When the Reformation king, Christian III, died in 1559, an era had come to an end. By then most of the evangelical/Lutheran theologians who had worked for the Reformation in Denmark had either died or were to pass away within the next couple of years.

Christian III was succeeded by his son, Frederik II (1559–88), who differed substantially from his father. Christian had been a godly and politically cautious monarch, whose reign had been determined to a large extent by the economic restraints imposed by the civil war (1534–6) which had preceded his accession to the throne in 1536. Frederik II proved both politically and militarily far more adventurous. He may not have differed from his father in religious outlook, but in personal commitment he did, and he was less directly involved in the affairs of the new Lutheran church in Denmark and Norway than his father had been. Frederik's reign was characterised by the growing influence of the nobility, which was the only estate represented on the Council (Rigsrådet) after the Reformation. In spite of having been hailed as his father's successor in Denmark in 1542, and in Norway in 1548, Frederik II had to accept a coronation charter in August 1559 which confirmed and augmented the power of the nobility.

Frederik had already demonstrated his political and military ambitions when he, together with his uncle, Duke Adolph of Gottorp, conquered the Ditmarshes in the summer of 1559.