Henrik Ramel

Henrik Ramel or Ramelius (died 1610), Danish politician, ambassador, and member of the council of regents. Career He was the son of a Pomeranian nobleman Gert Ramel and Margrethe Massow. After study in Padua in 1568, and travel in Europe and Asia, he entered the service of the Polish King Stephen Báthory and then of Duke Johan Frederik of Pomerania. But he, like the noble Mecklenburg Belou family, joined the service of Denmark in 1581, where a Mecklenburg princess, Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow was Frederick II's queen. Ramel was secretary of the German Chancery, and attended ambassadors to Denmark. The English diplomat Daniel Rogers described him as the young king's overseer and steward, and a chief counsellor to Sophie, and the mouthpiece of the four governors. Embassy to Scotland Henrik Ramel, Manderup Parsberg, Henrik Belou and Nicolaus Theophilus were ambassadors to Scotland in 1585. James VI appointed Sir James Melville of Halhill, William Schaw, and the Laird of Segie to be their companions. 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 ambassadors were supposed to receive gifts of gold chains but these were not ready. The town council of Edinburgh sent letters asking that the ambassadors should be given better treatment.