Kongehusets digitale julekalender 2021.
Dansk
Hendes Majestæt Dronningen har om blot fire uger siddet på den danske trone i 50 år, og under Nissefars julerejse gennem Kongerækken har papnissen ofte spekuleret på, hvem af de mange regenter gennem tiden, der har siddet længst tid på den danske trone.
”Det har ingen ringere end Kong Christian 4.” fortæller Juleenglen og peger over på Rosenborg Slot, der i sin tid blev bygget som Christian 4.s lysthus ude “på landet”. For dengang lå slottet lige uden for Københavns vold, men i takt med at byen er vokset, er placeringen endt med at være i hjertet af Danmarks hovedstad.
Inde på slottet lister nissen og englen rundt og forsøger at blive klogere på kongen, der regerede landet i 60 år fra 1588 til 1648. ”Men de første otte år af hans regeringsperiode var han ikke myndig, så der blev der regeret i et formynderstyre” fortæller Juleenglen og regner sig frem til, at Christian 4. derfor var regerende konge i 52 år. I et af slottets rum finder Nissefar – til sin store forbløffelse – Christian 4.s toilet, som blev kaldt ”Hemmeligheden”, og ved siden af finder papnissen det rum, hvor kongen døde efter et langt liv som konge og far til hele 25 børn, hvoraf mindst fire var dødfødte. De sidste år af Christian 4.s liv var præget af nedgang og krisestemning - særligt efter kongens indblanding i Trediveårskrigen, der slog helt fejl, og hvor Sverige overtog den ledende position i Norden. For at gøre det hele værre, så mistede Christian 4. også sit højre øje ved et søslag mod den svenske flåde ved slaget på Kolberger Heide!
Men det, som Nissefar husker bedst ved Christian 4. var, at han forbød julestuer ved lov! Dengang var julestuer fester, hvor der blev drukket, spist og leget andet end børnelege – og indimellem blev der danset lige lovligt tæt. På et tidspunkt ved juletid, samtidig med at Christian 4. var i krig, havde kongens hustru til venstre hånd, Kirsten Munk, ”leget jul” med en rhingreve. Måske var det medvirkende til, at kongen forbød julestuer året efter!
”Men det betød også, at vi nisser gik et par niveauer op i vores drillegear”, fortæller Nissefar til Juleenglen inden de finder et sted at overnatte. For i morgen fortsætter rejsen gennem Kongerækken på Rosenborg Slot.
English
In just four weeks, Her Majesty The Queen will have occupied the Danish throne for 50 years. And during Elf Father’s Christmas journey through the Royal Lineage, the cardboard elf has often speculated about which one of the many sovereigns has occupied the throne for the longest time.
“It’s no less than King Christian IV,” says the Christmas Angel, who points over at Rosenborg Castle, which was built long ago as Christian IV’s villa out “in the country”. At that time, the castle was situated outside of Copenhagen’s ramparts, but as the city has grown, the location has ended up being in the heart of Denmark’s capital.
Inside the castle, the elf and the angel steal around and try to become wiser about the king, who reigned the country for 60 years, from 1588 until 1648. “But, the first eight years of his reign, he was not of age, so a guardianship government ruled then,” says the Christmas Angel, who deduces that Christian IV was therefore the reigning king for 52 years. In one of the castle’s rooms, Elf Father – to his great consternation – finds Christian IV’s toilet, which was called “The Secret”. And, beside it, the cardboard elf finds a room where the king died after a long life as king and father of, in all, 25 children, of whom at least four were stillborn. The final years of Christian IV’s life were characterized by decline and an atmosphere of crisis – especially after the king’s interference in the Thirty Years’ War, which failed completely, and when Sweden overtook the leading position in the North. To make everything worse, Christian IV lost his right eye during a sea fight with the Swedish navy during the Battle of Colberg Heath!
But what Elf Father remembers best about Christian IV is that he banned Christmas parties by law! At that time, Christmas parties were rollicking festivities in which there was drinking, eating and playing around that was something other than children’s play – and, now and again, there was very close dancing that was just barely legal. Once at Christmas, at the same time Christian IV was at war, Kirsten Munk, the king’s wife from a “left-handed marriage” – that is, a morganatic marriage – had “played Christmas” with a German Rheingau count. Maybe that contributed to why the king banned Christmas parties the following year!
“But that also meant that we elves went up a few levels in our teasing gears,” says Elf Father to the Christmas Angel, before they find a place to settle down for the night. Because the journey through the Royal Lineage continues at Rosenborg Castle tomorrow.