The history of Fredensborg palace

The image of an Italian country villa was on the drawing board when Frederick IV began construction on his Baroque palace Fredensborg at the start of the 18th century. The king wanted to create a haven where his family life could flourish.

This Baroque masterpiece took seven years to complete, and during this time the gardens were also planted. The king and his queen, Anna Sophie, moved in, but the family idyll was not to be. The king and Anna Sophie, whose marriage was morganatic and then later legalised, were plagued with misfortune. They had five children, but they lost all of them while they were small.

When Frederick IV died, his son Christian VI immediately evicted his hated stepmother, pulled down wings of the palace and erected new ones, which he generally never made use of.

Happy Times at Fredensborg

It was only when Christian IX came to the throne that the palace was used for the purpose for which it was built. In the summer months, Christian IX and his queen Louise’s 6 children, their children’s spouses and 36 grandchildren flocked to Fredensborg Palace. Laughter and the trip-trap of tiny feet echoed in the palace halls, and members of the Danish Royal Family would spend time playing in the gardens.

Ever since those happy days, the Danish Royal family has been moving into the palace for the summer months, giving the youngest members of the family a trove of carefree childhood memories to treasure.

Fredensborg Palace is the Queen's residence for six months of the year

The Royal Couple use the palace for three months in the spring and three months in the autumn. They celebrate weddings, silver wedding anniversaries and birthdays at the palace.

Fredensborg also provides a setting for Her Majesty to carry out her official duties. She receives heads of state and ambassadors who submit their credentials to her at the palace.

In the summer, Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Mary use the palace as a summer residence. They have their own residential quarters in the Chancellery House.