Manderup Parsberg

Manderup Parsberg (24 December 1546 – 11 November 1625) was a Danish nobleman and politician who was member of the Royal Privy Council to King Christian IV of Denmark. Early life and education Manderup Parsberg was the son of privy councilor Forældre: rigsråd Verner Parsberg (1511-67) and Anne Holck (død 1591). He studied at the University of Wittenberg (1565) and Rostock (1567) as part of his ground tour. As a student at the University of Rostock, he participated in a duel against his third cousin, Tycho Brahe in which he cut off most of his nose. The two later became good friends, and Parsberg married Tycho's distant cousin Anne Pedersdatter Brahe (1578–1633). Parsberg was lord to Hagesholm. Politician and diplomat Manderup Parsberg, Henrik Below and Nicolaus Theophilus were appointed ambassadors to Scotland in 1585 and arrived in June. James VI appointed Sir James Melville of Halhill, William Schaw, and the Laird of Segie to be companions to the Danish ambassadors. Melville described the events of the embassy. At Dunfermline Palace they discussed the disputed ownership of the Orkney Islands. It was also rumoured they discussed the king's marriage. They were not treated in the usual manner but had to pay their own expenses, and when they were to travel to St Andrews the promised horses were late. At St Andrews they suffered some abuse organised by supporters of the pro-French faction. A leading courtier, James Stewart, Earl of Arran, who had served in Sweden was a ringleader. The English ambassador Edward Wotton helped them because England and Denmark were allies, and told them privately that James VI had criticised Danish customs and their king Frederick II. According to Melville, the Danish envoys considered leaving Scotland, but he persuaded them to continue and spoke to James VI in their favour. When the mission was concluded, the three Danish ambassadors were supposed to receive gifts of gold chains but these were not ready.