Rosenborg
Castle from 1606 houses the Royal Crown jewels and surrounded by
the Kings Garden.
Rosenborg
Castle - King Christian IV's Castle Rosenborg Castle is King Christian IVs Castle - He built
Rosenborg - He lived all his life at Rosenborg
- He died at his beloved Rosenborg.
King
Christian IV as a boy painted in 1585 by Hans Knieper.
He officially succeeded the Danish throne in 1588, just
11 years old and later crowned in 1596 at Copenhagen's
Cathedral. The King was born at Frederiksborg Castle
in North Zealand and near the town of Hillerød
– almost 40 km from the city centre of Copenhagen,
but spent most of his childhood at the old medieval
Copenhagen Castle from 1370s, where the present Christiansborg
Palace is situated.
In
the Thirty Years' War with Sweden, King Christian IV
demonstrate a heroism that is remembered by the Danish
Nation and glorified is name for ever, as he on the
deck of the battleship -Trefoldighed - (Trinity) in
1644 at the Bay of Kiel was hit by splinters of wood
and metal by a exploded canon that wounded him several
places and blinding one eye. The King’s bloody
clothing from this event is displayed at Rosenborg Castle.
King
Christian IV
Beside of being the most famous King in the list of Danish
Sovereigns - and known by any purple and adult in the kingdom
of Denmark - King Christian IV was also a
very popular and enterprising Monarch - who ruled Denmark
and Norway from 1588 until his death in 1648.
King Christian IV was the son of King Frederik II
(1553-1588 - ruled Denmark and Norway 1559-1588) and was born
at Frederiksborg Castle in North Zealand in 1577.
He succeeded to the throne in 1588 only 11
years old and was later crowned at the age of 19
at Copenhagen Cathedral in 1596. The King
resided at the old medieval and cramped Copenhagen
Castle - and at Frederiksborg Castle
- nearly 40 km from Copenhagen.
A
Royal ceremony in 1660 was held outside of the square
of ancient Copenhagen Castle, on the right of the painting
by Heinrich Hansen, to acclaim King Frederik III as
the heir to the throne. King Christian IV lived here
until he moved out to his is little summer residence
- Rosenborg. In the middle of the painting is the Old
Stock Exchange from 1620, and on the left the naval
church “Holmens Kirke” inaugurated in 1619.
Both properties were built by King Christian IV.
King
Christian IV’s birthplace Frederiksborg Castle
was rebuilt by the King at the beginning of the 17th
century and was used as a Royal residence until the
Royal Family moved into Rosenborg Castle around 1610.
In 1850s the Castle was again used by King Frederik
VII as a Royal residence and in 1859, while he was in
residence - a heavy fire destroyed almost all of the
Castles interior and other valuable artefacts. Today
- the Castle houses the Museum of National History.
King
Christian IV and Rosenborg Castle As
a young Monarch King Christian IV had many
building projects on the planning stage and one of his first
achievements was to establish a new park area in Renaissance
Style outside of Copenhagen in the beginning of 1600s
called Kongens Have “The Kings Garden”.
At that time the King and his family resided in the city at
the old outdated Copenhagen Castle from about 1370
- which was patched together and rebuilt several times by
many sovereigns. As King Christian IVs preferred residence
Frederiksborg Castle was situated 40 km away from Copenhagen,
he decided to build a summer residence closer to the city
- and place the Royal estate in the newly developed “Kings
Garden” - and named it Rosenborg Castle.
King
Christian IV on horseback in 1638 outside the ramparts
of Copenhagen overlooking his beloved Rosenborg Castle,
which was completed a few years earlier in 1634.
Rosenborg
Castle in 1749 with the huge park in Renaissance style
called the "Kings Garden", and the kitchens
garden as well as the orangery on the left of the painting.
Rosenborg
Castle 1606-1634
In 1606 the actual landscaping of the park
area called "The Kings Garden" (Kongens Have) began
and at the same time building construction of Rosenborg Castle
started and later developed in stages over a period of almost
22 years. The first building was a two story
mansion in Dutch Renaissance style with one tower on the west
side - and in 1611 an extra gate tower and
drawbridge was built.
Extension of Rosenborg Castle
Extension of the Castle took place between 1613 to
1615 - which turned it into twice the length and
size - and later between 1616 and 1624
the Long Hall (The Knights' Hall)
was added as a extra story to the Royal property together
with the Great Tower on the west side of
the Castle and the former two eaves chambers were converted
into the existing spire-crowned towers on the east side -
which changed the little summer residence from 1606
into a fashionable and comfortable residence for the Royal
Family and Household. The Castle still needed a presentable
entrance - which was built when King Christian IV was to host
the extravagant wedding of his son the Prince Elect
Frederik (III) and Princess Magdalena Sibylla
in 1634.
The
present Rosenborg Castle with its beautiful rose garden
park. The two spire-crowned towers on the east side
was reconstructed in 1616 and the main entrance in the
middle was built in 1634.
Rosenborg
Castle seen from the west side with the Great Tower
from 1616. The moat around the Castle premises is the
remains of the old rampart and city moat that surrounded
Copenhagen.
The
Summer Residence of King Christian IV
Rosenborg
Castle from 1606 - Copenhagen
The
Royal residence Rosenborg
Most of his adult life King Christian IV lived at his beloved
Castle Rosenborg. The King had his quarters in the northern
part of the castle and the Queen had her chambers in the southern
end. The central part of the Castle was reserved as the Kings
Audience room as well as the antechamber
and the Great Hall was one of the most visited
places at the Royal Court.
The King's daily menu - 16-20 dishes
The Kings normal menu at suppertime often consist of 16-20
assorted dishes - and when Royal Banquets and stately events
took place in the Great Hall - the menu for the feast presented
the guests with up to 38 different culinary courses
- and unlimited beer - wine - as well as Royal entertainers.
The Castle was at that time outside the ramparts of Copenhagen
- with its own well assorted kitchen and flower gardens plus
a large orangey that supplies fresh vegetables - herbs and
fruit for the Royal kitchen - as well as flowers for the Royal
apartments - and for decorations at Banquets. King Christian
IV died at Rosenborg Castle in 1648 at the
age of 70 - and is buried in Roskilde
Cathedral - where tourists and visitor can see his
Sarcophagus in King Christian IV’s Chapel.
King
Christian IV on his deathbed at Rosenborg Castle on
the 28th of February 1648. His favorite daughter Leonora
Christine closed his eyes, when he dies peacefully in
the afternoon without any pain in his beloved Castle.
The Prince Elect Frederik (III) succeeded the throne
after his father and lived at Rosenborg until his death
in 1670.
King
Christian IV is buried in Roskilde Cathedral together
with is wife Queen Anna Cathrine of Brandenburg and
both Sarcophaguses are places in King Christian IV's
Chapel together with other Monarchs from the Oldenborg
dynasty. The bronze statue of King Christian IV is made
by famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Rosenborg
Castle after King Christian IV
Rosenborg was used as a Royal residence until around 1710
- when King Christian IV's great grandson, King Frederik
IV (1671-1730 - ruled Denmark and Norway 1699-1730)
left it in favour of his new and more suitable summer residence
Frederiksberg Castle built in 1699.
Rosenborg Castle became instead a Royal museum
and the setting for the Royal collections as well as King
Christian IV’s marvellous personal collection and historical
artefacts together with the many well preserved pieces of
interior, which are quite matchless relics today.
Interior
in King Christian VI's room at Rosenborg Castle with
tapestries displaying the life of Alexander the Great.
The room was the former bedroom of Princess Sophie Hedevig
- who was the sister to King Frederik IV. Many of the
rooms at Rosenborg are equipped with the original furniture.
The
thrones of the Danish Kings and Queens were used from
1671 to 1840, when the last Danish Monarch was anointed
and crowned as King. The Kings throne is made of pure
narwhal tusk in 1662 and both thrones are placed in
the Great Hall with the symbolic silver lions in front.
Royal
Residence again in 1794 and 1801
After 1710 Rosenborg Castle was used twice
as Royal residences in a very short period. In 1794
when the second Christiansborg Palace was
raised by fires and the reigning King Christian VII
and family became homeless the Rosenborg property was taken
in to use and in 1801 - when the British
army attacked the city during the naval Battle of
Copenhagen.
Many
types of special exhibitions are on display at Rosenborg
Castle such as decorative art, furniture and fashion
garments plus personal belongings to Royal members of
the Oldenborg line. The museum has an extra large collection
of objects and artefact that particularly is taken into
use for extraordinary presentations at the Castle -
as here with the selection of Royal clothing in historical
surroundings.
The
Crown of King Christian IV was specially designed and
made for his crowning in 1596 by the Royal Goldsmith
Dirich Fyring from Odense - and is one of the most precious
artefacts among the Crown Jewels in the Treasury section
beneath Rosenborg Castle. The Crown in solid gold is
equipped with enamel, pearls as well as table cut stones
and weighs almost 3 kg.
Museum
- Crown Jewels - Kings Garden
In 1838 Rosenborg Castle was opened as a
museum to the public with the Royal Crown Jewel and
the Danish Crown Regalia kept safely in the
castle cellars. The castle museum enlightens the history of
the Danish Oldenburg Kings through 300 years,
from King Frederik II in the late 16th
century to King Frederik VII in
the 19th century. After the abolishment of
Absolutism in 1849 - the Royal castles and
palaces became state property. In 1854 the
last Oldenburg King Frederik VII agreed with the state that
the collection was to become entailed property passed on from
King to King. The Kings Garden (Kongens Have)
was open to the public in the beginning of the 1700s
- and has since been a very popular retreat as well as a great
picnic area for Copenhageners in the centre of city. The entire
historical venue at Rosenborg draws nearly 3.0 million
visitors every year.
The
Royal Life Guards marching from the drill grounds of
Rosenborg Castle to Amalienborg Palace for the ceremonial
changing of the guards. The drill and exercise grounds
at Rosenborg were established in 1730 by King Frederik
IV.
The
main duty of the Royal Life Guards is to protect the
Royal Family wherever they are in residence in Denmark.
The Royal Guard Regiment was founded in 1658 by King
Frederik III - and has a permanent Guard unit at Amalienborg
Palace.
The
Royal Guards at Rosenborg
Beside of protecting the Crown Jewels at Rosenborg Castle
the Royal Guard founded in 1658
by King Christian IV’s son King
Frederik III (1609-1670 - ruled Denmark and Norway
1648-1670) - the Royal Guards also protects the Royal Family
wherever they reside in Denmark. Just next to Rosenborg Castle
is the barrack and drill ground of the Royal Guards, which
was established around 1730 during the reign
of King Frederik IV (1671-1730 - ruled Denmark
and Norway 1699-1730). Visitors can follow the Royal Guards
marching from Rosenborg Castle at 11:30 am
to the present Royal residence Amalienborg Palace
- when the Guards exercise the ceremonial changing of the
guards at 12:00.
King
Christian IVs buildings
Holmens
Naval Church - 1619
Old
Stock Exchange - 1620
The
Old Citadel - 1625
The
Round Tower - 1642
King
Christian IV was recognized as the great architect
and builder of Copenhagen and during his reign he built and
re-establish the most remarkable Renaissance buildings and
properties ever seen in history and that are historic landmarks
spread all over the city and North Zealand. The best known
buildings outside of Copenhagen are the restoration of Kronborg
Castle from 1629-1639 as well as
Frederiksborg Castle from 1600-1620
- and some of the buildings erected by the King in and around
Copenhagen includes King Christian IV’s Brewery
from 1608 - the Naval Church
from 1619 (Holmens Kirke) - the Stock
Exchange from 1620 - the Old
Citadel from 1625 - the Round
Tower and observatory from 1642
- and last but not least his beloved and most crowning achievement
Rosenborg Castle from 1606–1624.
Location
Rosenborg Castle is located just outside of the centre of
the city and is placed next to the National Gallery
and Botanical Gardens. The Castle is situated
next to the pedestrian street “Strøget”
and Nørrebro Station.
Rosenborg
Castle
Address
Rosenborg Slot - Rosenborg Castle
The Royal Danish Collections
(Crown
Jewellery & Treasury)
Øster Voldgade 4
1350 Copenhagen K
Trains: Nørreport
Busses - 5A-350S
Trains - Nørreport Station
Metro - Nørreport Station
Distance from Town Hall Square 5-6 km. and expect 20-30 min.
by walking.
