Henrik Bjelke
1657 - 1700
Edel Christoffersdatter Ulfeldt
1650 - 1703
Parents of Sophie Amalie Bielke
Henrik Bjelke (13. January 1615 - 16. March 1683) was a Danish-Norwegian officer and for a period the highest authority over the Danish navy. He was the son of Chancellor Jens Bjelke , and brother of General Jørgen Bjelke and Chancellor Ove Bjelke .
As a young man Henrik Bjelke was registered for the University of Padova but he searched after a military career. His first service was with Prince Frederik Hendrik of the Netherlands, where he was an officer in 1640. The same title was awarded him by King Christian IV, who appointed him to Major while he was still in the Netherlands.
In February, 1644 he returned to Denmark. From there he was sent to Norway to serve with the then Danish statesman and Governor of Norway, Hannibal Sehested. He fought against the Swedes in the Torstenson War. After in 1645, he went to Holland where he served with the Danish sendemannen Corfitz Ulfeldt. He was knighted on his return to Denmark.
His military career was still on the rise, when in 1653 he left the military for a period. But was soon in combat again when the Karl-Gustav wars broke out in 1657. He was then appointed Vice Riksadmiral, and participated in several battles in the Baltic Sea. The war took a break after the Roskilde peace, but soon broke out again. Bjelke operated in the Oresund and supported the Dutch in the Battle of Oresund.
In the extension of his military career he was also a political power, and was appointed to the Riksråd in 1660. He supported Frederik III's introduction of eneveldets. In 1660, he was president of the Admiralitetet and in 1662 he was appointed as Riksadmiral, as well as a member of Statskollegiet and the Supreme Court. He was a loyal friend of Corfitz Ulfeldt ( a second cousin, once removed, of his wife) and Leonora Christina Ulfeldt, wife of Corfitz and daughter of the daughter of King Christian IV of Denmark, which might have weakened his position. In the Skånske war he had no command, but was kept in an administrative function in Copenhagen. In 1679 he left Admiralitetet because of age.