Valdemar I of Denmark (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great (Danish: Valdemar den Store), was King of Denmark from 1157 until his death in 1182. He came to the throne following the passing of his father, during the height of the Anglo-Danish War. Valdemar was the center of several failed assassination attempts by the English King Henry II. In 1162, King Valdemar led a Danish force of 9,000 men and invaded England. Valdemar was ruthless toward the English nobility but