In 1665, five years after the actual monarchical revolution, the constitutional and political justification of hereditary and absolute monarchy was spelled out in the Lex Regia, the crown jewel of the absolute monarchy. “A renaissance monarchy had fallen, and from the ashes of the former aristocratic society, Frederik III was reborn as an ideal absolute ruler, the only contemporary European monarch to govern by an absolutist constitution. What had begun as a political revolution in Copenhagen soon affected the entire Danish empire. By 1662, the estates in Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands had signed a document consenting to the revolutionary changes in the form of government.”

“The Kongelov is dated and subscribed the 14th of November 1665, but was kept a profound secret, only two initiated persons knowing of its existence until after the death of Frederick III, one of them being Kristoffer Gabel, the king's chief intermediary during the revolution, and the other the author and custodian of the Kongelov, Secretary Peder Schumacher Griffenfeldt.” (Encyclopedia Britannica)

This lavish 1709-edition was its impressive proclamation. “This document is in every way unique. In the first place it is remarkable for its literary excellence. Compared with the barbarous macaronic jargon of the contemporary official language it shines forth as a masterpiece of pure, pithy and original Danish. Still more remarkable are the tone and tenor of this royal law. The Kongelov has the highly dubious honour of being the one written law in the civilized world which fearlessly carries out absolutism to the last consequences. The monarchy is declared to owe its origin to the surrender of the supreme authority by the Estates to the king. The maintenance of the indivisibility of the realm and of the Christian faith according to the Augsburg Confession, and the observance of the Kongelev itself, are now the sole obligations binding upon the king. The supreme spiritual authority also is now claimed the moment he ascends the throne, crown and sceptre belong to him by right” (Bain, Scandinavia A Political History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1512 to 1900).

In the beginning of the 18th century it became the fashion to print entire books using copperplates. The edition opens with a beautiful portrait of king Frederik III on horseback, the head of which was realized after the death mask of the regent, whereas the lower part was brought by as a unique calligraphic exercise. Each page has the text surrounded by an ornamental frame which shows different animals symbolizing the countries in which the law was in force.

The 500 copies of the King’s Law were meant to be distributed, not to be sold. The publisher was Frederik Rostgaard (1671-1745), state archivist and collector of books. He was appointed to the task by King Frederik IV. The text was engraved by Michael Røg, the illustrations and ornaments by Andreas Reinhardt, using designs by Claus Møinichen.

Biblioteca Danica II, 739.
Birkelund 76.