King Christian 5. Abraham Wuchters · 1675 Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød, Denmark

When Frederik 3. died in 1670, the Danish Act of Succession from 1665 (the Royal Law) went into effect for the first time, and Christian 5., the 24-year-old hereditary king, could ascend the throne as Denmark's second absolute monarch and crown himself.

In 1667 Christian married Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Cassel, and four years later he provided a residence for his 16-year-old lover, the official mistress Sophie Amalie Moth, only a stone's throw from Copenhagen Castle. Queen Charlotte Amalie bore king Christian seven children, and with his mistress he had another five children, whom he acknowledged publicly. In return Sophie Amalie was later appointed countess of Samsoe, which chancellor Griffenfeld lost after being overthrown.

In order to strengthen the absolute monarchy, a new order of nobility – countship and baronetship – was established in 1671. Irrespective of former status, anyone possessing sufficient land could obtain the title of count, or, if he did not own quite as much land, be content to call himself baronet. In time the title of baronet was superseded by the title of baron, which was simultaneously introduced. Two years later the Danish Law was issued.

Among the group of men behind the king, Peder Griffenfeld, who in 1673 was appointed chancellor, gathered more and more power. Griffenfeld's increasing power and great statesmanship also made him many enemies.

It was Griffenfeld's policy of peace that finally led to his downfall in 1676. The previous year, the king had been persuaded to declare war on Sweden – this war was later called The Scanic War. The objective of the war was to recapture the old Danish land areas, which Frederik 3. had lost by the Peace of Roskilde. Unfortunately, at the time, the Swedes were allied with the great power of France, and Griffenfeld's political intentions were to avoid any confrontation with France.

In June of 1676, Christian 5. came ashore in Scania with the army. The event has been described as follows:

Just as the king was going ashore the sailors climbed into the rigging shouting to each other: »Hail to the King! Hail to the King!« His majesty turned around with great haste feeling quite uneasy about all the clamor. At last, when the king heard what the shouting was about, he too took off his hat and jumped about quite merrily.

Fierce battles were fought in Scania, and the king himself took part in the battles of Lund and Landskrone. In spite of victories like the one achieved by Niels Juel in the Bay of Koege, and in spite of some Danish military superiority towards the end of the war, it never came to a final settlement.

The war ended when France dictated a peace in 1679, after which the situation remained practically the same as before the outbreak of war. By the Peace of Roskilde, the Gottorp part of Schleswig was released from Danish authority. During the Swedish Wars, the Duke of Gottorp had allied himself with Sweden.

In 1675 Christian 5. attacked Gottorp and captured his brother-in-law, duke Christian Albrecht – but towards the end of the Scanic War, Gottorp was liberated from the Danish crown – once more by orders from the French. In 1684 the king made yet another attempt to incorporate Gottorp into the realm – but already in 1689, by the Treaty of Altona, and hard pressed by the Great European Powers, he had to give up the annexation.

Masquerades and riding at the ring were some of king Christian's favorite recreational activities. He was an eager outdoor person, who traveled the country extensively, and as the years went by he also kept busy with the parforce hunt, which he had come to know in France. On an autumn day in the Deer Park, the king was injured by a wounded deer. The already somewhat ailing king lasted another year before his life slipped away in August of 1699.

Christian 5. was buried in Roskilde Cathedral. He was succeeded by his son, Frederik 4.