Chr. VII's Palace at Amalienborg
Christian VII’s Palace is the Queen’s palace for guests and official functions. The Royal Residence in Copenhagen consists of this palace and the three other Amalienborg palaces, which together are commonly referred to as Amalienborg Castle. Amalienborg is one of the finest specimens of Danish rococo architecture, and indeed of Danish architecture generally. The octagonal space formed by the palaces around the equestrian statue of Frederik V was the culmination of the new part of the city, Frederiksstaden, which was established in 1749 as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Royal Family of Oldenborg.
Moltke’s Palace
The four palaces were built during the period 1750 to 1760 as palaces to noblemen, designed by the King’s architect, Royal Master Builder Nicolai Eigtved. The King’s Lord Steward, Adam Gottlob Moltke, was the driving force behind the Amalienborg project, as well as behind the entire Frederiksstaden project. He procured clients for the three palaces and subscribed himself as client for the fourth, the north-western palace. Moltke’s Palace was furnished with the greatest splendour. It had a marble entrance hall with a round, semi-circle back wall, where a marble Andromeda statue stood placed in a niche. The bel étage was designed with an exquisite suite of official rooms, the finest of which was the Great Hall, with panels by Louis-Augustin le Clerc, gilt stucco work by J.B. Fossati and retracted mural paintings by Carl Gustaf Pilo. When Eigtved died in 1754, the French architect Nicolas-Henri Jardin stepped in and completed the final interior decoration tasks, a banquet hall and some minor modifications to the Great Hall, where Pilo’s paintings were replaced by Toqué’s portraits of Frederik V and Queen Juliane Marie, and he had new overdoors by Francois Boucher installed. Jardin’s fine neo-classicism was adapted imperceptibly to Eigtved’s light rococo design.
Christian VII’s Palace
When Christiansborg Palace burned in 1794, the Royal Family was deprived of their residence in Copenhagen. The King quickly acquired Moltke’s palace and its two neighbouring palaces. The palace opposite was by then already in the ownership of the royal family. The King, Christian VII, took up residence in Moltke’s Palace, while Crown Prince Frederik (VI), who was Regent in the place of his ill father, was given the south-eastern palace. The colonnade was built as a connection between the two palaces. In order to obtain more room for the staff of the royal household, the low connecting buildings to the corner pavilions were extended with the addition of another floor.
The restoration
The ravages of time left their imprint on Christian VII’s Palace, and by the 1980s the condition of the palace had deteriorated to the point where it became necessary to carry out a general restoration, with a complete renovation of the external sandstone cladding and the sculptural decorations. Between 1992 and 1996 there was also a major restoration of the interior, which included the recreation of Moltke’s marble entrance hall, as well as the removal of some of the additions and changes made over the years. The mezzanine was furnished with guest quarters with modern amenities. Queen Margrethe made active contributions to the restoration, including among other things the recreation of the fine lime green colour on the walls of the Great Hall. Both the external and interior restorations were completed in 1996, when Copenhagen was European City of Culture. The palace is now Her Majesty the Queen’s well-functioning palace for official functions. The restoration later received the distinction of being awarded the prestigious Europa Nostra Medal.
Christian VII’s Palace is occasionally open to the general public. For further information please visite the website the Palaces and Properties Agency.
