Are you curious about how the royals live? That’s a good thing, because in this article, we’ll take you to the home of Frederik and Mary.
Amalienborg in Copenhagen is the official residence of the Danish royal family. During autumn and winter, Queen Margrethe stays in the palace. Amalienborg consists of four identical classical palace facades in Rococo style.
In the center of Amalienborg there is an octagonal courtyard. In the middle of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of King Frederik V.
Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families. However, on February 26, 1794, Christiansborg Palace burned down. Then the royal family bought Amalienborg and moved in here. Over the years, various monarchs and their families have lived in the four palaces of Amalienborg.
The names of the four palaces located on the grounds of Amalienborg are:
- Christian VII’s Palace, originally known as Moltke’s Palace
- Christian VIII’s Palace, originally known as Levetzau’s Palace
- Frederick VIII’s Palace, originally known as Brockdorff Palace
- Christian IX’s Palace, originally known as Schack’s Palace
Danish Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary live in Frederick VIII’s palace, on the grounds of Amalienborg Slot.
Frederick VIII’s palace
Frederick VIII’s Palace, was built between 1750 and 1760 by Baron Joachim von Brockdorff. Since 1765, the Brockdorff Palace, as it was initially called, has been the property of the crown. This part of Amalienborg was first used as a naval academy and since 1828 as a residence for a number of members of the royal family, including King Frederick VIII. That is why it is also called Frederick VIII’s Palace.
Photo ©PPE/Nieboer
At the back of Frederick VIII’s palace you will find stairs to access the Gobelin Salon, also known as the Carpet Salon.
Frederick VIII’s Palace is one of two palaces overlooking Amaliehaven’s waterfront. The other palace is the residence of Queen Margrethe. However, the residential palace of Frederik and Mary was also the official residence of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid, the parents of the current Queen Margrethe, from 1947 to 1972. After the death of Margrethe’s father, King Frederick IX, Margrethe’s mother, Queen Ingrid, continued to live here. She used the palace until her death in the year 2000.
Between 2004 and 2009, Frederick VIII’s palace was renovated. The crown prince couple moved here in 2010. Nowadays it functions as a private home, but administrative and representative functions are also performed there.
Kanselarijhuis Fredensborg
That brings me to the question: where did Frederik and Mary live before 2010? As often, doctor Google provides a solution. Frederik and Mary first moved into the Chancellery House at Fredensborg Castle in 2004. Even after their move to Amalienborg, Frederik and Mary usually live in the Chancellery House on the Fredensborg grounds in the summer. Nice for their family, it is a bit quieter there than in the middle of busy Copenhagen. More space for the children to play and more nature. The chapel of Fredensborg Slot is also the place where Prince Christian and Princess Isabella were confirmed. The Chancellery House is actually Frederik and Mary’s second home.
The Chancellery House: In this photo you see Frederik and Mary in the Chancellery House.
Mary and baby Christian arrive home at the Chancellery House, after the birth of Prince Christian.
Map
Back to Frederick VIII’s palace in Copenhagen, the current home of the crown prince’s family. In this image we see a map of Frederick VIII’s palace. Unfortunately, this is an outdated map, from 2015. The top map is of the attic floor, the middle one of the first floor and the bottom one of the ground floor. Private spaces are mainly located in the side wings.
If I have done my research correctly, these are the meanings of the map:
- 1. Staircase portal
- 2. Mary’s meeting room
- 3. Tuinsalon (Havesalen)
- 4. Serving kitchen
- 5. Music room
- 6. Roof terrace
- 7. Space (hall?) behind the stairwell
- 8. Mary’s study
- 9. Knight’s Salon or Grand Salon
- 10. Green salon from Jensen?
- 11. Dining room
- 12. Private kitchen
- 13. Woonkamer (living room)
- 14. Private stairwell
- 15. Main entrance
- 16. Space with small stairs
- 17. Hall and stairwell
- 18. Reception room (with blue walls and sofa?)
- 19. Front porch (with work Morten Schelde)
- 20. Tapestry Room (Gobelinsal)
- 21. Vestibule
- 22. Antechamber for the table room (with work by John Korner)
- 23. Frederik’s study
- 24. Banquet hall
Art in the palace
During the renovation, ten Danish artists were allowed to work in the palace: Olafur Eliasson (lighting private stairwell), Signe Guttormsen, Morten Schelde (wall of the vestibule vestibule), John Kørner (wall of the vestibule Banquet Hall), Eske Kath (ceiling painting of the meeting room Mary), Kathrine Ærtebjerg (serving kitchen wall), Kasper Bonnén, Tal R. (mural painting Frederik’s study), Erik A. Frandsen (mirrors Mary’s study and banquet room) and Jesper Christiansen (Vestibule walls).
In consultation with the Crown Prince Couple, the ten artists created works that were integrated into the architecture of the palace in various ways. In addition to the creation of new art for the palace, the project also included a new garden and the restoration and conservation of a number of paintings, chandeliers and tapestries.
The purpose of adding the decorations was to give the palace a contemporary touch. The neoclassical style of the palace has taken on a completely different appearance. The decoration also reflects the Crown Prince Couple’s dedication to Danish cultural life, but also to the diversity of contemporary art. In February 2010, visitors were allowed to view the renovated palace. No fewer than almost 500,000 visitors took a look.
Main entrance
Of course, we don’t see the main entrance being used very often. The press was allowed to take photos when Princess Isabella and later Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine went to school for the first time.
Vestibule (meeting room)
In the middle of Frederick VIII’s palace you will find the Vestibule. On the outdated floor plans this space is called that. (On the second map above it is number 21) To get a better idea of which room is where, I will continue to call the Vestibule that, but it now serves as a meeting room. Curtains have been placed at the beginning of the arches. The arches (3 in total) lead to the landing. In the meeting room of Frederick VIII’s palace, a large mural by artist Jesper Christiansen has been painted. A world map, focusing on Denmark and Tasmania (link to Princess Mary), adorns the walls.
When Jesper Christiansen created the work, he moved his studio to the vestibule of the palace. He gradually created the mural, on which all kinds of things can be seen. From CDs to drawings of Amalienborg and the world map from different perspectives. In this way, the walls tell the story of the origins of the crown prince couple’s lives and their daily lives in 2010. In terms of painting technique, the underlayer was first painted with a deep black paint. Then he let the colors emerge slowly.
Frederik’s office
To the right of the Vestibule is the office of Crown Prince Frederik. Frederik’s office has light walls with paneling in beige tones at the bottom. There are all kinds of office supplies on his desk, which makes it clear that this desk is not just there for show. There are several frames on the wall behind Frederik. The lists include:
In my opinion, the wall behind Frederik is quite a mix of all kinds of things. His desk is also wonderfully a bit messy. Nice to see that he can make it his own space in this way.
One of the 10 works of art can also be seen in Frederik’s office. Unfortunately, this is not shown here. Fortunately, Pinterest provides a solution 😉 and here we see the artwork painted in Frederik’s office, by artist Tal Shlomo Rosenzweig. Tal R, as he is usually called, is a postmodern visual artist. He is known for his brightly colored paintings. They are usually square, with a painting-wide plain surface at the bottom. This also applies to the painting he made for the office of Crown Prince Frederik. The mural depicts Nyhavn. Nyhavn (New Harbour) is a well-known and colorful harbor in Copenhagen. The harbor is a tourist attraction of the city.
Gobelin salon (carpet salon)
In line with the Vestibule, so behind the full length of this space, is a small hall with a staircase, with behind it the Gobelin salon, the Carpet salon (number 20). This is approximately the same size as the Vestibule. The walls and ceiling of the Gobelin salon are painted light green. Baroque tapestries hang on the green-painted walls. The tapestries were a gift from Vilhelmine and Frederick VII, who moved into Frederick VIII’s palace after their wedding in 1828.
Lobby
On the left side of the Vestibule, so at the front of the palace, is the porch (no. 19). You enter the vestibule to the Vestibule, via the hall.
Photo ©Kongehuset, Keld Navntoft (edited by: moderator Petra)
On the wall in the vestibule in front of the Vestibule, a very striking painting has been applied around the doors to the reception room behind it. Here you can see the story of the Danish Galathea 3 expedition, but also the voyages of discovery of James Cook and Abel Tasman, who helped put Australia and the island of Tasmania on the world map. These stories are interwoven in this mural by Morten Schelde.
On board the ship, Crown Prince Frederik and artist Morten Schelde both took part in the Galathea 3 expedition. The painting shows, among other things, the engine room of the same ship, which started its voyage of discovery in 2006 and returned home the following year. By the way, Frederik only took part in this expedition for a short time. At the same time, symbols of the marriage and the journey they make together are included in the painting.
Staircase portal and hall
During Prince Christian’s 18th birthday celebrations earlier this year, we saw photos of the Crown Prince family on the official steps of their palace. The photos were taken just before departure to Christiansborg, where the gala banquet was held. Of course there are several stairs, as can be seen on the map. However, these stairs are used when there are guests.
On the way to the Knights’ Hall of Frederick VIII’s palace. Here you see the stairs from the top.
The staircase and the hall in view. The walls are made of ocher yellow, combined with a taupe/gray frame. The large pillars are painted burgundy red.
Reception area
How do you get to the Gobelin salon? This can be done via the back entrance, but also via the reception room (no. 18). You can reach this via the hall (behind the stairs). The reception room has light blue walls.
Front porch Banquet hall
In this room, which is located at the back of the palace, sandwiched between the Garden Hall (Havesalen) and the Banquet Hall, you can admire a modern painting on the theme of the war in Afghanistan. The work is the contribution of contemporary artist John Kørner to modern art decoration in the palace of Frederick VIII. The idea behind the painting is that it will be a topic of conversation for generations to come. The history painting is seen by the crown prince couple as an addition to the large royal art collection, which mainly consists of works from the 1600s and 1800s. The doors ‘in’ the painting provide access to the private staircase with the office of Crown Prince Frederik behind it.
Banquet hall
The Banquet Hall starts behind – or rather: next to – Crown Prince Frederik’s office. It runs from the front all the way to the back of the palace. The walls are decorated with five mirror-polished steel plates. These are no less than four meters high and are engraved with flower bouquets. The engravings were made with a drill, one of the special techniques of artist Erik A. Frandsen.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Frederik Fund, the crown princely couple held a dinner in the Banquet Hall. The guests were received in the reception room, were then allowed to stay in the Gobelin salon and finally had dinner in the Banquet Hall.
1st floor
On to the first floor. If you walk up the stairs, you will first arrive at Mary’s study, at the front of the palace.
Mary’s study
Mary’s office is kept fairly neutral, with light walls. A round work of art can be seen behind Mary. The round ‘work of art’ is a mirror, which was made by Erik A. Frandsen. He engraved a vase of flowers in the mirror with a drill. Mary’s desk is clearly being used. On the floor, in front of the desk, is an old tapestry, to which the artwork has been adapted in terms of color.
What strikes me most are the 4 black and white photos of the children, which are adorned with gold leaf next to the doors.
Crown Princess Mary’s office gives access to the Riddersalon and her own meeting room.
Meeting room Mary
Mary also has her own meeting room. From her office, Mary can cross to her meeting room via a connecting door. The most special thing in this room is the ceiling. Artist Eske Kath painted the ceiling here. The artwork shows a colorful sky that breaks open after a storm. The ceiling painting is inspired by the painted ceilings of Baroque architecture. It’s a modern take on a decorated ceiling.
Mary’s meeting room also provides access to the Havesalen. For example, in the meeting room, which currently serves as a reception room, Frederik receives his guests when he awards subsidies for the Frederik Fund. The ceremony itself takes place in the Havesalen, also known as the Tuinzaal. If you see the photo below, you would hardly say that the ceiling is so busy.
Knight’s Salon or Grand Salon
The so-called Knight’s Salon, which is now also called the Grand Salon, also recently came into the picture. A number of portraits were made in this room on the occasion of Prince Christian’s 18th birthday. There is a beautiful grand piano in the room. During the renovation, the walls were painted taupe. The pillars have been restored and shine beautifully in creamy white with gold color. A beautiful chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
In the summer of 2021, the President of Iceland was also received in the Knights’ Salon.
During an official visit by Victoria and Daniel of Sweden to Denmark, they were also received at Frederik and Mary’s home.
From the Knights’ Salon you have access to the balconies of Frederick VIII’s palace. We could see that beautifully during Prince Christian’s 18th birthday in this photo.
Havesalen/Tuinsalon
The Havesalen or Garden Salon is located at the back of the palace, on the 1st floor. This is located exactly behind the Riddersalon. Crown Prince Frederik himself says about this representative space: “At first glance, this salon may seem a bit overwhelming and confusing, but at the same time you feel surrounded by this electric storm.” In 2019, a work of art was added to this space. Swedish photographer Miriam Bäckström designed a modern wall covering. The photographer took a number of digital images, which were converted into woven carpets. Together with the ceiling from 1828, this forms a very special style. The space you see here in the photo is used for representative purposes.
Mary in de Tuinsalon:
Serving kitchen
In the serving kitchen (no. 4), which is part of the representative rooms, a work by artist Kathrine Ærtebjerg has been installed. Wild animals in the forest are the theme of the adventurous mural “Hunting” by artist Kathrine Ærtebjerg. Ærtebjerg was among ten artists commissioned to decorate a number of rooms in the rococo palace, which at the time had just undergone an extensive renovation from 2004 – 2010. Kathrine Ærtebjerg found the inspiration for the mural, among other things, in the fairytale universe of children’s books.
Over the years, the Palace of Frederick VIII has undergone many changes and had many residents and guests. During Christmas 1825, 20-year-old aspiring fairy tale poet Hans Christian Andersen lived in the palace, which was then used as a naval academy for young cadets. In his diary the poet wrote, among other things: “I have found two rooms overlooking the square, one for sleeping, another with warmth where I want to read in the morning, the ceiling vaulted high above me so that I can imagine that I am in a knight’s castle.
Baking and decorating cookies at Christmas in the serving kitchen of Frederick VIII’s palace.
Green lounge/hall
Next to the Knight’s Salon or the Grand Salon, is the Green Salon. This smaller salon has beautiful murals. Near the arches in this room you can see a few large flower paintings by Johan Laurentz Jensen, which were painted in 1828. This painter specialized in flower paintings. During the renovation of the palace, the murals were restored. Unfortunately, space is rarely seen and little is known about it.
Music room
Adjacent to the serving kitchen, you will find the palace’s Music Room. The striking part of this room is the ceiling.
Dining room
In the dining room, a work of art by Kasper Bonnén has been installed on an entire wall.
We rarely see the dining room on screen. During an online meeting with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Frederik and Mary sat in the dining room. This is how we know that the walls are light blue, except for the wall of the artwork.
Lighting private stairs
For the private staircase of Frederick VIII’s palace, lighting was created by artist Olafur Eliasson. He made wooden flares, painted with bronze-colored paint. This staircase portal (no. 14) is located between the office of Crown Prince Frederik and the vestibule in front of the Banquet Hall.
Private rooms
Unfortunately, virtually nothing is known about the private rooms. It is suspected that the family’s sleeping quarters are located on the attic floor. Every now and then a photo is released from an unknown room. See, for example, these photos of a little Vincent and Josephine in their Ikea high chair, in front of a green wall. This could be in the private living room. But that’s pure guesswork.
In this Pinterest photo we see the family on the 1st birthday of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. A very light kitchen with a dark top. The furniture is also light and simple.
Roof terrace
The last of the 10 artists who decorated the palace is visual artist Signe Guttormsen. She created a floor mosaic on the roof terrace of Frederick VIII’s Palace. Nice detail: this lady also studied for a while at the Art Academy in Amsterdam.
Garden
There doesn’t seem to be much of a garden behind Frederick VIII’s palace. Yet there is room for a trampoline, a small football goal, and there is some greenery to be seen. To sow flowers that are good for nature (bees and butterflies), Mary moves to the back of the garden at Fredensborg Castle, near the Chancellery House.
The family walks to one of the back entrances of their residential palace.
Pets
Like many Royals, Frederik and Mary also have a dog. Of course, this has nothing to do with the design of their house, but everything to do with home! Their previous dog, Ziggy, passed away in April 2017. That same year they adopted a new dog from the same family. A border collie named Grace. In 2021, Grace had 2 puppies.
