“Once upon a time.” This is how most good fairy tales begin, and it’s also how this year’s Christmas calendar on the Royal Danish House’s Instagram profile begins. Because in the days up to Christmas Eve, four elves, in their quest for rice pudding in Fredensborg Palace’s old attic, will stumble upon stories about the Royal Danish House from the days of old.     

For centuries, Amalienborg and Fredensborg Palace have been lived in by the royal family, and that has left its traces. Especially in the many attics and storage rooms where personal belongings of previous majesties are packed up and preserved for posterity in chests, on shelves and in musty spaces and rooms.  From 1 December until Christmas Eve, Her Majesty lets loose a family of elves, which were made by The Queen, to go on a hunt for rice pudding. During their quest, they will dig up things that have been used by the royal family through the ages. Thus, over 24 days, the elves will tell hidden and forgotten stories.

Whether or not the elves find the rice pudding before Christmas Eve is something you can follow on the Royal Danish House’s Instagram profile, which is found under the name “detdanskekongehus”.