Eric V "Klipping" (1249-1286) was King of Denmark (1259-1286) and son of Christopher I. Until 1264 he ruled under the auspices of his mother, the competent Queen Dowager Margrethe Sambiria . He tried to enforce his power over church and nobility, but was 1282 forced by the latter to accept an agreement which limited his authority.

A never-ending rivalry between Eric and his supporters on one side, and the kin of former King Abel on the other, made Queen Margrethe write to the Pope in Rome aroung 1262 or 1263, asking the Pope to allow for women to inherit the Danish throne, thus making it possible for one of Eric's sisters to become reigning Queen of Denmark in the event of the young King's death (he had no children as of yet). The Pope agreed, but it never became an issue; Eric was succeded by his son, who was named Eric after his grandfather, Eric IV "Ploughpenny".

Eric Klipping was assassinated in October, 1286, and a number of the nation's most powerful noblemen, led by Margrave Stig Andersen Hvide were outlawed by the Danish court. Whether or not they actually had anything to do with the murder, which took place in a small village near Viborg called Finderup, is still being questioned; the King's death meant that they lost almost all the power and influence that the 1282 charter had given them, since a new King would not be bound by the same agreement. The murder of Eric Klipping, who was stabbed to death in his sleep, is a middle-age murder mystery which has never really been solved.

Preceded by: Christopher I

King of Denmark

Succeeded by: Eric VI