Amalienborg Palace
Quick facts: Amalienborg Palace is the winter residence of the Danish royal family, made up of four identical palaces facing an octagonal courtyard.
- Witness the changing of the guard ceremony — a royal tradition.
- Explore Christian VIII's Palace, now a museum, for a closer look at royal life.
- Admire the Rococo architecture of the four palaces.
The story behind...
Amalienborg is actually four identical palaces facing each other around an octagonal courtyard. They weren't originally built for royalty — in the 1750s, King Frederik V developed the area, now known as Frederiksstaden, and gave the land to noble families to build grand mansions.
In 1794, when Christiansborg Palace burned down, the royal family needed a new home quickly. They purchased the four palaces, and Amalienborg has been the royal residence ever since. Each is named after its original owner — Christian VII's, Christian VIII's, Frederik VIII's, and Christian IX's Palace — with the Royal Family using Christian IX's Palace today, while Christian VIII's houses the Amalienborg Museum.
One of the biggest draws is the changing of the guard: the Royal Life Guards march through the city to Amalienborg daily, with a full ceremonial changing — complete with marching band — when the Queen is in residence.
