Royal Palaces (villas etc) in Denmark

[grandduchessella]

You can see a picture of Maud on the table next to Alexandra.

[Luc]

I'd like to start a thread about the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, home of the Danish kings. Does anyone have info about the rooms in it? It's worth a visit I suppose.

[Robert_Hall]

I was there recently. It is well worth the visit. The rooms on display are from Christian IX onward.  Very interesting and easy to manage if time is short. It is not a large mueum like Versailles or the Hofburg. Copenhagen itself is a wonderful city and  the people very friendly. Can hardly wait to return. Oh, and they have their own guards ceremony, where they march form one palace to the other and back. Very colourful

[Lucien]

I was there recently. It is well worth the visit. The rooms on display are from Christian IX onward.  Very interesting and easy to manage if time is short. It is not a large mueum like Versailles or the Hofburg. Copenhagen itself is a wonderful city and  the people very friendly. Can hardly wait to return. Oh, and they have their own guards ceremony, where they march form one palace to the other and back. Very colourful

Yes,it's certainly worth while,and the guards parade from the barracks next to  Rosenborg Castle,(the Crown Jewels ao,) to Amalienborg.
I have lived there right in the middle between Rosenborg and Amalienborg at Dronningens Tvaergade,wonderfull.

http://kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_pal

[Robert_Hall]

I would even consider moving to Copenhagen, just on  my experience forom the one visit! But the winters could deter from that idea, I am afraid.
 Lucien, do the guards parade all year, even during the winter or it is that procession  just in the nice weather, when  the Queen is resident?

[Norbert]

it is certainly worth a visit. There are four mansions around a square with an equestrian statue of Fredrik V.  in 1794 the Royal castle of Christianborg burned to the ground and the roofless Royal family moved into the development. The name Amaienborg can be attributed to Fredrik III's Queen , Sophie Amalie . In 1670 she built a mansion on the site which was sadly destroyed in a fire in 1689. Christian V considered a new town palace here and had Tessin draw up designs to rival the palace of the Swedish King, but there was no money to progress and the site remained a garden. In 1749 Fredrik V agreed to build a new section of the city and donated the garden to the city. Inspired by the Place de la Concord in Paris,  Nicolai Eigved  won a competion to develop the site with the four mansions and The Marble Church  in 1749. The King had to coerce high ranking nobles with tax exemption to buy the mansions completed in 1754: Moltke 1st Count Bregentved, his son in law Count Schack,General von Levetzau and Councillor von Brockdorff. Royal ownership came when Moltke purchased the von Brockdorff estate in 1763 and sold this to the King to become a Navel Cadet School. In 1794 the royal family purchased the three remaining houses and added a second storey to the buildings and a colonnade.in 1828 Teh Cadets school was taken by the King and decorated in Empire style.

The Queen lives in the Schack mansion which is known as Christian IX's Palace.
The Brockdorff Mansion ( cadet School) is called the Federik VIII's palace and was the family home of the Queen and home of late Queen Ingrid.
The Moltke mansion is the Christian VIII palace and is open to the public.It is famous for it's beautiful 18century gala room with overdoors by Boucher. The Queen was instrumental in it's restoration and the display of the Flora Danica dinner service which was to be a gift for Catherine II. it is used as a guest house for foreign heads of state
The Crown Prince and his family live in the Levetzau mansion which is known as Christian VIII's Palace. Part of the builing contains  fully intact room sets; Christian IX's study, Queen Louise's drawing room etc ...very good

[Lucien]

I would even consider moving to Copenhagen, just on  my experience forom the one visit! But the winters could deter from that idea, I am afraid.
 Lucien, do the guards parade all year, even during the winter or it is that procession  just in the nice weather, when  the Queen is resident?

Oh never mind the winters Robert,Copenhagen is enchantingly beautifull then,especially in winter,and when you come to Kongens Nytorv (Royal Theatre,Magasin du Nord,Hotel de Angleterre) from the wonderfull Stròjet shopping street,I´m sure you´ve seen it?
Oh Robert,I´m sure if you would see it,you would abandon your place in Kennington and move over immediatly..

The guards parade all year round,come rain come shine....

[Robert_Hall]

Well, it would give me a legitimate excuse to wear furs, would it not?  And I am serious, it would not take much to convince ne to move there. Practicality aside that is. One of the most people-friendly cities I have ever been in.
 When we were there, they were getting the royal yacht ready for a voyage  by the Queen, I think she was on her way to some other nearby country. So it was fascinating seening the tenders coming back and forth carrying  boxes of stuff.
 And Rosenberg.  That is a lovely museum/palace as well.  Again, not on the scale of Versailles or the Russian palaces, but still impressive enough. I have seen pictures of the Queen at the throne  with those huge silver lions, is it still used for official functions or  was that just for official portraits, I wonder. The crown jewels are a  great experience as well.
 I sound like a promoter from the Danish tourist board, don't I ?

[Lucien]

Well, it would give me a legitimate excuse to wear furs, would it not?  And I am serious, it would not take much to convince ne to move there. Practicality aside that is. One of the most people-friendly cities I have ever been in.
 When we were there, they were getting the royal yacht ready for a voyage  by the Queen, I think she was on her way to some other nearby country. So it was fascinating seening the tenders coming back and forth carrying  boxes of stuff.
 And Rosenberg.  That is a lovely museum/palace as well.  Again, not on the scale of Versailles or the Russian palaces, but still impressive enough. I have seen pictures of the Queen at the throne  with those huge silver lions, is it still used for official functions or  was that just for official portraits, I wonder. The crown jewels are a  great experience as well.
 I sound like a promoter from the Danish tourist board, don't I ?

Nothing against promoting something as beautifull as Copenhagen,it's true,the song about wonderfull wonderfull Copenhagen...
Yes,fur in winter is an option,many do,no problem at all.The winter weather justifies it as a nescessety,not a fashion flimsy thing.

HM and Prince Henrik were about to start their tradional annual summer tour around the country with the "Dannebrog" when you were there,last week it was Frederik & Mary's turn to do the same with their children.A lovely country Robert,it really is,besides,it was,globally,voted to be the best country to live,we came
5th or so,not bad either I would say,but O/T here.

Copenhagen,and Danmark as a whole,just oozes history doesn't it?Live there and guaranteed you'll live a happy & comfortable life.It's very much a city alive/bustling,dutch style architecture/parisian feel/charm,as i see it.

You could book a long weekend there while you're in London again,book the Angleterre,room 101...the room Grand Duke Michael,Misha,used to have while visiting there with Natalia...imagine Kongens Nytorv in winter,the RT across the square,Magasin du Nord at your right hand,the Danish version of Saks 5th Avenue,and the style Robert,it oozes both style and a laissez fair London doesn't have,sorry,no pun intended,as I'm sure you know.

The silver lions are masterpieces are they not?No,they've just been used for the portrait,as was the Throne,Danmark does not have a Coronation ceremony like in Britain,or an Inthronisation like here,the new Monarch is proclaimed by the PM from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace,and that is about it,since the abolishment of absolute rule in the 19th century.

Its all up to you ofcourse,but if I had to choose....
And you can very conveniently,and inexpensively,get around Europe from Kastrup airport as well if you would decide too,
way more convenient then overcrowded and overrated Heathrow me thinks.

Have I mentioned Christmas yet?Christmas in Copenhagen is a winter wonderland,fairytale stuff,a must when in the "neighbourhood".
I live where I live and am very happy there as Amsterdam is the love of my life,city-wise that is,and I'm an Orange man,but C'hagen
certainly is my favorite hide-out abroad.And could be yours.

[Robert_Hall]

Our travel agent had us booked  into the First Petri hotel [the Vesterbro[?] was over-booked with cruise line and airline crews guests]. It was fantastic.
  We had taken the train from Berlin and the experience was great, especially as an introduction to Denmark.  From  Copenhagen, we went via overnight ferry back to England.
 But, yes, Danish history is most interesting. Especially the role the royal family has played since the 10th century. Seems that other than a few little spats with England, the only major disputes have been with Sweden [another on my list to visit someday]
 I knew Denmark has no coronation, but when viewing the crown jewels I heard one of the guards/guides telling someone that  the Queen  borrows  some pieces, now & then. She always returns them!
 Everyone on this forum must know that I am a die-hard Anglophile,  but I am not a die-hard monarchist.  In the UK, the monarchy comes under much criticism, most of it well deserved. In Denmark, the  monarchy, especially the Queen is much  more respected and if loved is a bit much, at least  the people have an fondness and attachment to it and especially her. The differences in the behavior of the respective crown princes is especially noticable.
 I hope, upon return, to visit  Roskilde. Which was on  my "must see" list but we simply ran out of time.
 And yes, I know well the shopping streets!! Too well, as my credit cards attest to! I walked all the way from Amalienborg to our hotel, shopping along the way! A wonderful experience, even avoiding the bicycles with baby strollers and shopping carts.
 How lucky the Danes are.

[Luc]

This city sounds very nice, Robert...   Have you also seen the Flora Danica dinner-service? It looks magnificent..

Here you can read about the changing of the guards:
http://www.copenhagenpictures.dk/amalborg.html

Does anyone have pics of the interiors in the palace?

[Robert_Hall]

Thanks for posting the link, Luc.  Saves me from going through almost 1,000 pictures to  find the right ones!
 Yes, the Flora Danica service is on display. AND it is also reproduced for sale. Highly desirable and expensive  Royal Danish Porcelaine.  It is beautiful, and I understand  the present Queen has also contributed to it. as she is a noted artist. However, my days of lavish dinner parties are over with. Too much work!

[Norbert]

well i have some good interior photo's but sadly photobucket has changed it's format and i 've found it impossible to download and put here.

[Lucien]

Thanks for posting the link, Luc.  Saves me from going through almost 1,000 pictures to  find the right ones!
 Yes, the Flora Danica service is on display. AND it is also reproduced for sale. Highly desirable and expensive  Royal Danish Porcelaine.  It is beautiful, and I understand  the present Queen has also contributed to it. as she is a noted artist. However, my days of lavish dinner parties are over with. Too much work!

HM Queen Margrethe II is an established artist,who also regularly exhibits her work,and has,ao,
designed for Royal Copenhagen.
 
http://www.royalcopenhagen.com/Dinnerware.aspx

More danish design.....
http://www.floradanica.com

[Eric_Lowe]

Yes...wonderful museum. Indeed. I would love to move to Copenhagen if I can. I can escape to a warmer place in winter luv !