| George II | |
|---|---|
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| Henry as a young man | |
| King of Denmark and Norway | |
| Reign | 1491-1515 |
| Coronation | 19 October 1491 |
| Predecessor | Olaf III/IV |
| Successor | Olaf IV |
| King of Sweden | |
| Reign | 1491-1494 |
| Coronation | 29 November 1491 |
| Predecessor | Olaf I |
| Successor | Eric XIV |
| Born | 11 October 1557 Dortmund, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 31 March 1515 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| House | House of La Marck |
| Father | Andrés Heinrich Engelbert de la Marck |
| Mother | Anna de la Marck |
| Religion | Jungism |
Henry I (29 June 1463 - 31 March 1515) was King of Denmark from 1491 until 1515, succeeding his father-in-law, Olaf III. Henry was the first ruler of Denmark from the House of La Marck. He was born the son of Andres Heinrich Engelbert de la Marck (a younger son of the Prince of Finland) and Anna de la Marck (the illegitimate daughter of Wenceslaus, Count of Mark, the younger son of Engelbert I, the Duke of Saxony). Following his grandfather Wenceslaus's death, the County of Mark was divided between Henry's two great-aunts, with his grandmother Bonne receiving Lower Mark and co-ruling with her son, Henry's father. Andres Heinrich Engelbert married Wenceslaus's illegitimate daughter, Anna, to reinforce his claim, but failed to get Papal dispensation for incest. Thus, upon his parents' death, Henry was disinherited by the Duke of Saxony and declared illegitimate, with the County of Lower Mark going to Otto, later Margrave of Lower Mark.
When King Olaf III realized he was not going to have any more children, he declared his only child, his daughter Ingeborg, as his heir, and asked for marriage proposals, by which he was swamped. He asked each suitor to give his daughter a gift; Henry determinedly and thoughtfully sent his future bride a pack of Engelbert dogs. Perhaps amused or intrigued by this original and creative gift, the Princess selected Henry for her husband. Upon the death of his father-in-law, King Olaf III, he became King Henry I of Denmark. Setting up court in Copenhagen, Henry experienced resentment from Swedish nobles, and the Swedish War for Independence commenced, with the Swedes successfully breaking free of the Örebro Union, under the House of Thot. Henry retained Norway, which was incorporated into the Kingdom of Denmark.
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