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Frederiksborg Palace

Frederiksborg Castle today is no longer a Royal palace – it is The National History Museum. But the castle still has very close links to the current monarchy through Christian 4.’s Chapel of Orders, and the Bath House.

The Chapel of Orders

With the exception of Christian 7., every one of the absolute monarchs has been anointed in Frederiksberg Castle Chapel. With the introduction of Absolutism, the anointing of each new monarch replaced a coronation ceremony. Christian 5. was the first to be anointed and it was he who established the Chapel of the Orders. Since 1693 the shields depicting the coats-of-arms of the Knights and Ladies of the Order of the Elephant and of the Order of Dannebrog have hung here in the gallery. Today the chapel is an ordinary parish church and museum.

The Bath House

Part of Frederik 2.’s original Frederiksberg Castle, the little Bath House remains to this day. It was built in the 1580’s and the richly decorated sandstone portal with fluted, ionic columns, the bases and shafts still bear lion's masks and support a shield with the builder's motto: "Mein Hoffnung zu Gott allein". As the name indicates, the building served as a bathroom, where the ground floor contained a tin-lined room fitted for the purpose. It existed until 1794, when the tin was removed and sold.

The building was also used as a small pleasure pavilion and contained a kitchen and several bedrooms. The Bath House’s interior was refurbished by Frederik 7. in 1858. The main room is the dining room situated in the centre of the building on the first floor. In the dining room, the sculptor A.M. Jahn created one of his most diverting stucco ceilings, with a myriad of different animals balancing on fruit garlands.

The Bath House is used by Her Majesty The Queen for luncheon parties. The Bath House is not open to the public.

For further information on Frederiksborg Castle please visit the website www.Frederiksborgmuseet.dk or the Palaces and Property's website.