Castles and Countryside, Part 2

One of the things we learned on the ride to Frederiksborg Castle is that all the Danish kings are named either Christian or Frederik, with only two (maybe three . . ) exceptions: the first king - who I think was "Otto" - and the current Queen Margarita.

  Danish Queen with son, Fredrick, and grandson, Christian. Tradition!

Makes it easy for school kids to learn, but hard for tourists to remember who's who. 

 

 

We could see from the beginning 

 

that this castle was going to be VERY different from Kronborg. 

 

Copper roof, beautiful statues, ornate design, 

 

this one had it all - and we hadn't even gone inside yet!

 

The castle was built during the reign of Christian IV (1588-1648); badly damaged by fire in 1859;

  Frederik III, Christian IV's father

and restored as Denmark's Natural History Museum by brewing magnate J. C. Jacobsen (founder of Carlsberg beer). 

 

We started in the Rose, or Knight's room, a reconstruction of how it looked in the time of Christian IV. 

 

The up to the overwhelmingly magnificent chapel, 

 

which did not burn in the fire that destroyed most of the rest of the castle. 

 

 Pipes from the organ are at the back of the room, 

 

near the Queen's private chapel- 

 

while the main part of the very rare Compenius Organ - 

 

is at the front,

  Silver, gold and ebony altar

near the much, 

  Walrus ivory finials in the walnut and ebony ceiling

much more opulent King's chapel. 

 

Also in the chapel were the shields, with coat of arms, for the royal family

  

and all individuals who had ever been knighted in Denmark.

 

The older (and much cooler) shields hang in the stairways; I wasn't able to get pix without  holding up everyone behind me on the stairs. (and probably getting trampled . . .)

The Great Hall:

 

 

 

 

Opulent audience chamber of Christian V:

  Ceiling

 

 

 

Interesting ceilings:

  Privy hall leading to audience chamber of Christian V

 

 

 

Paintings and furniture:

 

 

  Frederik and wife, Sofie, with the daughter who later became Queen of England after her marriage to James of Scotland.  Frederik built Kronborg Castle as a gift for Sofie.