Period

Kirsten Munk lived from 1598 to 1658.

Marriage

She married Christian IV in 1615 in a so-called "morganatic marriage", which meant that she was not given the title of queen.

Interests

Kirsten cared about status and independence and was known for her strong will and temperament. She was actively involved in court life, but also in power games and alliances - not least through her many children.

Your family

She came from a Danish noble family and had 12 children. The children weren't royalty, but many of them went on to play prominent roles and several became important players in the political game of the time.

When Kirsten Munk was chosen by Christian IV at the age of 17, she stepped directly into the royal spotlight - but without the official crown. She came from a noble, but not princely family, and therefore the king could not marry her officially. Instead, they entered into a so-called morganatic marriage - a kind of royal sweetheart contract where she received castles and wealth, but never the title of queen.

On paper it may have been a pragmatic compromise, but in practice the relationship was far from harmonious. Christian IV was both jealous and controlling, known for his violent mood swings, and Kirsten was not the type to simply obey in silence. Their relationship was characterized by arguments, mistrust and mutual suspicion of infidelity. At the same time, Kirsten spent most of her marriage heavily pregnant: In just ten years, she gave birth to 12 children (!)

Although she never received the crown, Kirsten achieved a central position in the king's life and at court. Her children were closely linked to the center of power, and several of them were given important positions. But over time, the relationship between her and Christian finally broke down - and it all ended in a scandal that shook the entire kingdom.

Kirsten Munk had had enough. After years of pregnancies, jealousy and a marriage that was never really equal, she was - in short - exhausted. So when the young and charming Otto Ludwig, Duke of Salm, appeared, he was a welcome break from royal control and constant distrust. And maybe a little more than that.

In 1628, it all culminated in one of the most dramatic scenes of the Renaissance: One evening, Kirsten simply refused Christian IV access to her bedroom. She slammed the door in front of the king and it lit a fire in him that never went out.

Christian IV, never known for taking rejection well, was hit on his pride with full force. He threw her out, cut off all contact and - the icing on the cake - had a stone erected with the date of her rejection engraved on it. A sort of perpetual passive-aggressive granite billboard so everyone could see when his honor (and access) was denied. And it's still there. If you want to see his pride carved in granite, you can find the stone at Frederiksborg Castle to this day - a true monument to wounded love and royal anger.

The court must have been boiling over with gossip about that fateful night and rumors spread quickly. Quite simply, this was the great gossip story of the Renaissance.