Peder Munk

Peder Munk of Estvadgård (1534–1623), was a Danish navigator, politician, and ambassador, who was in charge of the fleet carrying Anne of Denmark to Scotland.

On 20 August 1589, Peder Munk and others accepted an agreement at Helsingør over the rule of the islands Orkney from the Scottish ambassador George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, as part of the marriage arrangements of James VI of Scotland and Anne of Denmark, a sister of Christian IV.

[3] In August 1589, the Danish council decided that Peder Munk, Breide Rantzau, Dr Paul Knibbe, and Niels Krag would accompany Anne of Denmark, the bride of James VI, to Scotland.

[4] Munk and Henrik Gildenstern sailed with a Danish fleet including the Gideon, Josaphad or Josafat their flagship, Samson, Joshua, Dragon, Raphael, St Michael, Gabriel, Little Sertoun (Lille Fortuna), Mouse, Rose, the Falcon of Birren, the Blue Lion, the Blue Dove (Blaa Due) and the White Dove (Hvide Due).

[10] Meanwhile, Steen Bille, William Stewart, and Andrew Sinclair brought Anna's letters in French from Flekkerøy to Edinburgh on 10 October, describing the delay and four or five failed attempts to cross the North Sea, and saying she would stay in Norway.

On their arrival at Leith, James VI presented the skipper of Munk's ship, the pilots, trumpeters, violers and kettle drummers with forty gold rose noble coins, accounted from his dowry.

At each palace, the lawyer John Skene read out the details of the property, then Munk was given a handful of earth and stone, the traditional Scottish ceremony of transferring ownership or "sasine".

[18] The organiser was John MacMorran who had the room hung with tapestry, hired musicians, and arranged a guard of honour carrying halberds.

[19] After his return to Denmark, Peder Munk became involved in litigation with Christoffer Valkendorff, treasurer and governor or Stadtholder of Copenhagen, about equipping the fleet and defective ships in October 1589.

[20] Some women were accused of witchcraft in the Copenhagen witch trials, raising storms or sabotaging the ships intended to carry Anne to Scotland.

"[23] In October 1590, the Danish diplomat Dr Paul Knibbe or Knibius wrote to Daniel Rogers in London that Peder Munk's fleet had been threatened by witches led by Margrete the wife of Jakob Skiber, consul in Copenhagen.

[25] The safe delivery of James VI and Anne of Denmark from the "conspiracy of witches" was celebrated at the baptism of their son Prince Henry at Stirling Castle in August 1594.

At dinner the ambassadors were seated at one table with the king, Munk, Peder Gyldenstierne, Steen Brahe, Hak Holgersen Ulfstand, Henrik Below, and Breide Rantzau, which was a special honour for the diplomats.

Peder Munk came to England in the retinue of Christian IV and King James gave him a gift of gilt plate on 11 August 1606.