Editing Christian V of Denmark (section)

===Early years===
[[File:Christian v of denmark child.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Christian V portrayed as the prince elect in the year 1650, in a painting by [[Karel van Mander III]]]]
Prince Christian was born on 15 April 1646 at [[Duborg Castle]] in the city of [[Flensburg]], then located in the [[Duchy of Schleswig]]. He was the first [[legitimate child]] born to the then [[Frederick III of Denmark|Prince Frederick of Denmark]] by his consort, [[Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Calenberg]]. Prince Frederick was a younger son of [[Christian IV of Denmark|King Christian IV]], but the death of his elder brother [[Christian, Prince-Elect of Denmark]] in June 1647 opened the possibility for Frederick to be elected heir apparent to the Danish throne.

After the death of King Christian IV in 1648, Frederick thus became King of Denmark and Norway as Frederick III. Prince Christian was elected successor to his father in June 1650. This was not a free choice, but ''de facto'' automatic hereditary succession. Escorted by his chamberlain Christoffer Parsberg, Christian went on a long trip abroad, to [[Holland]], [[England]], [[France]], and home through [[Germany]]. On this trip, he saw absolutism in its most splendid achievement at the young [[Louis XIV]]'s court, and heard about the theory of the [[divine right of kings]]. He returned to Denmark in August 1663. From 1664 he was allowed to attend proceedings of the State College. Hereditary succession was made official by Royal Law in 1665. Christian was hailed as heir in Copenhagen in August 1665, in Odense and Viborg in September, and in Christiania, Norway in July 1666.  Only a short time before he became king, he was taken into the Council of the Realm and the Supreme Court.