Residences of the Danish monarch
Encyclopedia
The Danish Royal Family
inhabit a range of residences around Denmark
. Historically all the residences of the royal family were privately owned. With the introduction of the new Constitution in 1849, some of the residences were claimed as property of the "Kingdom of Denmark". Some of the palaces are still privately owned by the Queen or other members of the Royal Family. The Palaces and Properties Agency (the Danish equivalent of the Historic Royal Palaces Agency
) is responsible for the management and upkeep of some of the royal palaces and gardens.
As with the Residences of the British Royal Family the Danish Royal Family traditionally occupy different royal residences during different seasons of the year. In summer, Queen Margarethe and Prince Henrik reside at Marselisborg Palace
or Graasten Palace. In the winter, they reside at Amalienborg, whereas their residence during spring and autumn is Fredensborg Palace
. Sometimes members of the royal couple spend time on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, especially when on official visits overseas and on summer cruises in Danish waters.
, Denmark
. It consists of four identical classicizing palace façades with rococo
interiors around an octagonal courtyard; in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue
of Amalienborg's founder, King Frederik V
.
Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace
burnt down on 26 February 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Over the years various kings and their families have resided in the four different palaces.
located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum (Danish
, Esrum Sø) in Fredensborg
on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark
. It is the Danish Royal Family
’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the Royal Family. It is the most used of the Royal Family’s residences.
Marselisborg Palace is the summer residence of the royal family in Aarhus
. Historically, the Palace was the property of the Marselis dynasty, its namesake. Marselisborg became a royal residence when Crown Prince Christian (later Christian X) and his consort Princess Alexandrine. They were given the Palace as a wedding present by the people of Denmark. As such the palace is the property of the Kingdom of Denmark, and will remain in possession of all future monarchs of Denmark. The royal couple used it as their summer residence. The building was rebuilt by the Danish architect Hack Kampmann
. The present Queen Margrethe II
was given the palace by her father, King Frederick IX of Denmark
in 1967.
. It is located in Gråsten
in the Jutland
region of southern Denmark
. It is within ideal proximity to the Legoland
amusement park that the royal children enjoy every year. The main house has a modern, all-white facade, with Venetian
doors opening onto sweeping, manicured lawns and gravel walkways. The grounds include a huge stables court.
: or ) is located in Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen
, Denmark
. The palace was built by architect Lauritz de Thurah
in Baroque
style from 1734 to 1736 for Christian VI of Denmark
in order to host royal banquets during royal hunts in Dyrehaven.
Never intended for residence, the Eremitage Palace was built as a setting for hosting royal banquets during hunts in Dyrehaven, which surrounds the palace. It originally featured a hoisting apparatus able to hoist the table from the basement to the dining room, allowing the King and his guests to dine without any waiters present, or "en ermitage" (in solitude), hence the name of the castle. The apparatus was removed in the late 18th century as it was causing endless mechanical problems, and no signs of it remain. The previous castle on the site, the Hubertus chalet, had a similar apparatus and was nicknamed for the same reason.
municipality in Greater Copenhagen
.
Originally a country seat, Sorgenfri Palace was built for the Danish nobleman Count Carl Ahlefeldt in 1706. The palace first became a royal residence in 1730 after coming into the possession of the Danish Royal Family.
Sorgenfri was the preferred summer residence of King Christian X
and his wife Queen Alexandrine
. Both of Alexandrine's children Frederik and his brother, Knud, were born there. Both Knud and his wife Caroline-Mathilde
lived at Sorgenfri Palace until their respective deaths in 1976 and 1995.
Today the palace is closed to the public but the palace gardens are accessible when the monarch is not in residence. Count Christian of Rosenborg
(a younger son of Prince Knud) and his wife Countess Anne-Dorte presently reside in the palace.
in southern France
.
The château was first fortified during the fourteenth century. Since then it has been rebuilt and renovated several times. The de Pompignan dynasty built the extensive wine cellars under the château. In an unlucky turn of events the vine pest devastated the vineyards during the late nineteenth century. The de Pompignan dynasty decided to emigrate to Indo-China. They did not return to Europe until 1955. In 1965 the dynasty's heir Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat
married Princess Margrethe
, then heir apparent to the Danish throne, becoming Prince Consort of Denmark.
The royal couple purchased the château and the estate in 1974. Since then they have renovated it extensively. According to the official website of the Danish monarchy, the residence has become a "relaxed setting for reunions of the entire Danish Royal Family and their French relatives".
. It served as protection against the Frisians in the south, and guarded the waterway via Vidå to Tønder. During the Reformation in Denmark
the mansion was confiscated from the church by the Danish crown. Count Hans von Schack, a Schleswig
nobleman and soldier was given Møgeltønderhus as a token of King Frederick III of Denmark
's gratitude for his military achievements in the Northern Wars
. Von Schack demolished most of the mansion in 1661, building the more impressive, baroque style "Schackenborg Castle".
Schackenborg and the extensive estate was transferred to Prince Joachim (the younger son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
). The castle and the surrounding park are not open to the general public, however guided tours which take place in the gardens are sometimes available during the summer.
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
inhabit a range of residences around Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Historically all the residences of the royal family were privately owned. With the introduction of the new Constitution in 1849, some of the residences were claimed as property of the "Kingdom of Denmark". Some of the palaces are still privately owned by the Queen or other members of the Royal Family. The Palaces and Properties Agency (the Danish equivalent of the Historic Royal Palaces Agency
Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity created in 1998 to manage Britain's unoccupied royal palaces. These are:* The Tower of London* Hampton Court Palace* Kensington Palace - the state rooms only.* Banqueting House* Kew Palace...
) is responsible for the management and upkeep of some of the royal palaces and gardens.
As with the Residences of the British Royal Family the Danish Royal Family traditionally occupy different royal residences during different seasons of the year. In summer, Queen Margarethe and Prince Henrik reside at Marselisborg Palace
Marselisborg Palace
Marselisborg Palace, in Danish Marselisborg Slot, is a royal residence of the Danish Royal Family in Aarhus. It has been the summer residence of Queen Margrethe II since 1967....
or Graasten Palace. In the winter, they reside at Amalienborg, whereas their residence during spring and autumn is Fredensborg Palace
Fredensborg Palace
Fredensborg Palace, , is a palace located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It is the Danish Royal Family’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the Royal Family...
. Sometimes members of the royal couple spend time on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, especially when on official visits overseas and on summer cruises in Danish waters.
Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the monarch, and is located in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. It consists of four identical classicizing palace façades with rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
interiors around an octagonal courtyard; in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue
Equestrian sculpture
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin "eques", meaning "knight", deriving from "equus", meaning "horse". A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an "equine statue"...
of Amalienborg's founder, King Frederik V
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
.
Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
burnt down on 26 February 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Over the years various kings and their families have resided in the four different palaces.
Fredensborg Palace
Fredensborg Palace is a palacePalace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum (Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, Esrum Sø) in Fredensborg
Fredensborg-Humlebæk
Until January 1, 2007, Fredensborg-Humlebæk Kommune was a municipality on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 72 km², and had a total population of 20,024 . Its last mayor was John Hemming, a member of the Conservative People's...
on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. It is the Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the Royal Family. It is the most used of the Royal Family’s residences.
Marselisborg Palace
Marselisborg Palace is the summer residence of the royal family in Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
. Historically, the Palace was the property of the Marselis dynasty, its namesake. Marselisborg became a royal residence when Crown Prince Christian (later Christian X) and his consort Princess Alexandrine. They were given the Palace as a wedding present by the people of Denmark. As such the palace is the property of the Kingdom of Denmark, and will remain in possession of all future monarchs of Denmark. The royal couple used it as their summer residence. The building was rebuilt by the Danish architect Hack Kampmann
Hack Kampmann
Hack Kampmann was a Danish architect. His parents were the priest Christian Peter Georg Kampmann and Johanne Marie Schmidt...
. The present Queen Margrethe II
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
was given the palace by her father, King Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick IX was King of Denmark from 20 April 1947 until his death on 14 January 1972....
in 1967.
Gråsten Palace
Gråsten Palace is the second summer residence of the Danish royal familyDanish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
. It is located in Gråsten
Gråsten
Gråsten , stress on last syllable) is a town with a population of 4,200 on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark by the Nybøl Nor at an inlet of the Flensburg Fjord. It belongs to the Sønderborg municipality in Region of Southern Denmark...
in the Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
region of southern Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. It is within ideal proximity to the Legoland
Legoland
Legoland is a chain of Lego-themed theme parks. They are not fully owned by Lego Group itself; rather they are owned and operated by the British theme park company Merlin Entertainment.The chain currently consists of:* Legoland Billund...
amusement park that the royal children enjoy every year. The main house has a modern, all-white facade, with Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
doors opening onto sweeping, manicured lawns and gravel walkways. The grounds include a huge stables court.
The Hermitage Palace
The Eremitage Palace or Eremitage Hunting Lodge (DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: or ) is located in Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The palace was built by architect Lauritz de Thurah
Lauritz de Thurah
Laurids Lauridsen de Thurah, known as Lauritz de Thurah , was a Danish architect and architectural writer. He became the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period...
in Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
style from 1734 to 1736 for Christian VI of Denmark
Christian VI of Denmark
Christian VI was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746.He was the son of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He married Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and fathered Frederick V.-The reign and personality of Christian VI:To posterity Christian...
in order to host royal banquets during royal hunts in Dyrehaven.
Never intended for residence, the Eremitage Palace was built as a setting for hosting royal banquets during hunts in Dyrehaven, which surrounds the palace. It originally featured a hoisting apparatus able to hoist the table from the basement to the dining room, allowing the King and his guests to dine without any waiters present, or "en ermitage" (in solitude), hence the name of the castle. The apparatus was removed in the late 18th century as it was causing endless mechanical problems, and no signs of it remain. The previous castle on the site, the Hubertus chalet, had a similar apparatus and was nicknamed for the same reason.
Sorgenfri Palace
Sorgenfri Palace is a royal residence of the Danish monarch located in the Lyngby-TaarbækLyngby-Taarbæk
Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden near Copenhagen on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 39 km², and has a total population of 51,449 . Its mayor as of 2010 is Søren P...
municipality in Greater Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Originally a country seat, Sorgenfri Palace was built for the Danish nobleman Count Carl Ahlefeldt in 1706. The palace first became a royal residence in 1730 after coming into the possession of the Danish Royal Family.
Sorgenfri was the preferred summer residence of King Christian X
Christian X of Denmark
Christian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
and his wife Queen Alexandrine
Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Alexandrine Auguste of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the queen consort of King Christian X of Denmark.-Family:She was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in the city of Schwerin...
. Both of Alexandrine's children Frederik and his brother, Knud, were born there. Both Knud and his wife Caroline-Mathilde
Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark
Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark and Iceland was a crown princess of Denmark by marriage to Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark.-Birth:...
lived at Sorgenfri Palace until their respective deaths in 1976 and 1995.
Today the palace is closed to the public but the palace gardens are accessible when the monarch is not in residence. Count Christian of Rosenborg
Count Christian of Rosenborg
Count Christian of Rosenborg, a former Danish and Icelandic prince now Grev Christian af Rosenborg , who was high in the line of hereditary succession to the throne of Denmark until the new right of females of the royal family to inherit the crown displaced his branch of the dynasty in favor of...
(a younger son of Prince Knud) and his wife Countess Anne-Dorte presently reside in the palace.
Château de Cayx
Château de Cayx is a royal residence of the Danish monarch located in the wine district of CahorsCahors
Cahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The château was first fortified during the fourteenth century. Since then it has been rebuilt and renovated several times. The de Pompignan dynasty built the extensive wine cellars under the château. In an unlucky turn of events the vine pest devastated the vineyards during the late nineteenth century. The de Pompignan dynasty decided to emigrate to Indo-China. They did not return to Europe until 1955. In 1965 the dynasty's heir Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark , is the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II.-Early life:Henrik was born in Talence, Gironde, France...
married Princess Margrethe
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
, then heir apparent to the Danish throne, becoming Prince Consort of Denmark.
The royal couple purchased the château and the estate in 1974. Since then they have renovated it extensively. According to the official website of the Danish monarchy, the residence has become a "relaxed setting for reunions of the entire Danish Royal Family and their French relatives".
Schackenborg Castle
Originally called Møgeltønderhus (Møgeltønder House) the mansion was the property of the Roman Catholic Bishops of RibeRoman Catholic bishopric of Ribe
The former Roman Catholic diocese of Ribe consisted of the modern Danish Provinces of Ribe, Vejle and Ringkøbing, and part of South Jutland. The first church built at Ribe was founded by Saint Ansgar in 860, served by his biographer and successor, Saint Rembert, and destroyed during the heathen...
. It served as protection against the Frisians in the south, and guarded the waterway via Vidå to Tønder. During the Reformation in Denmark
Reformation in Denmark
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century...
the mansion was confiscated from the church by the Danish crown. Count Hans von Schack, a Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
nobleman and soldier was given Møgeltønderhus as a token of King Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
's gratitude for his military achievements in the Northern Wars
Northern Wars
Northern Wars is a term used for a series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe in the 16th and 17th century. An internationally agreed nomenclature for these wars has not yet been devised...
. Von Schack demolished most of the mansion in 1661, building the more impressive, baroque style "Schackenborg Castle".
Schackenborg and the extensive estate was transferred to Prince Joachim (the younger son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
). The castle and the surrounding park are not open to the general public, however guided tours which take place in the gardens are sometimes available during the summer.