Friday, March 9, 2012

My Family

According to Danish law, nobles and commoners can never be formally married. In 1571, I fell in love with Kirsten, daughter of Jorgen Hansen, the Lutheran minister in Knudstrup. We had eight children, and six of them lived to adulthood. After 3 years together, Kirsten and I were allowed to have a binding morganatic marriage. My children could not inherit my noble name, coat of arms, or landholdings. Later on in our lives, my younger sister, Sophie, testified to name my children legitimate in the name of the law.

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