The King's Law, known in Danish and Norwegian as Kongeloven and in Latin as Lex Regia, was the absolutist constitution of the united kingdom of Denmark-Norway, in force in Denmark from 1665 to 1849 and in Norway until 1814. Commissioned by Frederick III after Denmark-Norway's 1660 military defeat by Sweden, it formalized hereditary absolute monarchy and vested the king with power independent of the nobility and other estates, a scope of absolutism scholars consider among the most extensive in Europe. Its forty articles, arranged in seven chapters, set out royal authority, succession by agnatic-cognatic primogeniture favoring male heirs, and rules governing the royal family, while keeping the Danish and Norwegian crowns unified.
Facts
Era
Era (category)Early Modern (1500-1800) 1 Legal Status
Legal Status (category)Historical / No Longer in Force 1 Sources
1. King's Law (Denmark-Norway) (Wikipedia)
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The King's Law (Danish: Kongeloven) or Lex Regia (also called the Danish Royal Law of 1665) was the absolutist constitution of Denmark and Norway from 1665 until 1849 and 1814, respectively.
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