Rosenborg Castle

Lore & Background

Rosenborg Castle was used by Danish regents as a royal residence until around 1710. After the reign of Frederik IV, it was used as a royal residence only twice, both during emergencies: after Christiansborg Palace burned down in 1794, and during the British attack on Copenhagen in 1801. The castle, now state property, was opened to the public in 1838.

Reader's Guide

Rosenborg Castle houses a museum exhibiting the Royal Collections, artifacts spanning royal Danish culture from the late 16th century of Christian IV to the 19th century. Some articles once belonged to the nobility and aristocracy. The castle's Long Hall, completed in 1624, was originally a ballroom, later used as a Royal Reception Room and for banquets, and became known as the 'Knight's Hall' in the second half of the 19th century. It features tapestries depicting King Christian V's victories in the Scanian War, a stucco ceiling from the early 18th century showing the Danish Coat of Arms, and frescos by Hendrick Krock representing the Regalia. The castle also contains a treasury displaying the Crown Jewels and Danish Crown Regalia, the Throne Chair of Denmark, and a Coronation Carpet. The castle is situated in Kongens Have, the country's oldest royal garden, which attracts an estimated 2.5 million visitors every year. Next to the castle are barracks where the Royal Life Guards is garrisoned.

Did You Know?

• The Long Hall was not completed until around 1633–1634 and was intended as a banquet and ballroom.
• The castle was used as a royal residence only twice after Frederik IV's reign, both during emergencies.
• The Rosenborg Castle Garden is the country's oldest royal garden.