Amalienborg

Amalienborg, in Copenhagen

Amalienborg is the residence of the royal family of Denmark, an emblematic square gathering four elegant palaces around an equestrian statue. The Copenhagen audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this ensemble built in the eighteenth century by King Frederick V, with neoclassical façades and rococo interiors, of which each palace has its function, and where the raised flag signals the presence of the sovereign.

History

An emblematic square of Copenhagen, Amalienborg is composed of four imposing and elegant buildings, that are none other than the residence of the royal family of Denmark. With neoclassical façades and rococo interiors, these four palaces of the eighteenth century each have a particular function: the palace of Frederick VIII hosts the heir prince; that of Christian VII is used for official events; that of Christian VIII shelters the museum of Amalienborg; and that of Christian IX is the residence of the sovereign. You can know if she is on the spot: when the flag is raised, it is that she is in the palace. It is King Frederick V who ordered the construction of these four palaces from 1750. In the centre of the square stands moreover an equestrian statue in his effigy, realised by the French sculptor Jacques François Joseph Sally and installed in 1771, five years after the death of the sovereign. It pays tribute to this king, one of the most important of Denmark, to whom is owed these four sumptuous palaces built on one of the most visited squares of Copenhagen.

What to see

Here you admire the residence of the Danish royal family: four elegant palaces of the eighteenth century with neoclassical façades and rococo interiors, willed by Frederick V, each with its function, including the museum of Amalienborg; in the centre, the equestrian statue of the king, and, on the palace of the sovereign, the flag that signals her presence. Amalienborg is one of the finest squares of Copenhagen. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

Amalienborg lies in the Frederiksstaden district, in Copenhagen, reachable on foot. The square is in free access; the museum of Amalienborg is visited according to hours and a fee that vary, and the changing of the guard takes place every day. It is best to enquire before coming.

How to know if the sovereign is present at Amalienborg?

It is enough to look at the flag: when it is raised on the palace of Christian IX, residence of the sovereign, it is that she is on the spot. Amalienborg gathers four palaces of the eighteenth century willed by Frederick V, each with its function, around the equestrian statue of the king installed in 1771.

Where is Amalienborg in Copenhagen?

In the Frederiksstaden district, in Copenhagen, in Denmark.