AMALIENBORG SLOTSPLADS

The Royal Square is part of a development project commissioned by King Frederik V in 1749 on the occasion of the celebration of the tercentenary of the Oldenburg Dynasty's accession to power. The king's favourite, Count Moltke, was entrusted with the supervision of the project, which was entrusted to the master builder Nicolai Eigtved. The octagonal square, flanked by four palaces, is divided by two perpendicular axes opening onto the gates of Amalie Gade and Frederiks Gade. The project also included the Marble Church and the equestrian statue of the king. Thus, all the powers were thus united there!

The first palace to be completed was the Christian VII Palace or Moltke Palace (named after its first owner) at the corner of Frederiksgade on the southwest side. It was built by Eitgved himself, who decorated the Great Hall, one of the finest examples of Rococo interiors. After the architect's death, his successor, the Frenchman Nicolas-Henri Jardin, furnished the Great Hall for banquets. C.F. Harsdorff in turn converted it into a royal residence. Since 1885 it has been admirably restored and since then it has been used for official guests of the royal family, receptions and guided tours for the public.

The palace of Christian VIII (or Leventzau Palace) occupies the northwest side of the square. It was Lauritz de Thurah who completed the work after Eitgved's death, following the plans of his rival. It was built in the Empire style by Niciolai Abildgaard and now houses the Amalienborg Museum, which houses the Royal Collection of Jewellery and Costume that the ruling family has assembled since their accession to power.

Opposite, in the northeast corner, is the palace of Frederik VIII (or BrockdorffPalace ), also completed by Lauritz de Thurah. It was assigned to the Sea Cadets for a while, before welcoming members of the royal family. Queen Mother Ingrid lived there until her death in September 2000. A complete restoration was carried out in the years 2009-2010 so that the current Crown Prince could move in with his entire family.

Finally, in the south-east, the palace of Christian IX (called the Løvenskiold Palace or Schack Palace) was completed by Philip de Lange in the Louis XVI style. It is here that the royal family found refuge in 1794. King Christian IX resided here between 1863 and 1906, when Harsdorff redesigned the palace. The latter, nicknamed the "father-in-law of Europe", married his three daughters to European monarchs here. Today it is the residence of Sovereign Margrethe II.