Valdemar III, Duke of Schleswig

Valdemar III Abelsøn (died 1257) was Duke of Schleswig from 1253 until his death in 1257. He was the eldest son of King Abel of Denmark, Duke of Schleswig and Matilda of Holstein.

Life

At the time of his father's death in 1252, Valdemar was being held prisoner in the Archbishopric of Cologne, the hostage of the Prince-Archbishop. Thus unable to claim the throne of Denmark, his father's younger brother Christopher I was elected king.

However, his mother's relatives, the counts of Holstein were able to obtain his release and supported his claim to the Duchy of Schleswig. In 1253 Christopher I had to relinquish his opposition and created him Duke.

The following years Valdemar spent fighting his uncle, King Christopher. Valdemar died in 1257. He was succeeded as duke by his younger brother, Eric I.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Valdemar III, Duke of Schleswig

16. Canute Lavard 8. Valdemar I of Denmark 17. Ingeborg of Kiev 4. Valdemar II of Denmark 18. Volodar, Prince of Minsk and Hrodno 9. Sophia of Minsk 19. Richeza of Poland 2. Abel of Denmark 20. Afonso I of Portugal 10. Sancho I of Portugal 21. Maud of Savoy 5. Berengaria of Portugal 22. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona 11. Dulce of Aragon 23. Petronila of Aragon 1. Valdemar III, Duke of Schleswig 24. Adolf II, Count of Holstein 12. Adolf III, Count of Holstein 25. Matilda of Schwarzburg 6. Adolf IV, Count of Holstein 26. Burchard III of Querfurt, Burgrave of Magdeburg as Burchard II of Magdeburg 13. Adelheid of Querfurt 27. Matilda of Gleichen 3. Matilda of Holstein 28. Bernhard II, Lord of Lippe 14. Hermann II, Lord of Lippe 29. Heilwig of Are-Hostaden 7. Heilwig of Lippe 30. Simon, Count of Tecklenburg 15. Oda of Tecklenburg 31. Oda of Berg-Altena

References

• Biography in Dansk Biografisk Leksikon 1. ed.