Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen

[cdm]

Does anyone have the picture Mary took of the Riddarsalen their home?
I think it was part of the series of private pictures that she released around her 40th birthday.
I can't find it anymore.

[cdm]

Found it in Mary's 40th Birthday thread
Image Upper.com - Free Image Hosting - View Image

[Muhler]

Perhaps someone can offer an explanation?

Here is a scan of an ambulance entering a gate at Amalienborg: https://app.box.com/s/u3lkdrfobukg5rlt7jod

What on earth is an airforce ambulance doing at Amalienborg?
The logic thing would be to use an ambulance from Copenhagen Firebrigade (or whoever you use over there on the Devil's Island...) the nearest airforce base is after all some distance away.

[CyrilVladisla]

On April 15,1689, King Christian V celebrated his birthday at the Sophie Amalienborg Palace with the presentation of a German opera.

[nwinther]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Perhaps someone can offer an explanation?

Here is a scan of an ambulance entering a gate at Amalienborg: https://app.box.com/s/u3lkdrfobukg5rlt7jod

What on earth is an airforce ambulance doing at Amalienborg?
The logic thing would be to use an ambulance from Copenhagen Firebrigade (or whoever you use over there on the Devil's Island...) the nearest airforce base is after all some distance away.

Could have been nearby when the call was made.

[Muhler]

That's a very plausible answer.

Based on a Q&A in Billed Bladet I can add this trivia:

There is a fitness room at Amalienborg, which is used by the employees as well as the DRF, mostly, it is presumed, by M&F.
There is also a fitness room at Kancellihuset at Fredensborg.

And PH had some instruments of torture set up inside Fredensborg Palace itself, which he is supposed to be using. - Good for his weight and back, buuuut....

[principessa]

Sorry, if my post doesn't fit here.

My husband, my son (3,5 years old) and I want to travel this year to Copenhagen and I would like to visit Amalienborg together with my two boys.

Are there audio guides in German provided and does it make sense visiting Amalienborg with such a young child?

[Roskilde]

How exciting if you, your husband and son come to Copenhagen, Principessa

I hope you will get warm sunny weather.. Then Copenhagen is the most beautiful city in the world (said by Dane, I know) I will suggest you to take a boat ride called "The Canal Tour", the boats sail to our biggest cultural attractions - Amalienborg Palace, the Opera House, Christiansborg, The Little Mermaid, Trekroner Fort etc.
http://www.stromma.dk/globalassets/d...grand-tour.jpg

Amalienborg Palace for a 3,5 year old? Well, lets face it, Amalienborg doesn't look like a real castle. It's four large square buildings placed opposite each other with a roundabout in the middle (Actually CP Frederik's own words). But I have had my own children with me and they had a great time - the guardsmen are always a hit. I would definitely suggest you to go see Amalienborg.
http://b.bimg.dk/node-images/214/4/8...v-den-juli.jpg

Go and visit Nyhavn too - and have a lunch there. Very Danish and meget hyggeligt (very cozy)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...avn_MichaD.jpg

[Muhler]

Råd i taget på Amalienborg
An article about the roof of the mansion the Regent Couple live in at Amalienborg is now in such a sorry state that it must be fuly renovated.
The last time the roof was renovated was in 1937, so you can safely say it's about time!

The cost will no be covered by the DRF but by the state, as the state owns Amalienborg and exterior costs for repairs and maintanaince is covered by the state.

[Sun Lion]

Here are a few of the photos I took of M and F's Amalienborg Palace.

These are from the back, as I'm sure most people who are interested would have seen the front in many other photos over the years.

Notice the gold crown on the "Alarm" sign.

This is the garden door that is on the street - across from the canal and the bus parking area.

[Muhler]

Thanks, Sun Lion.

I see you had a couple of shots at M&F's bedroom windows, and they were home that day.

[polyesco]

Originally Posted by Sun Lion

Here are a few of the photos I took of M and F's Amalienborg Palace.

These are from the back, as I'm sure most people who are interested would have seen the front in many other photos over the years.

Notice the gold crown on the "Alarm" sign.

This is the garden door that is on the street - across from the canal and the bus parking area.

thank you for sharing all your photos and experiences Sun Lion
Im very jealous

[Muhler]

Daily Mail has a kind of home design article. The BRF versus the DRF comparison. Inside Danish royal palace that left Kate, Duchess of Cambridge green with envy* | Daily Mail Online

[TLLK]

Thank you for sharing the link Muhler. Now correct if I'm wrong but the photos show the ground floor public reception rooms along with the banqueting kitchen?

From what I understand, the CP couple and the children live and work on the upper floors. Is that the case?

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by TLLK

Thank you for sharing the link Muhler. Now correct if I'm wrong but the photos show the ground floor public reception rooms along with the banqueting kitchen?

From what I understand, the CP couple and the children live and work on the upper floors. Is that the case?

That's correct. The two lower floors are primarily offices, reception and representation. - But with four lively children around I guess you can find toys here and there as well from time to time.

[maria-olivia]

I saw at Amalienborg ( in 2005 )King Frederick 's Desk with a lot of pictures of his wife and his daughters.

[Muhler]

During WWII there were fighting around Amalienborg three times. On 9th April when the Germans invaded. The Royal Lifeguards fired at German soldiers probing toward Amalienborg.
On 29th August 1943, when the Danish Parliament stopped co-operating and the Danish military (what was left of it) was rounded up. Again the Royal Lifeguard fired back.
And finally in 1944 when the police was rounded up. (After the military was interned, the police stood guard at Amalienborg).
And until the early hours of 5th May 1945 it was German soldiers who stood guard, when they withdrew to their barracks and Resistance fighters stood guard until the Danish Brigade returned from Sweden and had time to allocate a few men for guard duty.

But the bullet holes at Amalienborg are still visible as you can see in this video: VIDEO Skudhullerne i Amalienborg minder os om krigen i Danmark | Nyheder | DR

[MidwestMom]

I'm reading Emma Tom's book, ''Something About Mary''...I know, I know... She mentions a story about Queen Ingrid: when the Germans invaded, they wanted to take over Ingrid and Frederik's home for their headquarters. She told them that the Danes had allowed them into the country, but there was no way they were getting her home. She wouldn't let them in! No wonder she was so admired.

[Muhler]

Those of you who have seen pictures of Amalienborg have also seen this colonnade connecting two of the mansions: Her er Amalienborgs hemmelige gange - Royale | www.bt.dk

It wasn't there originally.

Back in 1794 Christiansborg Palace, which was then the main seat of the DRF in Copenhagen, burned to the ground. So the DRF were suddenly homeless - or palaceless as they call it in royal circles - and had to find a new suitable residence fast while a new Christiansborg was being build.
The choice fell on four mansions situated around a square. Three of the mansions were bought and the King Christian VII moved into one of them, while the Crown Prince moved into the mansion right next to.

Alas, Christian VII was more or less insane, so the Crown Prince was Regent and that meant that even though the official business to place in the mansion where the King lived, it was also de facto office for the Crown Prince. The mansions build as private houses were not interconnected in any way and having the Crown Prince walking from his mansion to his father's mansion wasn't seen as befitting his status. On the other hand it was pretty silly that he had to be driven or mount a horse several times a day, just for a hundred meters or so!
So it was decided to construct a connection, so that the Crown Prince could walk (and also didn't have to go outside in all sort of weather) between the two mansions.
And thus the colonnade was build. As Amalienborg was only supposed to be a temporary residence it was decided to make the colonnade from wood and make it look like it was made in stone.
And now it's possible for the royals to walk inside the colonnade from mansion to mansion.
Nowadays the colonnade connects the mansion in which the current Regent Couple live with the mansion that is now being used for official functions, like dinners, the grand New Year Court and so on, and also to house prominent guests.

Well, time passed and the DRF liked living at Amalienborg, so even though a new Christiansborg was build (and later burned down only to be rebuild once again) the DRF made Amalienborg their official residence. Even though it's somewhat small for a royal main residence. - So a lot of the more official business takes place at Christiansborg.

Oddly enough no one has ever considered digging underground passages between the four mansions. (Unless of course they are kept very secret).

Then WWII came and DK was occupied. Towards the end of the war the situation between the Danes in general and the German occupiers was strained to put it mildly. As the police and military had been interred by 1944 it was German soldiers who stood guard outside Amalienborg and there was good reasons for concern that the King Christian X would be seized by the Germans in case of a general revolt in DK, so plans were made to evacuate the DRF without the Germans knowing about it.

The then head of security of the DRF decided to dig a tunnel away from Amalienborg in order to evacuate the DRF should the need arise. That was done in deep secrecy and not without problems due to the German guards who at some point noticed weird noises coming from underground.
Anyway, over the course of a few months a 31 meter long tunnel was dug between the mansion where Christian X resided and a stable that is a part of the wider Amalienborg complex. (A number of the houses and buildings around Amalienborg are a part of the palace complex, housing offices, equipment, storages and apartments).
During the war Christian X feel from his horse and became more or less invalided, so the plan was to cary him on a stretcher away from Amalienborg and evacuate the DRF (using an ambulance) to a safe place further away. (An apartment owned by a ministry was ready). When the tunnel was finished the Crown Prince later Frederik IX, took part in a dress rehearsal. An experience that amused him.
However, King Christian X who was an army officer of the old school did not approve of the idea of "going underground"! As an officer he considered that to be dishonorable.
Fortunately the tunnel was never used and gradually fell into disrepair and became partially flooded.

- You can read more about this tunnel in the thread.

[polyesco]

very interesting. thank you

I think I'll put this here, the DRF has placed some pictures about a new exhibition on Amalienborg Palace.
Udstilling: Bag om Amalienborg - Kongehuset

"The exhibition: behind the Amalienborg
Amalienborg museum opens Friday, October 9, 2015 the doors to the special exhibition 'Behind the Amalienborg' by artist Pia Schutzman.

Pia Schutzman has taken unknown aspects of the palaces of Amalienborg after visiting farms, gardens, basements and attics that are not otherwise available to the public over the past few years.

The exhibition runs until and including 3 January 2016."