▁to ▁Den mark – N or way . ▁ ▁Royal ▁absol ut ist ▁state ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁Sweden ' s ▁final ▁se cess ion ▁from ▁the ▁Kal mar ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 5 2 1 , ▁civil ▁war ▁and ▁Protest ant ▁Re formation ▁followed ▁in ▁Den mark ▁and ▁Norway . ▁When ▁things ▁had ▁settled ▁down , ▁the ▁R igs ra ad ▁( High ▁Council ) ▁of ▁Den mark ▁became ▁weak ened , ▁and ▁was ▁abol ished ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 0 , ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁R iks rå d ▁was ▁de ▁fact o ▁already ▁abol ished ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 7 ▁( the ▁Norwegian ▁R iks rå d ▁was ▁assemble d ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 7 ) ▁when ▁king ▁Christian ▁III ▁of ▁Den mark – N or way ▁did ▁a ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁in ▁Norway ▁and ▁made ▁it ▁a ▁her edit ary ▁kingdom ▁in ▁a ▁real ▁union ▁with ▁Den mark . ▁Norway ▁kept ▁its ▁separate ▁laws ▁and ▁some ▁institutions , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁royal ▁ch an cell or , ▁and ▁separate ▁coin age ▁and ▁army . ▁Norway ▁also ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁royal ▁standard ▁flag ▁until ▁ 1 7 4 8 , ▁after ▁that ▁the ▁Dan ne bro g ▁became ▁the ▁only ▁official ▁merchant ▁flag ▁in ▁the ▁union . ▁Den mark – N or way ▁became ▁an ▁absol ut ist ▁state ▁and ▁Den mark ▁a ▁her edit ary ▁mon archy , ▁as ▁Norway ▁de ▁j ure ▁had ▁been ▁since ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁These