Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace is set on the islet of Slotsholmen (literally castle islet) right in the middle of Copenhagen. As we walk over the ages old stone bridge this morning our passage is uniterrupted. I’m sure when the castle was inhabited by the Royal Family, this bridge would have been suitably guarded.

Arriving at the Stables

We arrive in the palace grounds and I have the feeling that we’re at the back of the palace. We’re walking under the porticos of the stables and are lucky enough to find the Royal Stables open. Horses are being brushed and dressed, prepared to be taken out. There is little fanfare and no one seems to mind us giving one inquisitive horse a pat – least of all him. After a few more minutes, four horses trot out to the grounds for some exercise. We stand and watch for a while.

These stables used to house up to 270 horses. Today there are 20, along with carriages and state coaches. These are used for ceremonial purposes during state events and celebrations.

Cristiansborg Palace

The palace we see today is the third to occupy this historic site, completed in 1928 after fire destroyed both of its predecessors. The location has a much longer history, however, dating back to 1167, when Bishop Absalon established a substantial walled residence here. His complex included living quarters, a chapel and several other buildings, effectively creating a fortified ecclesiastical centre. Absalon’s original residence was eventually demolished, making way for the first Copenhagen Castle, which was completed on the site in the fourteenth century. Centuries of rebuilding, destruction and renewal have ultimately given us the palace that stands here today.

Library Gardens

As we approach the palace, a sign promising coffee catches my eye. It leads us to an unexpected discovery: Bibliotekshaven, or the Library Gardens. The beautifully manicured oasis feels almost like a secret garden, although its immaculate landscaping makes it rater too polished to be truly hidden. The peaceful setting belies an interesting history. This was once Christian IV’s Naval Harbour. When the harbour relocated to Holmens Canal, workers filled in the basin and transformed the former waterfront into the tranquil garden we enjoy today. Historic buildings and museums surround the garden, adding to the charm of this little pocket of tranquillity.

Continuing towards the palace, we discover that the tower is closed. A little disappointed but undeterred, we decide to skip the ruins and head straight inside to explore the palace itself. First, we don our rather fetching blue shoe covers to protect the floors, collect a treasure map and set off on our self-guided adventure, following the clues as we make our way through the royal rooms.

We begin on the Queen’s Staircase, often used as an entrance for events in the Alexander Room and the Queen’s Libraray, both easily accessed from this end of the palace and we enter the Alexander Hall, named for the frieze of Alexander the Great’s entry into Babylon after his conquest of the Persian Empire, at the top of these stairs.

Alexander Hall

The frieze was originally commissioned for a room in Rome’s Quirinal Palace, which was being decorated to welcome Napoleon (today, the official residence of the President of Italy). Ironically, Napoleon never got to see the finished work. Its creator, the celebrated Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, is now honoured in his home country, where his artistic legacy remains very much alive.

Christiansborg served as a working palace and the principal residence of the Danish and Norwegian royal families from the 15th century until 1794. When the second palace was destroyed by fire, the royal family relocated to Amalienborg Palace, which has remained their home ever since. Although the current palace is no longer a royal residence, it continues to play an important role in royal life, hosting official engagements and ceremonial events. It also houses the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Supreme Court, making Christiansborg a remarkable centre of both royal tradition and modern government.

The Flora Danica Cabinet

Tucked away in a small room off the Alexander Hall, we discover the Flora Danica Cabinet, home to one of the most extraordinary royal dinner services in the world. Produced by Royal Copenhagen between 1776 and 1802, during the reign of Christian VII, this exquisite porcelain tableware has graced special royal occasions since the early nineteenth century. When the royal family isn’t using it, the collection lives in its own dedicated ‘cabinet’ – although the term hardly does justice to what is essentially a very large walk-in room! The original service comprised an astonishing 1,802 pieces, more than enough to justify its own space. It remains one of the largest and most remarkable dinner services created in the eighteenth century, and a fascinating glimpse into the grandeur of Danish royal entertaining.

The Queen’s Library

The Queen’s Reference Library belongs to the Danish monarch and holds an impressive collection of more than 90,000 books. This room houses a modest 10,000 of the collection. Originally established by King Frederick V, the collection suffered significant losses when the first Christiansborg Palace was destroyed by fire in 1794. The library was gradually rebuilt and expanded over the years. It brings together the personal book collections of successive monarchs alongside works acquired specifically for the royal collection.

This a beautiful room and the little owl features catch my eye. I like the idea of putting a big comfy chair in the corner near the window. Curling up with a cup of tea and a good volume, would be divine. But alas, we move on.

Treasures of the Abildgaard Room

The Abildgaard Room houses another collection of treasures rescued from the fires, named after the painter responsible for many of the works. These paintings once hung in the Great Hall but now have a dedicated space of their own. One in particular catches my eye, largely for its rich colours and the unmistakable solemnity of the occasion it depicts.

The painting shows King Christian I presenting a female figure, who personifies the region of Holstein. He places a ducal hat upon her head, symbolising her elevation from a county to a duchy. The former count’s crown lies discarded in the foreground. The king is accompanied by his two sons, Hans and Frederik I, both destined to become kings themselves. Two further female figures look on, still wearing their count’s crowns and representing the counties of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. Beyond its striking composition, the painting captures an important moment in the region’s political history, using royal symbolism to tell the story of a change in status and power.

The vibrant pink wall hangings in this room are much newer than the paintings. Hand woven by Goethe Nielsen in 2000, they were part of the renovations for the Queen’s 60th birthday. Even the intricate designs above the doors seem to have something to celebrate in this room.

The mahogany table in the Dining Hall is still used for special celebrations, seating up to 50 guests. It sees considerably less activity than in centuries past, when lavish banquets formed part of the daily rituals of court life.

Great Hall & Velvet Hall

For larger celebrations there is the Great Hall, which can seat up to 400 guests. Banquets, state visits and the popular New Year reception are held here.

The modern tapestries that decorate the walls illustrate 1000 years of Denmark’s history from Viking to modern times. They were a gift to Queen Margrethe in 2000 as part of her birthday celebrations. The artist, Bjørn Nørgaard, worked on the 17 tapestries for 10 years.

The tapestry of Queen Margrethe II and her Prince Consort very much represents modern day Denmark. Other tapestries depicting earlier kings, queens, heads of state and important historical figures line the hall (all 17!). The tapestry of the Early Absolute Monarchs covers the years from the early 17th through to the early 18th Centuries.

Included in the colorful diorama are the figures of Karl X Gustav (1659), depicted assulting Copenhagen; the introduction of absolutism under Frederik III (1660); the Sun King Louis XIV (1638-1715); and the novel hero Peter Tordenskjold (1690 – 1720) seen on the left of the picture apparently reclining in a boat (he rose to the rank of Vice Admiral of the Danish-Norwegian Navy).

The Velvet Hall is where guests are presented to the Queen and royal family at royal banquets. It’s the ornate intimacy of this room that strikes me. There are various other smaller rooms each with its own history and purpose and many with large paintings of great royal families. Then, onto the Throne Room.

The Throne Room

The very idea of being received in a throne room might seem a little daunting, even in an official capacity. These days, the prospect is probably more nerve-racking than threatening. In centuries past, however, an audience with royalty may not always have ended quite so comfortably. If the television series Vikings is anything to go by, you might not have been heading home afterwards at all!

There is little cause for concern today, of course. Ambassadors are formally received by the Queen in a room of striking marble and green silk. Matching thrones for the King and Queen provide an appropriately regal centrepiece. Through the adjoining balcony, new Danish monarchs are proclaimed to the public, making this an important setting for some of the kingdom’s most significant royal ceremonies.

Note the three lions in embroidered into the motifs of both the red and black of the throne fabric and backing and the green silk wall decorations. Lions stand guard on the arms of the smaller king’s throne whilst griffins adorn the queen’s throne. Craftsmen originally made these thrones for the second Christiansborg Palace, and they survived the 1884 fire.

The beautifully patterned floor is more than just decorative. Crafted from oak, walnut and Cuban mahogany, its design incorporates a line running directly from the throne to the opposite doorway. Visitors once considered it disrespectful to turn their backs on the monarch, so the design helped them retreat without facing away from the throne. Perhaps it lacks some of the extravagance of the throne room at The Hermitage, but it is still an impressive space in its own right.

Tower Hall

The final room on the tour is the Tower Hall, where colourful tapestries share the space with an extraordinarily ornate piano. Presented to King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine for their silver wedding anniversary in 1923, it is certainly an impressive gift. Look more closely, however, and the piano reveals an unexpected detail. Its sides are decorated with miniature paintings and verses from the Danish folk ballad Linden Kirsten (Little Kirsten), which tells a tale of unhappy love. One has to wonder whether a story of doomed romance was quite the most appropriate choice for a silver wedding present!

The tapestries are exquisite, another gift, this time from the city of Aarhus. They show scenes from Danish folk ballads. Designed by artist Joakim Skovgaard, the weavers were lead by Skovgaard’s daughter and woven onsite in this room between 1925 and 1929.

As we exit down the King’s Staircase and remove our shoe covers, it’s nice to see a palace that retains so much history yet is still very much operational in many ways, particularly in terms of housing parliamentary and judicial offices. It is also somewhat refreshing to have less emphasis on battles and wars than many palaces can claim.

The Danish certainly do seem to be rather more laid back than many of their European counterparts. I wonder if this is because of their long history of a ruling monarchy or in spite of it.

Would I Return?

Yes. Christiansborg Palace is more interesting and more accessible in terms of what is open to the public than Amalienborg Palace, it also has a much more modern and relevant feel than Rosenborg which today operates more as a museum than a working palace.