View source for Drottningholm Palace

{{Short description|Royal palace in Stockholm, Sweden}}
{{expand Swedish|date=March 2024|topic=struct}}
{{Infobox Historic building
| image            = Drottningholm kollage 2011abc.jpg
| caption          = 
| name             = Drottningholm Palace
| native_name      = Drottningholms slott
| native_name_lang = sv
| location_town    = Drottningholm
| location_country = Sweden
| architect        = 
| client           = 
| engineer         = 
| construction_start_date = 16th century
| completion_date  = 
| date_demolished  = 
| cost             = 
| structural_system = 
| style            = 
| map_type         = Sweden Stockholm
| coordinates      = {{Coord|59|19|18|N|017|53|10|E|region:SE-AB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| embedded         = {{designation list | embed=yes
   | designation1 = WHS
   | designation1_offname = Royal Domain of Drottningholm
   | designation1_date = 1991 <small>(15th [[World Heritage Committee|session]])</small>
   | designation1_type = Cultural
   | designation1_criteria = iv
   | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/559 559]
   | designation1_free1name = Region
   | designation1_free1value = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe|Europe]]
   }}
}}
[[File:Suecia 1-077 ; Drottningholm detail.jpg|250px|thumb|Drottningholm Palace {{c.|1700}}]]

'''Drottningholm Palace''' ({{langx|sv|Drottningholms slott}}), or '''[[Drottningholm]]''', one of [[Royal Palaces in Sweden|Sweden's royal palaces]], situated near Sweden's capital [[Stockholm]], is the private residence of the [[Swedish royal family]].

Located on [[Lovön]] island in [[Stockholm County]]'s [[Ekerö Municipality]], it was built in the late 17th century and was a regular summer residence of the Swedish royal court through most of the 18th century.

Drottningholm Palace is a popular tourist attraction.

==History==
===Origin===
The name ''Drottningholm'' (literally meaning "Queen's islet") came from the original [[Renaissance architecture|renaissance]] building designed by [[Willem Boy]], a stone palace built by [[John III of Sweden]] in 1580 for his queen, [[Catherine Jagiellon]].  This palace was preceded by a royal mansion called ''Torvesund''.<ref>Page 61 of the Swedish Etymological Dictionary of ''Svenskt ortnamnslexikon'', published 2003 by the institute of Språk- och folkminnesinstitutet, [[Uppsala]]. The latter part "sund" means sound, and "torve" has to do with fishing (a prehistoric Swedish word).</ref>

The Queen Dowager Regent [[Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp|Hedwig Eleonora]] bought the castle throughout 1661, a year after her role as queen of Sweden ended, but it burnt to the ground on 30 December that same year. Hedwig Eleonora engaged the architect [[Nicodemus Tessin the Elder]] to design and rebuild the castle. In 1662, work began on the reconstruction of the building. With the castle almost complete, Tessin died in 1681. His son [[Nicodemus Tessin the Younger]] continued his work and completed the elaborate interior designs.  The Flemish sculptor [[Nicolaes Millich]] made for the great staircase and hall sculptures of the nine muses in marble, along with a series of busts of Gothic kings.<ref name=oud>[https://archive.org/details/oudholland28docugoog/page/n178 G. Upmark, ''Ein Besuch in Holland 1687 aus den Reiseschilderungen des schwedischen Architekten Nicodemus Tessin,''] pt. 2, OudHolland 18 (1900), p. 151 {{in lang|de}}</ref>   In addition, he also made bust portraits of King [[:File:Nicolaes Millich - Portrait bust of king Charles X Gustav of Sweden.jpg|Charles X Gustav]], his wife [[:File:Nicolaes Millich - Portrait bust of Queen Hedwig Eleanor of Sweden.jpg|Hedwig Eleonor]] and both their sons, the young King [[:File:Nicolaes Millich - Portrait bust of king Charles XI of Sweden.jpg|Charles XI]], probably also of [[Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie]] and his wife [[Maria Euphrosyne of Zweibrücken|Maria Euphrosyne]], a sister of King Charles X Gustav. Millich and his assistant [[Burchard Precht]] also made decorative wood carvings in the Queen Dowager's bed chamber.<ref name=swed>[https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/artikel/9358 Nicolaes Millich] in: Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, Volume 25, p. 516 {{in lang|sv}}</ref>

During the period of the reconstruction, Hedwig Eleonora was head of the regency for the still-underage king, [[Charles XI of Sweden]], from 1660 to 1672. Sweden had grown to be a [[Swedish Empire|powerful country]] after the [[Peace of Westphalia]]. The position of the Queen, essentially the ruler of Sweden, demanded an impressive residence located conveniently close to [[Stockholm]].

During the reign of the kings Charles XI of Sweden and [[Charles XII of Sweden]], the royal court was often present at the palace, which was used for hunting.<ref name=Martenson>{{cite book| last=Mårtenson| first=Jan| title=Drottningholm: slottet vid vattnet| publisher=Wahlström & Widstrand| location=Stockholm| year=1985| isbn=978-9146146599| trans-title=Drottningholm: Castle by the Water| language=sv}}</ref> Hedwig Eleonora used the palace as a summer residence until her death in 1715, also when she had become the undisputed host of the royal court during the absence of Charles XII in the [[Great Northern War]] (1700–1721).

===18th century===
Drottningholm continued to serve regularly as a summer residence for the royal court during the entire 18th-century. After the death of Hedwig Eleonora in 1715, Queen [[Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden]] and King [[Frederick I of Sweden]] held court at the palace in the summer.<ref name=Martenson />

In 1744, the palace was given as a gift from King Frederick I to the then Crown Princess, later queen of Sweden, [[Louisa Ulrika of Prussia]] when she married [[Adolf Frederick of Sweden]], who became king of Sweden in 1751.<ref name=Martenson /> During Louisa Ulrika's ownership of Drottningholm the interior of the palace was transformed into a more sophisticated French [[rococo]] style. Louisa Ulrika was also responsible for having the [[Drottningholm Palace Theatre]] rebuilt in a grand style after the more modest original building burnt down in 1762. Louisa Ulrika and Adolf Fredrick continued to reside at the palace during their reign (1751–1771). In 1777, Louisa Ulrika sold Drottningholm to the Swedish state.

While it was owned by the Swedish state, the palace was used by King [[Gustav III of Sweden]], son of Louisa Ulrika, as a summer residence, and a grand ceremonial court life was performed at the palace, which is considered to have been a great age for the palace, during which it was known for the elaborate masquerades and grand theatrical festivities and tournaments performed in the gardens.<ref name=Martenson />  During the reign of [[Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden]] (reign 1792–1809) and [[Charles XIII of Sweden]] (reign 1809–1818) the palace was gradually used more sporadically. In 1797, it was the place of the great festivities when the King's bride, [[Frederica of Baden]], was received there upon her arrival in Sweden, during which the last so called carousel, or tournament, was staged in the palace garden.<ref name=Martenson /> After the [[Coup of 1809]], the deposed Gustav IV Adolf was kept here under guard in the Chinese Drawing Room for eleven days.

===19th century===
[[File:Drottningholm - KMB - 16000300021335.jpg|thumb|200px|The great staircase with sculptures by [[Nicolaes Millich]]]]

During the reign of [[Charles XIV John of Sweden]] (reign 1818–1844), the palace was abandoned. The King regarded it as a symbol of the old dynasty, and Drottningholm was left to decay.<ref name=Martenson /> The buildings were damaged by the forces of nature, and their inventories were either taken away or auctioned off.<ref name=Martenson />

It was apparently opened to the public for the first time during this period: a tour was mentioned in 1819, and the public used the park for [[picnic]]s.<ref name=Martenson />
Occasionally, the grounds were used for public events: in 1823, the bride of the crown prince, [[Josephine of Leuchtenberg]], was received upon her arrival to Sweden, and her [[name day]] continued to be celebrated here. Foreign guests were received in the palace gardens, such as [[Tsar]] [[Nicholas I of Russia]].<ref name=Martenson />

[[Oscar I of Sweden]] took an interest in the palace, and though he preferred [[Tullgarn Palace]] as summer residence, he took care to preserve the palace by doing the first repairs in 1846. He further more used it for public celebrations, such as a reception for [[Scandinavism|Pan-Scandinavian]] students in 1856, and in 1858, the future [[Gustav V of Sweden]] was born in the palace.<ref name=Martenson /> [[Charles XV of Sweden]] preferred [[Ulriksdal Palace]] as his summer residence and ignored Drottningholm, but [[Oscar II of Sweden]] continued the repairs.<ref name=Martenson />

Both Oscar I and Oscar II were criticized for modernizing the palace and adjusting it to contemporary fashion rather than restoring it to its original state, and it was not until the reign of Gustav V that the palace and surroundings were reconstructed to their 18th-century appearance.<ref name=Martenson /> In 1907, a major four-year restoration of the palace was begun to restore it to its former state, after which the royal court began to use it regularly again.<ref name=Martenson />

===Royal residence===
Since 1981 King [[Carl XVI Gustaf]] and [[Queen Silvia]] of Sweden have resided in the southern wing of the palace. The other parts of the palace are open to the public. Also during this time there has been, just like at [[Stockholm Palace]], a unit of [[Life Guards (Sweden)|royal guards]] stationed at the palace. During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] the King and Queen carried out some of their work from their home in the palace. Otherwise their official workplace has remained at Stockholm Palace.

For the Queens 50th Birthday in 1993 she was gifted a swimming pavilion worth 9 million SEK by the [[Wallenberg family]] that was attached to the south wings courtyard. To get permission to construct the pavilion it was constructed in a way that would allow its demolition without harming the original palace. In 2018 the pavilion was renovated for a cost of 744 000 SEK, taken from taxpayer money since it is now counted as a part of a state owned building and as such it is the job of the state to maintain it.<ref>url= https://www.svt.se/nyheter/granskning/ug/granskning-skattebetalarnas-nota-for-drottningens-poolrenovering-744-000-kronor</ref>

==The palace==
The palace and its grounds have seen many renovations, changes and additions over the past 400 years. The largest renovation, in which electricity, heating, sewage, water lines were either  installed or updated and the castle roof replaced, took place between 1907 and 1913.
During a 20-year-period beginning around 1977, several major areas of the palace were restored and rebuilt. The library and national hall received much of the attention and fire protection was installed throughout the palace. In 1997, work began to clean and rebuild the exterior walls. This was completed in 2002.

===The palace church===
[[File:Drottningholms slottskyrka.jpg|thumb|upright|left]]The church was designed and erected by [[Nicodemus Tessin the Elder]]. It was completed by his son in May, 1746.

It is still used by the people of Lovön parish, who worship in the church on the last Sunday of every month. Inside the castle church a Cahman organ from 1730 is still in use. Another noteworthy item is the traditional church tapestry which was made by [[Gustav V of Sweden]].

===The palace theatre===
{{Main|Drottningholm Palace Theatre}} 
[[File:Drottningholm June 2013 07.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Drottningholm Palace Theatre]]]]

The Drottningholm Palace Theatre is the opera house located at the palace. It is still in use, and its summer opera festivals are quite popular. At times the Royal Swedish Opera company guest performs.

===The Chinese Pavilion===
{{Main|Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm}}

The Chinese Pavilion, located on the grounds of the Drottningholm Palace park, is a [[Chinoiserie|Chinese-inspired]] royal pavilion built in 1763–1770.

==The gardens==
[[File:MJK 54041 Barockträdgården (Drottningholm).jpg|thumb|right|upright|View of the Baroque garden, seen from the palace]]

The gardens and park areas surrounding the castle and its buildings are one of the main attractions for the tourists that visit the palace each year. The gardens have been established in stages since the castle was built, resulting in different styles of parks and gardens.

===The Baroque garden===
The oldest part of the gardens was created at the end of the 17th century under the direction of Hedwig Eleonora. The father and son Tessin led the project that created a [[Baroque garden]] right outside the main palace,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UwZdn4eiXvsC&q=%22Tessin+the+Elder%22+%22Tessin+the+Younger%22|title=Fielding's Scandinavia|last=Berman|first=Martha|date=1995|publisher=Fielding Worldwide|isbn=9781569520499|pages=393|language=en}}</ref> flanked by thick [[Avenue (landscape)|tree avenues]]. The many statues scattered throughout this area were created by the artist [[Adrian de Vries]]; the Swedish army took them as spoils of war from the [[Wallenstein Palace]] in Prague,{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}} while the two marble lions at the main gate of the palace were transported from the [[Ujazdów Castle]] in [[Warsaw]].<ref name=lions/> The Baroque garden was neglected along with the rest of the grounds during the 19th century, but was restored in the 1950s and 1960s on the initiative of [[Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N2zqAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Gustaf+VI+Adolf%22|title=The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm|last=Setterwall|first=Åke|last2=Fogelmarck|first2=Stig|last3=Gyllensvärd|first3=Bo|date=1974|publisher=Allhem|isbn=9789170040245|pages=234|language=en}}</ref>

===The English garden===
[[File:Drottningholm DSC 4995.JPG|thumb|Statue of Diana]]

[[Gustav III of Sweden]] took the initiative for the [[English landscape garden]] of Drottningholm. This lies north of the Baroque garden and consists of two ponds with canals, bridges, large open lawns, and trees in groups or avenues. Walkways are laid out throughout this large part of the park.

Throughout this area "vistas" can be seen, cleared lines of sight that are intentionally constructed to draw the eye to a particular view. Most of the antique marble statues throughout the gardens were purchased by Gustav III from Italy. The purpose of the statues is to surprise a visitor by their unexpected appearance in a green area, or as a focal point for a vista.

==UNESCO World Heritage Site==
The palace is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]], mainly because of the [[Drottningholm Palace Theatre]] and the [[Kina slott|Chinese Pavilion]]. It was added to the list in 1991. The UNESCO comments were:

{{blockquote|The Royal Domain of Drottningholm stands on an island in Lake Mälar in a suburb of Stockholm. With its palace, perfectly preserved theatre (built in 1766), Chinese pavilion and gardens, it is the finest example of an 18th-century northern European royal residence inspired by the Palace of Versailles.}}

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200" heights="155">
File:Drottningholm May 2025 04.jpg|Drottningholm Palace, rear
File:Drottningholm Palace (by Pudelek) 1.jpg|East façade
File:Drottningholm Royal Palace Stockholm Sweden.jpg|The palace seen from Kärsön in evening
File:Drottningholm May 2025 01.jpg|View of the palace with the Hercules fountain in front
File:Drottningholmsparken1.jpg|The strict lines of a Baroque garden
File:Suecia 1-077 ; Drottningholm detail.jpg|Engraving c. 1700
File:Drottningholm May 2025 02.jpg|An allée in the palace park
File:Stockholm Sweden Royal-Domain-of Drottningholm Drottningholms-Kina-Slott-01.jpg|[[Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm|Chinese Pavilion]] (''Kina Slott'')
File:Drottningholm May 2025 03.jpg|Fountain
File:Drottningholm Palace5.JPG|Rear of the Palace from the gardens
File:0061Drottningholms slott.jpg|Aerial view over Drottningholms slott.
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of Baroque residences]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=

<ref name=lions>{{cite web |author=Marcin Latka |title=Marble lions from the Ujazdów Castle |url=https://artinpoland.weebly.com/en/marble-lions-from-the-ujazdow-castle |access-date=9 September 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626183924/https://artinpoland.weebly.com/en/marble-lions-from-the-ujazdow-castle |archive-date=26 June 2019 }}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/royal-palaces-and-sites/drottningholm-palace.html Official website]
* [http://www.stockholm360.net/vtour_map.php?id=drottningholm Drottningholm Palace park's 360x180 degree panorama virtual tour] at stockholm360.net

{{Crown palaces in Sweden}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Sweden}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Drottningholm Palace|Drottningholm Palace]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Sweden]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1580]]
[[Category:1580 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:1580s establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:Museums in Stockholm County]]