A look at the Amalienborg Palace complex

Kongehuset ©




In the heart of Copenhagen lies the Amalienborg Palace complex where the Danish Royal Family resides and primarily works.

The complex comprises four palaces: Christian VII, Christian VIII, Frederik VII, and Christian IX.

Christian VII’s Palace

By Bahnfrend – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Christian VII’s Palace entertains and accommodates prominent guests and hosts receptions like those following the New Year. Also known as Moltke’s Palace, the building was constructed for Lord High Steward Adam Gottlob Moltke and officially opened on 30 March 1754. The Royal Family purchased the home in 1794 and turned it into a royal residence. They moved in in December of that same year.

It has housed the Royal Household, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a school room (the latter for reigning King Frederik X and his younger brother, Prince Joachim, in the 1970s).

Restoration began in 1982 and was completed in 1996.

Christian VIII’s Palace

By Bahnfrend – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

This palace was originally built for Privy Councillor Count Christian Frederik Levetzau in the mid-1700s. Frederik, Hereditary Prince of Denmark bought the palace, originally called Levetzau’s Palace, in 1794 and it was modernised inside to fit with the French Empire style. The building was renamed after Frederik’s son, King Christian VIII, who grew up there and later became owner after the death of his father in 1805.

Like Christian VII’s Palace, Christian VIII’s Palace was also used for a time by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The palace was renovated in the 1980s where it was made into a home for Crown Prince Frederik, a storage facility for the Queen’s Reference Library and a museum for the House of Glücksborg. It was the home of reigning King Frederik X before his marriage to Queen Mary in 2004. Frederik’s nephew, Count Felix, now resides in the home. Frederik’s brother, Joachim and his wife, Marie, also have an apartment in the palace for when they are in Denmark.

Frederik VIII’s Palace

By Bahnfrend – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Previously known as Brockdorff’s Palace, Frederik VIII’s Palace is the current home of King Frederik and Queen Mary. It was originally built in the 1750s for Count Joachim Brockdorff. After his death, Lord High Steward Adam Gottlob Moltke bought it and then sold it to Frederick V.

From 1767 to 1827, it housed the Royal Danish Military Academy. By 1828, the building was prepared to be a home for the future Frederik VII and it was refurbished in the French Empire style. Several monarchs have resided in the palace since, including Frederik VIII for whom it is named.

Christian IX’s Palace

By Bahnfrend – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Christian IX’s Palace was originally called Schack’s Palace and was commissioned for Privy Councillor Severin Løvenskjold but financial difficulties made him give it up. Countess Anna Sophie Schack took over with her stepson. Like the other palaces, the Danish Royal Family took over the building in 1794 when Crown Prince Frederick (the future Frederick VI) moved in.

Also like the other palaces in the complex, it housed government offices – in this case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Supreme Court for a time. The beloved King Christian IX called the palace his home, and it is now named for him. It is the current residence of Queen Margrethe and was renovated for her and her family in 1967.

Of the four palaces, only Christian VII and Christian VIII are open to the public to visit. You can find more information on visiting here.

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About the Author

Brittani Barger
Brittani is from the United States and has been researching, writing and reporting on the royals for over a decade. Successfully gaining exclusives and interviews with royals across the globe, Brittani left her role as an editor for another news site to help bring you Royal News. She's been seen on BBC World, WION News and other news programs to discuss the royal families.

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