Christian III

(born Aug. 12, 1503, Gottorp, Schleswig—died Jan. 1, 1559, Kolding, Den.) King of Denmark and Norway (1534–59). Son of King Frederick I, he assumed control of the kingdom after winning a civil war known as the Count's War. He arrested the Catholic bishops who had opposed him and organized the Diet of Copenhagen (1536), which confiscated episcopal property and established the state Lutheran church. By forming close ties between the church and the crown, he laid the foundation for the absolutist Danish monarchy of the 17th century.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica