The old canals wind around the heart of Copenhagen – Slotsholmen, where the tower of Christiansborg Palace hovers over the roofs of the city.
HisAt Christiansborg, you can step into the very surroundings that are the setting for many of His Royal Majesty the King’s official duties. The place where heads of state from all over the world come for gala dinners during official state visits, where regents celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, where the big New Year’s Eve parties are held and where you can get close to the monarchy and have great experiences in the Royal Reception Rooms, the Royal Stables in the Ruins, the Royal Banqueting Kitchen and the Castle Church.
Castles through 800 years
The castle as it stands today was founded in 1928 and rests on a series of earlier castles that have all been on the same site – castles that together bear witness to the fact that Denmark’s centre of power has hardly moved since Bishop Absalon was granted the town and its castle.
In the underground ruins beneath Christiansborg Castle, you can explore the remains of the first two buildings on the site: Bishop Absalon’s medieval castle from 1167 and the fairytale Copenhagen Castle, which was demolished in 1731.
When the Royal State Rooms are not in use by the King, they are open to the public, so you can visit the royal halls and chambers either on your own or on a guided tour.
Step up the Royal Staircase and experience the atmosphere in the richly decorated rooms. Here you can also enjoy the collection of classical and modern art by Danish artists such as Nicolai Abildgaard, C.V. Eckersberg and Joachim Skovgaard. Bjørn Nørgaard’s impressive tapestries from the year 2000 hang in the Knights’ Hall, depicting the history of Denmark through more than 1000 years in colourful images.
Next to the palace is Christiansborg Castle Church, which is used by the royal family for baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals. The church was designed by architect C.F. Hansen and was originally inaugurated in 1826 but was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1992. Step inside the church to admire the rare yellow stucco marble on the walls and Bertel Thorvaldsen’s angel frieze from 1820.
There have been horses and life in the stables since 1740 in the Royal Stables at Christiansborg Palace. The stable wings and the riding arena are all that remains of Christian VI’s grandiose Baroque castle today. When the King hosts New Year’s Eve parties and other big celebrations at Christiansborg Palace, the beautiful white horses are harnessed to the carriage in splendid gala attire. And although the white horses feel like a permanent part of the Royal House for many, they were a rare sight from the late 1800s until 1994, when Prince Henrik introduced the white kladruber horses from the old princely stud farm in the Czech Republic.
The Royal Banqueting Kitchen was built for the third Christiansborg Palace, which was completed in 1928 and was used to cook for hundreds of guests when the Royal House held official gala dinners in the Knights’ Hall upstairs.
The Royal Banqueting Kitchen is decorated as it was in King Christian 10’s time. Here you can follow the preparations for a very special gala dinner on 15 May 1937 on the occasion of the King’s 25th anniversary – the largest royal banquet in 90 years with 275 guests.