Canute IV of Denmark
Canute IV of Denmark was King during the 11th century. He was the son of King Sweyn II Erstrithson and he succeeded his older brother Harold Hen. He became King in 1080 and he sought to strength the Danish monarchy while also being a devout member of the Roman Catholic Church. It was during his reign that the authority of the church was increased and it was required that church holidays be observed.
Supporting the church was not only a matter of religion for King Canute IV, it was also a way to get a very powerful ally. He believed that a close association with the church would create a powerful and centralized monarchy that would allow him to stand against the aristocracy. He sought reform that garnered the wrath of different members of the aristocracy.
However, his sights were not just set on Denmark. In 1085, he asserted that he had a claim to the throne of England. He raised a large invasion fleet with the intention of taking the English throne by force. But by the time he was about to set off for England, his domestic polices had caught up with him. The aristocrats, angry over his tax policies, rebelled against him.
King Canute IV fled from the rebels and hid at St. Alban’s Church, Odense. It was here that the rebels, led by his own brother Prince Olaf caught up with him and murdered him and the entire royal party. He was buried at St. Alban’s and numerous miracles were reported at his tomb. In 1101 he was canonized and made the patron saint of Denmark.