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to the celebrated A xel H v id e , (Absolon, B ishop o f
R oeskilde, afterw ard s A rchbishop of L u nd), w ho, in
1168,
on the spot w hich C h ristiansborg P alace now
occupies, erected a castle, for the purp o se o f keeping
the p irates in a w e , w hich after him w as called
A xel-hu us.
T his P re late afterw ards bestow ed the
castle and tow n, w ith the lands o f Am ager or A m ak ,
on the See of R oeskilde. M unicipal law s w ere first
granted to it by B ishop E rlan dsen in
1254;
and
ro y a l priv ileg es in
1284
by K ing E ric G lipping.
T h e tow n having now becom e m ore im p o rtan t than
any o ther as a place of ro y al residence, attem p ts
w ere m ade by several kings to recover it from the
See o f Roeskilde. F o r nearly two centuries, h ow everr
th ese attem p ts w ere vain. It w as no t till the reign
of
C hristoph er o f B av aria, w ho, in the y e ar
1443r
selecting Copenhagen as his residence, th a t an y th in g
like an arrangem ent w as entered in to ; although,
w h atev er the exchange m ight have b e e n , it w as
denied b y the B ish o p s, at the election of C hristian
the F ir s t, the successor o f C h risto p h er, th at any
h a d been m ade.
T h e first K ing o f the Oldenburg-
line , C hristian I., se e m s, how ever, to have suc
ceeded in th a t o b ject, the B ishop and C hapter o f
R oeskilde h av in g received a rem uneration no do ubt
sufficiently am ple.
B u t, even after th is, p ro tests
w e re a t v ario u s tim es m ade by the B ishops against
the rig h t and title o f the K ings to this city, till the-