecting their businesses, but further expanding their power through monopoly charters, the expansion of the admiralty to include increasing numbers of experienced, wealthy, but otherwise lowborn seamen, and granting additional privileges to major trade hubs including York, Bergenhus, and Osel. In exchange, members of the merchant class were to forgive the Crown's debts. Overall this led to a significant increase in the influence of Burghers at court and across the country, which was both beneficial to Danish cities and trade but also carried risks if a less skilled leader allowed them to get out of hand.
Margarete taps the merchant class to pay off Danish debt and improve her position abroad.
But the merchants also took matters into their own hand. A less careful monarch might have allowed the Burghers' power to get out of hand.
Although the Reformed Church had no formal liturgical hierarchy, individual priests and missions could wield substantial influence, particularly in the more remote parts of the country. A year into her reign, Margarete toured the (still largely Catholic) Danish hinterlands to seek their support, providing royal support for their endeavors in exchange for expanded administrative support. This clerical support helped Margarete modernize Danish administration, neglected over the past few decades, and expand crown control in places like Karelia and Finland.
Margarete's foreign policy was more limited, but reflected a similar shrewd political approach. Most notably, she pursued relations with all Protestants, although fell short of joining the Protestant League in opposition to the Empire.
More controversially, she found a way both to harm Russia's ally in Ryazan as well as improve the treasury she would be leaving to her son by sending a company of mercenaries to help Burgundy, at war with several states in the Low Countries as well as Ryazan.
As usual, Danish forces easily defeated their Russian counterparts. Danish troops were more evenly matched against modern western armies, however, even those inferior in number, which perhaps will be a sobering lesson for Christian III [or perhaps not...]
The mercenary expedition was still active when Christian III took the throne in his own name in February 1560. There was some opposition to his ascension, but it was minor and would almost certainly be dealt with easily.
What will Christian III's reign hold for Denmark? Will he be a warrior like his father? An administrator like his mother? Or will he seek other avenues to greatness?
New territories were incorporated by default into crown lands, administered by royal officials. Although many of these officials were individually corrupt and variously autonomous, they were largely independent of one another. As a whole, the nobility, clergy and merchant classes had very little unified power in the governance of the realm. On the one hand, this was beneficial to Danish monarchs, who had little to fear from organized uprisings or demands. Margarete, on the other hand, saw them as a massive untapped resource. Only a few months into her reign, Margarete received an offer from a major noble family in Skane requesting export privileges in northern Germany, threatening the local merchants who had been running those businesses for decades.
Margarete sided with the merchants, not only protecting their businesses, but further expanding their power through monopoly charters, the expansion of the admiralty to include increasing numbers of experienced, wealthy, but otherwise lowborn seamen, and granting additional privileges to major trade hubs including York, Bergenhus, and Osel. In exchange, members of the merchant class were to forgive the Crown's debts. Overall this led to a significant increase in the influence of Burghers at court and across the country, which was both beneficial to Danish cities and trade but also carried risks if a less skilled leader allowed them to get out of hand.
Margarete taps the merchant class to pay off Danish debt and improve her position abroad.
But the merchants also took matters into their own hand. A less careful monarch might have allowed the Burghers' power to get out of hand.
Although the Reformed Church had no formal liturgical hierarchy, individual priests and missions could wield substantial influence, particularly in the more remote parts of the country. A year into her reign, Margarete toured the (still largely Catholic) Danish hinterlands to seek their support, providing royal support for their endeavors in exchange for expanded administrative support. This clerical support helped Margarete modernize Danish administration, neglected over the past few decades, and expand crown control in places like Karelia and Finland.
Margarete's foreign policy was more limited, but reflected a similar shrewd political approach. Most notably, she pursued relations with all Protestants, although fell short of joining the Protestant League in opposition to the Empire.
More controversially, she found a way both to harm Russia's ally in Ryazan as well as improve the treasury she would be leaving to her son by sending a company of mercenaries to help Burgundy, at war with several states in the Low Countries as well as Ryazan.
As usual, Danish forces easily defeated their Russian counterparts. Danish troops were more evenly matched against modern western armies, however, even those inferior in number, which perhaps will be a sobering lesson for Christian III [or perhaps not...]
The mercenary expedition was still active when Christian III took the throne in his own name in February 1560. There was some opposition to his ascension, but it was minor and would almost certainly be dealt with easily.
What will Christian III's reign hold for Denmark? Will he be a warrior like his father? An administrator like his mother? Or will he seek other avenues to greatness?
