Christopher (; 1341 – 11 June 1363), Duke of Lolland, was the son of King

Valdemar IV of Denmark Valdemar IV Atterdag, Valdemar Christoffersen or Waldemar (24 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance wars under previous rul ...

and his wife,

Helvig of Schleswig Helvig of Schleswig (also erroneously Hedwig; 1320–1374) was the queen of Denmark as the spouse of King Valdemar IV. She was the mother of Queen Margaret I of Denmark. Life Helvig was the daughter of Eric II, Duke of Schleswig, and Adelaid ...

. Christopher was appointed duke in 1359 and also was selected to succeed as king. He was first mentioned in 1354–55, and in 1358 was sent by his father to Nyborg to negotiate with representatives of the rebellious Jutes. He became involved in government decisions, and was appointed Duke of Lolland. He also entitled himself as the ''True Heir of Danes and Slavs''. Christopher actively participated in the war for reconquest of

Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...

which his father had initiated. Christopher was injured during the Battle of Helsingborg in 1362. German chronicles are not clear about what weapon inflicted the prince's mortal wound, but according to Swedish Henrik Smith's chronicle from the early 16th century Christopher was hit by a rock while fighting at sea. According to

Nordisk familjebok (, 'Nordic Family Book') is a Swedish language, Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. The public domain edit ...

, Christopher was shot in the head with a rock and subsequently suffered from a

mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

. Christopher died from an illness the following year in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. Although his death is often attributed to his war wounds it is unknown to what extent his injuries actually contributed to the illness. Instead of being buried at

Sorø Abbey Sorø Abbey was the preeminent and wealthiest monastic house in all of Denmark during the Middle Ages. It was located in the town of Sorø in central Zealand. After Denmark became Lutheran in 1536, the abbey was confiscated by the Crown. The ...

with his father and mother, he was buried in

Roskilde Cathedral Roskilde Cathedral (), in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheranism, Lutheran Church of Denmark. The cathedral is one of the most important churches in D ...

with his sister

Margaret I of Denmark Margaret I (; March 1353 – 28 October 1412) was Queen regnant of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (which included Finland) from the late 1380s until her death, and the founder of the Kalmar Union that joined the Scandinavian kingdoms together for ...

. His tomb was originally commissioned in Central Europe, and depicts the alabaster effigy of a young knight in full armor studded with jewels and surrounded by the heraldic shields of Denmark, Halland and Lolland. The tomb is empty as the prince is probably buried beneath the church floor. The alabaster tomb visible today was restored in 1879 by sculptor

Vilhelm Bissen Christian Gottlieb Vilhelm Bissen (5 August 1836 – 20 April 1913) was a Danish sculptor. He was also a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts with great influence on the next generation of Danish sculptors and for a while ser ...

from fragmentary pieces after being destroyed during the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

References

Other sources

* Jörgensen Ellen: Valdemar Atterdag. Utvalg af kilder. Copenhagen 1911. * *

(1911), band 14, s. 1453–1454
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Christopher, Duke of Lolland House of Estridsen Danish heirs apparent who never acceded Princes of Denmark 1341 births 1363 deaths Dukes of Lolland Valdemar IV of Denmark Burials at Roskilde Cathedral People from Helsingør Municipality Sons of kings Royalty and nobility with disabilities