by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Haga Palace

Since 2010, Haga Palace has been the official residence of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her family. Located in Haga Park, in Solna Municipality just north of Stockholm, the palace was originally built in 1802-1805 under the direction of King Gustaf IV Adolf. At the time, he and his family used Gustav III’s Pavilion as a summer home, and the King felt it was too small for his growing family. He had a new building erected, just to the north, which was intended to house his children. Initially known as the Queen’s Pavilion, it would later become known as Haga Palace. The building was completed in 1805 but was not fully furnished until around 1810. With 1500 square meters of living space, the palace was designed to include separate apartments for each of the King’s children, an arrangement that was common at the time, regardless of their young ages.

In 1810, the Swedish government granted permanent rights to use the palace to the new King Carl XIII, and for many years it remained a royal residence. In the 1820s, it became the summer home of Crown Prince Oscar (later King Oscar I) and Princess Josephine of Leuchtenberg; and in the 1860s, was renovated for his son, Prince August and Princess Therese of Saxe-Altenburg, who would remain there until her death in 1914. Several years later, the palace was used to house children left homeless and orphaned after World War I.

After an extensive renovation, Haga Palace returned to royal use in 1932 when it became the official residence of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and his new wife, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (the parents of the current King Carl XVI Gustaf). Over the next 15 years, the couple had five children who were all born at the palace.

Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed in a plane crash in 1947, and in 1950, Princess Sibylla and her children left Haga and moved to the Royal Palace of Stockholm. After remaining empty for some time, King Gustaf VI Adolf formally returned the rights of use back to the Government, and Haga Palace became an official guest residence for visiting heads of state and other government officials. However, it was not used very often for this purpose, and in later years was used for meetings and conferences more than anything else.

Following the engagement of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling in 2009, the Prime Minister announced that rights to the property would be returned to the Royal Court, as a wedding present for the couple. In addition, the allocation to the Royal Court for maintaining royal properties was also increased.

The palace underwent extensive renovations, as did the surrounding grounds. An area of about 8 acres was enclosed with an iron fence and high-tech security features were installed to ensure the privacy and safety of the new residents. Once all the work was completed, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel moved into Haga Palace on November 15, 2010.

One feature in the grounds which remained is a small playhouse that had been a gift from King Gustav V to his great-grandchildren not long before his death in 1950. The playhouse has been use by Crown Princess Victoria’s children

The private quarters of the Crown Princess and her family are located on the first and second floors. In addition, a series of rooms on the first floor facing the front of the palace is also used for official functions. These include a large salon (the Grand Room) in the center, with a living room to the north, and a library and dining room to the south. In 2013, The Royal Court released several photos of these rooms.

Haga Park

Haga Palace is located in the larger Haga Park, which encompasses over 355 acres. The park was originally developed by King Gustav III who had purchased the old Haga farm in 1771. He established a large park (doubled in size in 1785 with the purchase of an adjoining farm) and built several buildings prior to his assassination in 1792. His plans for a large summer palace were never completed, and the ruins of the foundations of the palace still remain.

Other notable features of the park include:

Gustav III’s Pavilion was built for King Gustav III in the late 1780s. A previous building on the site was incorporated into the design, forming the central part of the pavilion, while two single-story wings were added. King Gustav III took up residence in December 1790, even though the construction was not fully completed. The Pavilion was finished several months after the King’s assassination in March 1792. The Pavilion was used by several successive sovereigns, and underwent several major restorations, in the 1840s, and again in the 1930s. Today, it is part of the tours of Haga Park and houses much of the Gustav III Haga Library.

Across the grounds from Gustav III’s Pavilion are the Copper Tents, built in 1787 to serve as lodgings and stables for the royal guards. A large building is flanked by two smaller ones, all of which are decorated on the front with painted copper sheeting, designed to resemble Turkish tents. Today, the buildings contain a restaurant, a café, and the Haga Park Museum.

The Echo Temple was built in 1790 on a hill just next to Gustav III’s Pavilion, to be used for outdoor dining. It was originally called the Green Room but was later renamed the Echo Temple due to the echo which is generated by the vaulted ceilings. Currently, it is part of the tour of Haga Park and is often used for wedding ceremonies.

After the death of Crown Princess Margareta (Margaret of Connaught) in 1920, she was temporarily interred at the Stockholm Cathedral. However, her wishes were that she not be interred in a church, and an area of Haga Park was cleared to be used as a royal cemetery. She was interred there in 1922, and since then it has become the traditional burial place for many of the Swedish royal family.

Learn more about the other Swedish Royal Residences here!

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Drottningholm Palace

Drottningholm Palace, on the island Lovön in the lake Mälaren, is the residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.  The island originally contained a royal estate called Torvesund, in the time of King Gustav Vasa. His son, later King Johan III, built a stone palace for his wife, Catherine Jaggelon, in 1579 and named it Drottningholm. After her death, the King only used Drottningholm occasionally, and it was later owned by several other Swedish Queens. In 1650, it was purchased by Magnus De la Gardie, a prominent Swedish statesman and brother-in-law of King Carl X Gustav. He, in turn, sold it to Queen Hedvig Eleonora in 1661 but the castle was destroyed by fire later the same year. Queen Hedvig Eleonora engaged famed Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (and later his son) to rebuild the palace in the design that we know today. For the next hundred years, it served as a regular royal residence for successive sovereigns. In 1744, it was given to the future Queen Louisa Ulrika when she married the future King Adolf Fredrik. The couple resided through their reign, and a few years after her husband’s death, Louisa Ulrika sold the palace to the Swedish state.

The palace was used less often over the next years and was empty for much of the 19th century. In 1846, King Oscar I began making repairs to the palace which was in danger of being torn down. His son, Oscar II continued with repairs. It was Oscar II’s son, King Gustav V, who in 1907 began a massive renovation project of the palace, which would take four years. Gustav V is credited with restoring the palace to its former glory, having removed much of the more ‘modern’ style put in place by his father and grandfather. By 1911, the palace had returned to royal use and has remained a royal residence ever since. In 1981, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia moved from their apartments in the Royal Palace of Stockholm and made Drottningholm their primary residence, living in the southern wing of the palace.

In 1991, The Royal Domain of Drottningholm – including the palace, outbuildings, and grounds – was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the first such site in Sweden.

The main block of the palace is flanked by two large wings, which surround inner courtyards. The southern wing contains the private residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and is not open to the public.

Some of the notable rooms in the palace are:

Hedvig Eleonora’s State Bedchamber is located on the first floor of the palace and formed the main room of the State Rooms at the time. Despite its name, Hedvig Eleonora never actually used the room, instead, living in more private rooms in the southern wing of the palace.

The Ehrenstrahl Salon was previously known as the Large Audience Room and is situated right next to Hedvig Eleonora’s State Bedchamber. It takes its name from the artist David Ehrenstrahl, who painted six large murals for the room which depict important events in the history of the royal family. More of his work also adorns the ceiling in the room.

The Palace Library is found in the northern wing of the palace, overlooking the gardens. Originally a picture gallery, it was converted into a library by Queen Hedvig Eleonora in 1760, to house her extensive collection of books.

Carl X Gustav Gallery, on the first floor of the palace, was designed by Queen Hedvig Eleonora as a tribute to her late husband, King Carl X Gustav. The gallery contains paintings depicting the King’s military career.

On the second floor, directly above the Carl X Gustav Gallery is the Carl XI Gallery. This gallery contains paintings illustrating the military career of King Carl XI which was completed in 1695.

The Stone Hall was originally Hedvig Eleonora’s dining room and takes its name from the stone floor. Today, it is part of the Royal Family’s private apartments and has occasionally been seen in personal photos released by the royal family for Christmas and birthday celebrations.

Directly above the Stone Hall is the Hall of State. It has often been called the Contemporary Hall after the large portraits of other European sovereigns from the time of King Oscar I. Queen Josefina had arranged for many of these portraits to be painted and upon receiving them, gave them all to the Swedish state. Today the room is used primarily for official functions.

The Porcelain Room was designed by King Oscar II to display his large collection of faience from the 1700s. The room was completed in 1897, as a gift to the King from the palace staff.

The Palace Chapel is on the northern end of the palace and serves as the Lovö parish church. Construction began in 1696 and was completed in 1728. After several renovations, the church reopened in 1746 and has been in continuous use ever since. It has also been the site of many royal christenings.

The Palace Grounds

Just next to the southern wing of the palace is the Lake Wing (Sjoflygeln), which was the residence of Crown Princess Victoria prior to her marriage. Prince Daniel also lived at Drottningholm prior to marrying Victoria. He rented an apartment in the Page Building (Pagebyggnaden), just meters from Victoria’s home.  In April 2016, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia took up residence in Sjoflygeln, while major renovations were being done to their home, Villa Solbacken.

The palace grounds include a stunning baroque garden on the western side of the palace, developed under Queen Hedvig Eleonora in the late 1600s. These gardens feature numerous sculptures and statues, along with several fountains and water features.

Just north of the Baroque Gardens, King Gustav III designed a large area of the park as an English garden, with two ponds, bridges, and walking paths. The English Gardens feature many statues collected by King Gustav III from Italy.

Other buildings on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace include:

Located just north of the palace is the Drottningholm Palace Theatre. The current theatre was built at the direction of Queen Hedvig Eleonora, to replace the previous building which had been destroyed by fire in 1762. It formally opened in 1766. It was used extensively by King Gustav III but was then closed after his assassination. For many years it was used only occasionally and began to fall into disrepair. The theatre underwent a complete restoration and formally re-opened in 1922, and is now managed by a private foundation.

In front of the theatre is Theatre Square, which is flanked by four pavilions. These contain private apartments as well as the Theatre gift shop.

The Chinese Pavilion was originally built as a surprise birthday gift for Queen Louisa Ulrika in 1753. Unfortunately, the hastily constructed building could not stand up to the harsh Swedish weather. By 1763, it was deemed necessary to take the building down and rebuild it. The current structure was completed in 1769 and is surrounded by several pavilions which served as additional rooms.

Near the Chinese Pavilion is the Guards Tent, which was built in 1781-1782 to accommodate the Chinese Pavilion Guards. It was later used for storage for many years, and after a major renovation in the 1990s, serves as an exhibition space and part of the palace tours.

The Museum de Vries is a collection of statues by the artist Adriaen de Vries. In addition to those in the museum, several of his works are featured in the Baroque Gardens. The museum is housed in the Dragon Stables, formerly the stables for the Life Regiment Dragoons. It was later used to house around 250 sheep, which were used to maintain the grounds of the palace until the 1950s. For the next 40 years it was used by the Royal Collection, and since 2001 has held the Museum de Vries.

Located at the southern end of the palace grounds is Evert Lundquist’s Studio Museum. Mr. Lundquist was a painter and graphic artist who used this building as his studio from 1953 until 1990. Per the artist’s wishes, the studio was opened as a museum in 1993 and remains a popular site on the palace grounds. Artwork by Mr. Lundquist and his wife (artist Ebba Reutercrona) and their two sons are showcased.

Learn more about the other Swedish Royal Residences here!

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

The Royal Palace of Stockholm

Located on the island of Stadsholmen in Stockholm’s Old Town (Gamla stan), The Royal Palace of Stockholm is the senior palace of the Swedish monarchy. It houses the offices of the Royal Court, as well as several museums, and serves as the setting for many official functions. It has not been used as an actual residence since 1981, although King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia still retain private apartments there. Instead, they use Drottningholm Palace as their primary residence. The Royal Palace is owned by the Swedish state and maintained by the National Property Board. Within the Royal Court, the Governor of the Royal Palaces is responsible for the daily operation of the palace, including public tours. His formal, and ceremonial role is to protect the King’s royal right to use the palace.

The current palace was built on the site of the former Tre Kroner Castle, built in the 13th century. Nearly all of the palace was destroyed by fire in 1697, other than the Northern wing which had just recently been altered. Plans were immediately drawn up to rebuild the palace, with the expectation of taking 5 years. Needless to say, it was nearly 60 years before the Palace was completed and the royal family could take up residence. In 1754, King Adolf Fredrik and Queen Louisa Ulrika and their family moved into the newly finished palace, taking up residence in what is now known as The Bernadotte Apartments in the Northern wing.

The Palace is constructed with four main wings surrounding an inner courtyard. There are also two wings that protrude from the eastern side, and one off the western side. In addition, two rounded wings next to the western side form the outer courtyard.

The Northern Wing

The Northern wing, which faces the buildings of the Swedish Riksdag (parliament), contains the Bernadotte Apartments on the first floor, and the State Apartments on the second floor. It also features the Tre Kroner Museum (in the basement of both the Northern and Western wings).

The Bernadotte Apartments were the apartments of the Sovereign from 1754 until 1907. At that time, the new King Gustav V chose not to use the Bernadotte apartments upon his accession, instead taking rooms on the second floor of the Eastern wing, now known as Prince Bertil’s Apartments. The Bernadotte Apartments are now used occasionally for State functions as well as private affairs.

Included in the Bernadotte Apartments are:

• The Pillar Hall — this was originally King Adolf Fredrik’s dining room, situated on the northeast corner of the apartments. Its name comes from the pillars which flank all four walls of the room.
• The Victoria Salon — named for the statue of Victoria, goddess of victory, which previously stood in the room
• The East and West Octagonal Cabinets — often used for ambassadors presenting their credentials to The King and other official presentations
• The Bernadotte Gallery — contains portraits of many of the Bernadotte rulers of Sweden and their families
• The Carl XVI Gustaf Jubilee Room — recently redone in honor of the King’s 40th Jubilee
• Queen Louisa Ulrika’s Audience Room
• Queen Louisa Ulrika’s Dining Room

The State Apartments, on the second floor of the Northern wing, were originally designed to be the residence of the Sovereign. However, upon taking up residence in the newly rebuilt palace, King Adolf Fredrik chose instead to use the rooms on the floor below (now known as the Bernadotte Apartments). Comprised of about 10 rooms, these rooms are now used for State functions and private events, including the wedding banquet for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist in June 2015.

Included in the State Apartments are:

• The Cabinet Room — used for the Sovereign’s meetings with the Prime Minister and other members of the government
• The Audience Room — traditionally used by the King to receive foreign ambassadors, although since 2000 this usually takes place in one of the octagonal cabinets in the Bernadotte Apartments
• Gustav III’s State Bedchamber
• Karl XI’s Gallery
• Sofia Magdalena’s State Bedchamber
• The Don Quixote Salon — gets its name from the woven wallpaper depicting the story of Don Quixote. This was given to King Gustav III in 1784 by King Louis XVI of France
• Vita Havet (White Sea Ballroom) — this is the palace’s ballroom and is used for larger functions. The wedding banquet for Prince Carl Philip was held here in 2015, and it was used for dancing following the 2010 wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling.

The Tre Kroner Museum is located in the basement in the Northern and Western wings. Part of the museum is housed in the original palace kitchens, some of the only rooms which survived the fire in 1697. Here you find information about the original palace, with 3D models and various artifacts.

The Eastern Wing

The Eastern wing, facing the water, includes Princess Sibylla’s Apartments on the first floor, and Prince Bertil’s Apartments on the second floor. The Royal Armory is located in the basement.

Princess Sibylla’s Apartments, named after the current King’s mother, had previously been the private apartments of Queen Victoria, wife of King Gustaf V. From their marriage until Gustav’s accession, the couple shared this apartment. Following his accession, King Gustaf V took the rooms directly above while Queen Victoria remained here until her death in 1930.

In 1950, upon the accession of her father-in-law, King Gustaf VI Adolf, Princess Sibylla and her five children moved from their home at Haga Palace, and took up residence in this suite of rooms, remaining there until her death in 1972. The rooms then became the primary residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia from their marriage until moving to Drottningholm Palace in 1981. Today, these rooms remain the private apartments of the King and Queen and are used as everyday reception rooms.

One of the rooms often seen is the Blue Salon. It was here in 1976 that the engagement of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath was announced, and again in 2009 for Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling.

Prince Bertil’s Apartments are on the second floor of the eastern wing and are named for the King’s uncle, Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland. These rooms have typically been used as a royal residence, most recently for Prince Bertil until his death in 1997. They are now used primarily for meetings and seminars, and occasionally to house visitors in conjunction with State or official visits.

The Royal Armory is housed primarily in the basement of the Eastern Wing. It contains countless artifacts including a large collection of armor, as well as clothing, jewelry, and artwork.  Also on display are several carriages used by the Royal Family in the past.  

There are also two smaller wings that extend off the Eastern wing. The Northeast wing contains the Bernadotte Library on the ground floor and Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities in the basement.  The Southeast wing contains part of the Royal Armory.

The Bernadotte Library is the private research library of the Bernadotte sovereigns.  Containing over 100,000 books, over 1 million photographs and a large collection of sheet music.  The library is occasionally used for events, such as small concerts and exhibitions, and can be visited by appointment for purposes of research.  The space was originally used, in 1796, to house the Swedish National Library, which moved to a larger space in 1877.  After several years used by the Royal Armory, the King’s Library was established in the space following the death of King Oscar II in 1907.  The name was later changed to The Bernadotte Library.

Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities is the oldest public museum in Sweden, having first been opened (in its present location) in 1794 to display a vast collection of antique sculptures that had been collected by King Gustav III.  Through the years, the museum was moved several times but returned to the northeast wing in 1958.

The Southern Wing

The Southern wing is perhaps the one most often seen in connection with special occasions, both official and private. The wing contains the Hall of State and the Royal Chapel spanning three floors, and the Treasury which is found in the basement.

The Hall of State was originally used for the Opening of Parliament each year, beginning in 1755. This continued until 1975 when the event was moved to the neighboring Parliament building.  Today, the Hall is used for official and ceremonial functions.  This was the site of the wedding banquet in 2010 for Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling.

At the far end sits a silver throne, given to Queen Cristina for her coronation in 1650.   

 

The Royal Chapel (seen above at the 2013 funeral of Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland) has been in use since the Palace was built in 1754.  It is the third chapel, the first going back to the late 1200s.  The second was in the northern wing of the Tre Kroner Palace which was destroyed by fire in 1697.  Many of the fittings, including some of the benches, were saved from the fire and are in use today.  The chapel is used as a parish church for members of the Royal Court and their families and is also open to the public.  It has also been used for many weddings, christenings, and funerals.

The Treasury, located below the Hall of State, in the basement of the Southern wing, contains the Swedish Regalia and Crown Jewels. Included are Gustaf Vasa’s Sword of State, Eric XIV’s crown, scepter, and orb, and Louisa Ulrika’s crown, as well as the silver baptismal font made in 1696 and still used for royal baptisms.

The Western Wing

The Western wing includes the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry on the first floor and the Guest Apartments on the second floor.

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry consist of four rooms, each dedicated to one of the Orders of Chivalry: the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of the Sword, the Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of Vasa. Originally these rooms were used by the Privy Council, and from 1789 until 1949, housed the Swedish Supreme Court.

The Guest Apartments, on the second floor, are used for visiting Heads of State in conjunction with State visits to Sweden. Included is the Margareta Room, named for Crown Princess Margareta (born Princess Margaret of Connaught), and features several of her paintings.

Off the Western wing is an extension built onto the northern side of the outer courtyard. This is known as the Chancery Wing. (upper left in the photo above)

Originally intended for use by the Royal Chancery, the northwest wing was used as a guardhouse, and housed offices and the Swedish National Archives. In 1780 it was converted into a royal apartment for the future King Gustav IV Adolf. It was later the apartments of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (Gustaf VI Adolf) from 1905, and he continued to live there until his death in 1973.  Today it houses the palace archives.

Flanking the outer courtyard are two curved buildings, which house the Royal Guard and the Royal Gift Shop.  The Royal Guard has been stationed at the palace, and its predecessor, since 1523, and are charged with guarding the Royal Palace and Drottningholm Palace, as well as providing a Guard of Honor for The King.  Each day, the changing of the guard takes place in the outer courtyard of the Palace.  In the summer months, this includes a parade through Stockholm with a military band.

Learn more about the other Swedish Royal Residences here!

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.