Kai Lykke or Cai Lykke (16 March 1625-9 September 1699) was a Danish nobleman and courtier.

Biography

Lykke was born at

Gisselfeld Gisselfeld, a former monastery, is Denmark's fifth-largest estate. Located between Haslev and Næstved, it extends into several municipalities but the main building is located in Braaby Parish in Faxe Municipality. The estate measures 3,850 hect ...

in Zealand, Denmark. He was the son of nobleman Frands Lykke (1591–1655) and the nephew of

Anne Lykke Anne Lykke (30 April 1595 – 1641) was a Danish noblewoman and royal mistress of Christian, Prince Elect of Denmark. Early life Anne Henriksdatter Lykke was born into one of Denmark's more prosperous noble families. She was the daughter of the ...

(1595–1641), royal mistress of

Christian, Prince Elect of Denmark Christian (10 April 16032 June 1647) was Prince-Elect of Denmark from 1610 and Heir Apparent to the Throne of the Kingdom of Norway from 1603. Dying in 1647, he was succeeded by his younger brother, Prince Frederick. Biography Early life ...

. His grandfather Henrik Lykke (1555-1611) was a member of the Danish Council (''Riksråd'') who had accumulated substantial estates in Denmark. He was a courtier in 1646-1648 and an early supporter of

Corfitz Ulfeldt Count Corfits Ulfeldt (10 July 1606 – 20 February 1664) was a Danish statesman known for his collaboration with Sweden during and after the 1657-1658 Dano-Swedish War, for which he is considered one of the most notorious traitors in Danish ...

(1606–1664). At the death of his father in 1656, Lykke inherited seven estates and became one of the richest landowners in Denmark. He became known for his debauched and expensive lifestyle. During the

Dano-Swedish War (1657–58) Dano-Swedish War may refer to: * Dano-Swedish War (1470–1471), Danish invasion of Sweden by sea * Dano-Swedish War (1501–1512), military conflict between Denmark and Sweden within the Kalmar Union * Dano-Swedish War (1512–1520), Danish invasi ...

was the commander of his own army in 1657 but was dismissed by royal decree in 1658. In 1660, he married Øllgaard Gyldenstierne. Lykke is foremost known for the 1661 scandal in which he accused Queen Sophie Amalie of adultery by writing to his mistress Sophie Abelsdatter that the queen used to have sexual relations with her lackeys. This letter was exposed to the queen and Lykke was sentenced to a great fine. When he fled to

Skåne Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...

instead of paying, he was sentenced to death for

Lèse-majesté ''Lèse-majesté'' or ''lese-majesty'' ( , ) is an offence or defamation against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or of the state itself. The English name for this crime is a mod ...

, was executed in his absence and had his property in Denmark confiscated. He was allowed to return to Denmark after 24 years of exile following the death of Queen Sophie Amalie in 1685.

Fiction

Kai Lykke was featured in the novel ''Gjøngehøvdingen'' (1853) by

Carit Etlar Carit Etlar, the better-known pen name of Carl Brosbøll (August 7, 1816 – May 9, 1900), was a Denmark, Danish author, known mostly for his 1853 book ''Gjøngehøvdingen'' about the eponymous Svend Poulsen Gønge. Biography Born Johan Carl Chr ...

(1816–1900) and portrayed by actor Flemming Enevold in the 1992 TV-series of the same name made from the novel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lykke, Kai 1625 births 1699 deaths People from Region Zealand 17th-century Danish nobility 17th-century Danish landowners Danish courtiers 17th-century Danish military officers Kai Nobility from Denmark–Norway Court of Christian IV of Denmark Court of Frederick III of Denmark