Election of Christian III

It took place in St. Søren's Church (Danish: Sankt Sørens Kirke) in the town of Rye in eastern Jutland, where the Jutlandic nobility elected Prince Christian, son of King Frederick I and Duke of Schleswig and Holsten, as king.

This brought about the Count's Feud (Grevens Fejde) and later also led to the implementation of the Protestant Reformation in Denmark and Norway.

Christian's views made it difficult to gain the support of a majority of the Council of the Realm as most noblemen and, of course, the bishops would rather see a Roman Catholic king on the throne.

[4] Members of the lesser nobility had also turned up – presumably on Mogens Gøye's initiative – but had to stay outside the church.

Ove Bille, Bishop of Aarhus, wept when he signed the request for the Protestant Duke to become king, realising that it would mean his own downfall.