I turned 44 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam in 2023. In June 2025, I headed to Copenhagen in Denmark with Steve.
After visiting Rosenborg Castle, which was a royal residence until 1710-ish, we wanted to visit Amalienborg. So we booked tickets for the Amalienborg Museum, for Saturday at 10 AM. So we would be amongst the first inside.
The Amalienborg Museum is located in Christian VIII’s Palace (left on the overview photo), one of the four palaces where the Royal Family resides when they are in Copenhagen. “After witnessing the historic changing of the guard by the Royal Life Guard in the palace square, step inside and take a walk through the royal family’s historic offices, marvel at the elegant Fabergé Hall — still used by the royal family on special occasions — and discover spectacular artifacts, including the lavish wine coolers in the Fabergé Chamber“, the museum website says.
Amalienborg
Amalienborg is the official residence of the Danish royal family and is located in the Frederiksstaden district of central Copenhagen. It consists of four virtually identical Rococo palaces arranged around an octagonal square, known as Amalienborg Slotsplads.
At the centre of the square stands a monumental equestrian statue of King Frederick V, who commissioned the development. Originally built for four noble families, the palaces were acquired by the royal family following the fire that destroyed Christiansborg Palace in 1794. Since then, Amalienborg has served as the main royal residence, currently housing King Frederik X and Queen Mary.
The site previously housed Sophie Amalienborg, a palace constructed in the 1660s by Queen Sophie Amalie, consort to Frederick III. It included a garden and palace complex built outside the old city walls.
The structure was destroyed by fire in 1689 during a theatrical performance held in celebration of King Christian V‘s birthday, resulting in the deaths of approximately 180 people. Though the king initially intended to rebuild, plans were eventually abandoned.
A second palace, also called Amalienborg, was constructed by Frederick IV early in his reign. It included a summer residence with orangeries, a central pavilion, and a formal garden on one side and military drill grounds on the other. However, this structure was later demolished.
The current Amalienborg complex forms the centrepiece of the Frederiksstaden district, a major urban development initiated by King Frederick V in 1748 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the House of Oldenburg‘s accession to the Danish throne.
The project was overseen by Lord High Steward Adam Gottlob Moltke and designed by architect Nicolai Eigtved. It included the construction of four palaces for high-ranking noble families. The noblemen received the land free of charge and were exempted from taxes, provided they followed the architectural guidelines and completed construction within a set period. After Eigtved’s death in 1754, Lauritz de Thurah continued the project. The palaces were completed in 1760.
The Christiansborg fire of 1794 left the royal family homeless, and the palaces—then largely uninhabited—were purchased. The Schack and Moltke palaces were acquired first, and a colonnade by Caspar Frederik Harsdorff was later added to connect the king’s residence with that of the crown prince.
On 9 April 1940, during the German invasion of Denmark in World War II, Amalienborg became the scene of a brief but intense exchange of fire between the Royal Life Guards and German troops. King Christian X intervened to end the firefight and prevent further destruction.
The four palaces are:
- Christian VII’s Palace (Moltke’s Palace): Located on the southwestern side, this palace was built for Adam Gottlob Moltke between 1750 and 1754. It was the most costly of the four and features an extravagant Rococo interior. Notable elements include a Great Hall adorned with carvings by Louis August le Clerc, paintings by François Boucher, and stucco by Giovanni Battista Fossati. It became a royal residence after 1794 and has since been used for ceremonial events and to accommodate official guests. A major restoration took place between 1982 and 1996, earning recognition from Europa Nostra.
- Christian VIII’s Palace (Levetzau’s Palace): This northwestern palace was originally constructed for Count Christian Frederik Levetzau between 1750 and 1760. It was later purchased by the King’s half-brother and eventually passed to Christian VIII, after whom it is now named. Over time, it was occupied by various royal family members, including Christian X and later Prince Knud. In the 1980s it was restored to house the Crown Prince, a royal museum, and parts of the Queen’s Reference Library. Today, it is partly open to the public and also contains private apartments for members of the extended royal family.
- Frederik VIII’s Palace (Brockdorff’s Palace): This northeastern palace was originally built for Count Joachim Brockdorff but was later acquired by King Frederick V. From 1767 to 1827, it housed the Royal Danish Military Academy. It was remodelled in French Empire style in the 1820s and has since housed several royal family members. Most notably, it became the residence of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid. Since their deaths, and following substantial renovations from 2006 to 2010, it has served as the residence of King Frederik X and Queen Mary.
- Christian IX’s Palace (Schack’s Palace): Situated on the southeastern side, this palace was commissioned by Severin Løvenskjold and later taken over by Countess Anna Sophie Schack and her family. It became a royal residence in 1794 when Crown Prince Frederick (later Frederick VI) moved in. It later served as the home of Christian IX, and was subsequently occupied by Queen Margrethe II, who has lived there since 1967. The building underwent restoration ahead of her accession to the throne in 1972.
Royal Guard
Amalienborg is protected continuously by the Royal Life Guards (Den Kongelige Livgarde). The guards wear a ceremonial uniform comprising a red tunic, blue trousers, and a tall bearskin cap, reminiscent of the British Foot Guards. Every day at 11.30 am, the guards march from Rosenborg Castle to Amalienborg, where the changing of the guard takes place at noon. If the monarch is in residence, the King’s Guard is accompanied by a military band. The scale of the watch depends on the presence of the monarch or other senior royals, ranging from the full King’s Watch to smaller Palace Watches.
When we were there, the guards wore dark blue tunics and lighter blue trousers. This is the ‘every-day’ uniform.
Equestrian statue
At the centre of Amalienborg Square stands a bronze equestrian statue of King Frederik V, created by the French sculptor Jacques Saly. Commissioned in 1753, it was completed and unveiled in 1771. The statue, noted for its classical grandeur, serves as a symbolic focal point of the Frederiksstaden district and reflects the royal authority and architectural ambition of the era.
A visit
Amalienborg Museum is extremely easy to visit. Just book tickets. No security check or anything like that.
This time we did use the audioguide, which sounds fair and critical. The text doesn’t shy away from a critical approach.
It was interesting to learn about more modern kings of Denmark and more recent Danish history. A next time, I’ll have to visit Christiansborg to complete the trilogy.
Note: the spelling of Frederick and Frederik
In the past generations, regal names have altered between Frederi(c)k and Christian. Spelling evolved in Danish language and the C was dropped. But the List of Danish Monarchs keeps the C until Frederick VIII.
Note that in Danish, Arabic numerals are used and not Roman numerals for kings and queens. So Frederik X is Kong Frederik 10. af Danmark, son of Dronning Margrethe 2.
- Frederick I of Denmark (1471-1533).
- Frederick II of Denmark (1534-1588).
- Frederick III of Denmark (1609-1670).
- Frederick IV of Denmark (1671-1730).
- Frederick V of Denmark (1723-1766).
- Frederick VI of Denmark (1768-1839).
- Frederick VII of Denmark (1808-1863).
- Frederick VIII of Denmark (1843-1912).
- Frederik IX of Denmark (1899-1972).
- Frederik X of Denmark ((born 1968).
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