The ampulla
This small beautiful container was created for the coronation of Frederik III, in 1648. It contained the anointing oil, which manifested that the king derived his power from God.
The ampulla is a gold tin with a screw cap. The gold is decorated with hatching and colourful enamel flowers. Among the flowers, there are beautifully mounted table-cut diamonds.
Anointing of Danish kings
We know that the tradition of anointing Danish kings goes back all the way to the first known coronation in Denmark with Knud VI’s accession to the throne in 1182, while Denmark was still a Catholic nation. With the Reformation, in 1536, Denmark abandoned Catholicism and became a Lutheran country, but the Catholic coronation ceremony was maintained. The first Lutheran king of Denmark, Christian III, and his consort, Queen Dorothea, were crowned and anointed in 1537 by Johan Bugenhagen of Wittenberg, one of Martin Luther's close associates.
For the anointing, the king kneeled in front of the bishop, who dabbed fragrant oil from the small ampulla on the king's forehead, wrist and chest – the locations matching Christ's wounds from the crown of thorns, the nails and the lance in his side. If the king was married, the queen was also anointed but only on her forehead and wrist. For reasons of propriety, the bishop did not apply oil to the queen's chest.
Important role during absolutism
The ampulla took on special significance during absolutism, when the king was no longer crowned but only anointed. The first time the ampulla was used was in connection with Christian V's accession to the throne, in 1670. This was the first royal anointing ceremony after the introduction of absolutism, in 1661, when the coronation was abolished. The king now placed the crown on his own head, and the anointing was the essential ceremonial act which proved that the king derived his power from God.