Christian II (1481-1559)

King of Denmark and Norway 1513-23, and Sweden 1520-23. He was hated by the nobility in Denmark and Norway for his system of taxation. Jutland (Denmark) revolted and gave the Danish crown to Frederick I in 1523. Christian fled to the Netherlands, but attempted to regain his throne in 1531 by invading Norway. He was captured by Danish forces in 1532 and imprisoned until his death.

Christian was the son of King John II of Norway and Denmark and Christina of Saxony, and he married Isabella of Burgundy. The Swedes refused to accept him on his accession and held out against him for some time, but were defeated near Stockholm in 1520. After the heads of the nation had sworn loyalty, Christian gave a banquet and had most of his guests seized and imprisoned. About 82 people were executed or drowned by his order the following day (the ‘Stockholm Bloodbath’). In 1523 Sweden successfully broke away under King Gustav I Vasa. Norway remained under the Danish crown.