Danehof

A prerequisite for the appearance of Danehof was the growing influence of the Danish aristocracy after 1250. The local nobility demanded restrictions on royal power, especially regarding the legislative and tax powers of the monarchs. The political weakness of the royal house of those times probably contributed to the development of Danehof. In 1282, King Eric V was forced to adopt the Royal Charter, which limited the power of the monarch and guaranteed the ancient rights and customs of the nobility ^[1] .

Little is known about the details of the creation and the format of Danehof. It is known that these were meetings in a certain place (most often the Nyborg castle on the island of Funen ), but there is no information about the elections and the procedure that took place inside the danekhoff. Its members were only representatives of the nobility, clergy and nobles. The king had the opportunity to consult with Danekhoff before taking significant steps, especially of an economic nature. However, in some cases, the monarchs ignored Danehof, forgetting to convene it ^[2] .

The problems in Denmark that accompanied the state during the fourteenth century did not add popularity to Danehof. Step by step, he was removed from governing the country. Since the 1320s, most of the functions of Danehof passed to the Riksrod , which was mainly controlled by the king ^[3] .