by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021
Fredensborg Palace Church, located in Fredensborg Palace, is a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark, sometimes called The Church of Denmark, the established, state-supported church in Denmark. Fredensborg Palace, located on Lake Esrum in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand in Denmark, is the spring and autumn residence of the Danish Royal Family. It was originally built as a hunting lodge for King Frederik IV between 1719 – 1722 on the site of a farm that he owned. Originally, no church was built at Fredensborg Palace because it was intended as a summer residence. When King Frederik IV was in residence the court clergy conducted services and the palace staff attended the parish church in Asminderød.
When King Frederik IV began to use Fredensborg Palace on a more permanent basis, the original architect Johan Cornelius Krieger began to expand the palace. His plans included a palace church in Dutch Baroque style which was consecrated in 1726. The palace church is in the wing that branches off the eastern side of the palace (‘B’ in the photo above). It is connected to the main palace by the original Orangery.
The altarpiece, baptismal font, and pulpit were made by Danish sculptor Johan Frederik Ehbisch. Hendrik Krock, a court painter during the reigns of Frederik IV and Christian VI, did the painting The Last Judgment that hangs over the altar. Today’s church interior appears much the same as it did in 1726.
As a part of Fredensborg Palace, Fredensborg Church is at the disposal of the Danish monarchy. Since the reign of King Christian IX, the Asminderød-Grønholt parishes have used Fredensborg Church as a parish church and services, christenings, and weddings are often held there. The palace church has been the site of weddings, christenings, and confirmations for members of the Danish Royal Family, beginning with the 1761 confirmation of Princess Sophia Magdalena, daughter of King Frederik V, later Queen Consort of Sweden. Most recently christenings and confirmations of Queen Margrethe II’s grandchildren have been held there.
Royal Events at the Fredensborg Palace Church
Wedding of Princess Benedikte and Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
- June 21, 1761 – Confirmation of Princess Sophia Magdalena, daughter of King Frederik V
- April 18, 1762 – Confirmation of Princess Wilhelmine Caroline, daughter of King Frederik V
- November 4, 1764 – Princess Louise, daughter of King Frederik V
- May 27, 1870 – Confirmation of Princess Thyra, daughter of King Christian IX
- December 16, 1874 – Confirmation of Prince Valdemar, son of King Christian IX
- December 13, 1893 – Funeral of Prince Wilhelm of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Glücksborg, brother of King Christian IX
- September 14, 1900 – Christening of Prince Knud, son of King Christian X
- November 7, 1915 – Confirmation of the future King Frederik IX and his brother Prince Knud, sons of King Christian X
- November 23, 1922 – Wedding of Princess Dagmar, daughter of King Frederik VIII, and Jørgen Castenskjold
- September 8, 1933 – Wedding of Prince Knud, son of King Christian X, and Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark, daughter of Prince Harald and granddaughter of King Frederik VIII
- October 1944 – Funeral of Prince Gustav, son of King Frederik VIII
- April 1, 1955 – Confirmation of the future Queen Margrethe II
- March 20, 1959 – Confirmation of Princess Benedikte, daughter of King Frederik IX
- March 24, 1961 – Confirmation of Princess Anne-Marie, daughter of King Frederik IX
- February 3, 1968 – Wedding of Princess Benedikte, daughter of King Frederik IX, and Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
- May 28, 1981 – Confirmation of the future King Frederik X, son of Queen Margrethe II
- June 10, 1982 – Confirmation of Prince Joachim, son of Queen Margrethe II
- November 6, 1999 – Christening of Count Nikolai of Monpezat, son of Prince Joachim, grandson of Queen Margrethe II
- July 1, 2007 – Christening of Princess Isabella, daughter of King Frederik X, granddaughter of Queen Margrethe II
- May 18, 2013 – Confirmation of Count Nikolai of Monpezat, son of Prince Joachim, grandson of Queen Margrethe II
- April 1, 2017 – Confirmation of Count Felix of Monpezat, son of Prince Joachim, grandson of Queen Margrethe II
- May 15, 2021 – Confirmation of Crown Prince Christian, son of King Frederik X, grandson of Queen Margrethe II
- April 22, 2022 – Confirmation of Princess Isabella, daughter of King Frederik X, granddaughter of Queen Margrethe II
Christening of Princess Isabella in 2007
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Works Cited
- Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Fredensborg Slotskirke – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredensborg_Slotskirke> [Accessed 26 August 2021].
- En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Fredensborg Palace – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredensborg_Palace> [Accessed 26 August 2021].
- Mehl, Scott, 2015. Fredensborg Palace. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/fredensborg-palace/> [Accessed 26 August 2021].
- No.wikipedia.org. 2021. Fredensborg slottskirke – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredensborg_slottskirke> [Accessed 26 August 2021].
- The Danish Monarchy. 2021. Fredensborg Palace Church. [online] Available at: <https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/fredensborg-palace-church> [Accessed 26 August 2021].