Stockholm Palace

Stockholm Palace, also called the Royal Palace, is the official home of the Swedish monarch. Today, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia usually live at Drottningholm Palace, but Stockholm Palace is very important. It is located in Gamla stan, the old part of Stockholm, next to the Riksdag building. The offices of the King, the royal family, and the Royal Court of Sweden are here. The King uses the palace for official events and duties as the head of state.

The history of the palace goes back to the middle of the 13th century when Tre Kronor Castle was built. The current building was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger after a fire destroyed the old castle in 1697. Building took a long time because of a costly war, and it was not finished until 1754. Many famous rooms are inside, like the Hall of State and the Royal Chapel. The palace has 1,430 rooms, and many people work there to keep it running. The Swedish State owns the palace and takes care of it, making sure it is kept in good condition for the royal family and for important events.

History

The Stockholm Palace, also called the Royal Palace, is the official home of Sweden's monarch. The first building on the site was a fortress with a tall tower, built in the 1300s. Over time, it grew into a castle named Tre Kronor, after the three crowns on its tower.

In the early 1600s, King Gustavus Adolphus wanted to build a new royal palace, but it didn’t happen right away. Later, Queen Christina and architects like Jean de la Vallée and Nicodemus Tessin the Elder made plans to improve the old castle. Finally, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger created detailed plans for a brand-new palace.

A big fire in 1697 destroyed most of the old castle, but the strong walls of a newer part stayed standing. The new Stockholm Palace was built using those walls. Tessin designed it to look grand and monumental, but building slowed down because of wars. It wasn’t finished until 1771, long after Tessin passed away. Other architects like Carl Hårleman helped finish the palace and add beautiful details inside and out.

Exterior

The Stockholm Palace is made of brick and sandstone, with copper roofs that slope inward toward the inner courtyard. The main building has four sections, each named after one of the four directions. Each side of the palace has its own unique design.

The palace has many statues, windows, and doors. There are 28 statues, 717 balusters, 242 volutes, and 972 windows in total. The palace is about 115 by 120 meters in size. Each year, around 800,000 people visit the palace.

The palace has two courtyards. The Outer Courtyard is where the changing of the guards takes place, and it has a statue of Christina Gyllenstierna. The Inner Courtyard is surrounded by the palace and has portals in the middle of each side.

The western side of the palace represents "The Male Qualities" and the King. It has medallions of Swedish regents and caryatids, which are figures shaped like women. The northern side represents "Power" and has the Swedish coat of arms. The southern side represents "The Nation" and has a triumphal arch with statues of notable Swedish people. The eastern side represents "The Female Qualities" and the Queen, with sculptures representing music, religion, poetry, and mercy.

The palace’s colors have changed many times since it was built. It started with brick-red plaster and white sandstone details. Over time, it was painted yellow, then had pink and grey details, and later returned to red-brown. Today, the palace is lit up at night with special lighting that makes its details stand out.

Renovations of the palace’s windows began in the 1990s because they were not well-maintained. The palace is currently undergoing a big renovation to fix its sandstone walls, which have been damaged by weather. This renovation will take 22 years to complete.

Interior

The Stockholm Palace has 1,430 rooms, and 660 of them have windows.

The cellar has 104 rooms and was mostly used for storage and as prisons. Some parts of the cellar have two levels because of height differences. The royal wine cellar was likely under the western row during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The Ground Floor is the largest floor and has rooms used mainly by court staff. It also includes the entrances to the palace, the Hall of State, and the Royal Chapel.

The Half Floor, or mezzanine, has 115 rooms. Most rooms are the same size as when the palace was built, though their use has changed. These rooms were used by court staff and sometimes by princes and princesses. The Small Guest Apartment is also on this floor.

The First Floor has 67 rooms. The Bernadotte Apartments and Pillar Hall are in the northern row, while the private quarters are in the eastern row. This is where King Carl XVI Gustaf and his family lived until 1981.

The Second Floor has 57 rooms. This floor includes the Guest Apartments, the State Apartments with the Vita Havet (the White Sea) ballroom, the Cabinet Meeting Room, and Prince Bertil's Apartment.

The Attic has about 25 rooms and is mainly used for storage.

The Western Row

The Guest Apartments

The Guest Apartments are on the second floor in the south part of the western row. They are used for visiting heads of state during state visits to Sweden. The rooms were decorated in the 1760s under the direction of Jean Eric Rehn for Prince Frederick Adolf, brother of King Gustav III. Three rooms in the mezzanine suite have windows facing the Inner Courtyard.

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry are on the first floor in the south part of the western row. They include four halls for the Royal Order of the Seraphim, Order of the Sword, Order of the Polar Star, and Order of Vasa. These halls have permanent exhibitions about the Royal Orders.

The Eastern Row

Prince Bertil's Apartment

The rooms on the second floor of the eastern row are called Prins Bertil's Apartment. King Adolf Frederick used these rooms as his apartment. Later, it was used by Duke Charles, Crown Prince Oscar (I), King Charles XV, and King Oscar II. It became Prince Bertil's apartment until his death in 1997. After that, it was used for visiting heads of state, interviews, and seminars.

Princess Sibylla's Apartment

The Princess Sibylla's Apartment is on the first floor in the south part of the eastern row. It is used as everyday reception rooms for the King and Queen and is not open to the public. The Blue Drawing room is known for hosting engagements, including those of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, and Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling in 2009.

Livrustkammaren

Main article: Livrustkammaren

The Livrustkammaren museum is in the cellars under the eastern row. Founded by King Gustavus Adolphus in 1628, it is Sweden's oldest museum and contains objects related to Swedish royalty from the Swedish Empire onward.

The Northern Row

The State Apartments

The State Apartments are on the second floor of the northern row and are used for royal receptions and official events. Official dinners are held in the Charles XI's Gallery for state visits, elections, and Nobel laureates. The Vita Havet (the White Sea) ballroom is used as a salon after dinners.

The Bernadotte Apartments

The Bernadotte Apartments are on the first floor of the northern row. Named after Sweden's current royal house, Bernadotte, they are used for audiences, awarding medals, and meetings. The rooms are also open to the public.

The Exhibitions Apartments

On the ground floor of the northern row are the Exhibition Apartments, used for special exhibitions and public lectures.

The Tre Kronor Museum

In the cellars of the northern and western row is the Tre Kronor Museum. It is in the rooms that were kitchens in the Tre Kronor Castle and opened in 1999. The museum has exhibits about the old Tre Kronor castle, which was destroyed by fire in 1697.

The Southern Row

The Royal Chapel

Main article: Royal Chapel (Sweden)

The Royal Chapel was built in the 18th century and is the parish church for the Royal Parish. It is located in the east half of the southern row and is used for services and royal ceremonies.

The Hall of State

The Hall of State is in the west half of the southern row and is two stories high. It was introduced for the Riksdag of 1755 and includes the Silver Throne of Queen Christina.

The Treasury

In the cellar of the southern row is the Treasury, displaying the Regalia of Sweden. The museum opened in 1970.

The Northwest (Chancery) Wing

The Chancery Wing was planned for government administration but later became a royal apartment. It was used by Crown Prince Gustav (IV) Adolf and later by King Gustaf VI Adolf until 1973. The Spegelsalongen (Mirror Hall) is in this wing.

The Northeast Wing

Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities

Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities is in the cellars of the northeast wing. It opened to the public in 1794 and displays over 200 antique sculptures bought by King Gustav III during his trip to Italy in 1783–1784.

Activities

The Stockholm Palace is a busy place with about 200 full-time workers, many of whom are women. During special events like big dinners or in the summer, extra workers join in to help.

The palace is home to the Royal Court of Sweden, which supports the country's king and queen. This group also takes care of the history and traditions of the Swedish royal family.

Inside the palace, there are several museums to explore, including Livrustkammaren, Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities, The Treasury, and The Tre Kronor Museum. There is also a special library called the Bernadottebiblioteket for research.

The Royal Guards protect the palace and attend important ceremonies. They have been part of the palace since 1523 and change duty in a ceremony that many visitors watch each year.

The Royal Gift Shop sells items connected to the palace’s history and collections. It is located in the palace’s curved wing and can be reached from the Outer Courtyard.

Main article: Royal Court of Sweden

Main article: Slottsarkivet

Main article: Royal Guards (Sweden)

Palace ghosts

There are many stories about ghosts in the Stockholm Palace. One famous ghost is called the Grå Gubben (the Old Grey Man). People say he lives in the old parts of the palace and can see the future. Some believe he is a historic leader watching over the palace.

Another well-known ghost is the Vita frun (the White Lady). Legends say she appears to warn of something sad happening to someone in the royal family. She is described as a tall figure in a white dress, and people say they only hear the soft sound of her dress as she walks. There are different ideas about who she might be, but stories say she has appeared at times when sad events were about to happen.