-
Drottningholm Palace and Court Theater
Drottningholm Palace is the
private residence of the Swedish Royal family in Drottningholm,
Sweden, on one of the islands called Lovon, part of Stockholm's
county and is only one of the numerous Swedish royal palaces. It was
originally built in the late 16th century, and was the main
residence for the royal family for the majority of the 18th century.
It is still the private estate of the family but still available for
tours since it has become such a popular attraction in the nation.
The name Drottningholm means "Queen's Islet" and was the name of the
original renaissance structure that was designed by Willem Boy and
built by John III of Sweden for his wife, Queen Catherine Jagellon,
in 1580, which had replaced a royal mansion that was called
"Torvesund". Hedwig Eleonora, the Queen Dowager Regent, purchased
the castle in 1661, a year after she was called the Queen of Sweden,
although it would burn to the ground that December. Hedwig then
commissioned the famous Swedish architect, Nicodemus Tessin the
Elder who designed and started rebuilding the castle, which started
in 1662, but in 1681, he passed on, so his son, Nicodemus Tessin the
Younger finished the castle and its fabulous interior designs.
During that time, Hedwig had been in charge of the still-underage
King, Charles XI of Sweden; from 1660 to 1672, and since the nation
had become a very powerful country after the Peace of Westphalia,
the royal leader would need an impressive place to live, but close
to Stockholm. In the reigns of Charles XI and Charles XII of Sweden,
the royal court was usually present at the castle, with Charles XI
coming there to hunt, and after 1700, Hedwig hosted the royal court
when Charles XII was in the Great Northern War of 1700 to 1721. It
had become the royal court from 1720 to 1792, and after Hedwig had
passed on in 1715, Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden and King
Frederick I of Sweden had their courts at the palace until 1744. It
was then given to the Crown Princess, Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, who
then became Queen in 1744, when she would marry Adolf Frederick of
Sweden; who was crowned king in 1751. During Louisa's ownership of
the estate, she had the interior transformed into a more French
rococo style, and had the palace theater reconstructed into a
grander scale after the original had been burnt down in 1762. Louisa
and her king would continue to reign from there until 1777, when she
sold the estate to the Swedish state. King Gustav III of Sweden, son
of Louisa, would live in the palace during his court, although it
still belonged to the state, and while Gustav was king, the palace
and estate had its heyday and was used for a summer residence, where
the ceremonial court was held. During the reigns of Gustav IV Adolf
of Sweden and Charles XIII of Sweden, the palace was used sparingly,
since they thought it represented the old dynasty, and in 1797,
Frederica of Baden was celebrated with many great festivals and in
1809, the deposed king would be held prisoner here under the guards
in the Chinese parlor for 11 days. During the 19th century the
estate wasn't used much and began to decay and fall into disrepair,
and in Charles XIV John of Sweden's reign, it would be abandoned
altogether. The buildings were terribly damaged by natural forces,
and the inventories were either sold off or taken away. The estate
was opened to the public, and a tour began in 1819, with people
coming here to use the parks for picnics and such. Sometimes the
grounds would be used for public events or to receive foreign guests
like Josephine of Leuchtenberg when she came to Sweden in 1823, and
Tsar Nicolas of Russia. During the reign of Oscar I of Sweden, he
showed some interest in the old palace, and stopped it from being
destroyed in 1846 by beginning some repairs. Public celebrations
were still held here, and in 1858, the future Gustav V of Sweden was
born here. Charles XV of Sweden didn't use it at all in his reign,
but Oscar II of Sweden continued with the repairs. Oscar I and II
were often criticized for modernizing the palace and transforming it
to reflect the changes in times, rather than restore it to its
original condition, but when Gustav V took over ruling, he restored
the palace and grounds to their original condition and 18th century
appearance. A four year restoration program started in 1907, and it
was returned to its former glory and after that was completed, the
court was held there once more. Since 1981, the present Royal Family
has used the estate as their primary residence, and has been guarded
by the Swedish military like the Stockholm Palace.
-
Royal Armory (Livrustkammaren)
The Livrustkammaren or Royal
Armoury is a marvelous museum located in the Royal Palace in
Stockholm, Sweden that houses numerous artifacts of the nation's
military history and Swedish royalty. It was started in 1628 by King
Gustav Adolphus, after he thought that his clothes from his campaign
against Poland should be preserved for posterity and is the oldest
museum in the nation. Tours are available and the exhibits are
exciting and very interesting. For almost five centuries, the
possessions of the Swedish rulers have been kept in the royal
armoury, and each generation continued to add to the incredible
collection that have included all the various dynasties and famous
events in the history of Sweden. In their permanent collections, the
oldest relics are the sets of royal state and ceremonial weapons
that had been stored in the old Three Crowns Palace during the 16th
century. It is believed that the court attendees would be allowed to
view the awesome weaponry and riches of the new Vasa dynasty of
Gustav Vasa and his sons, Erik VIV, Johan III and Charles XI, and
had been renaissance kings that were quite particular about their
reputations in Europe, where all consequential courts had elaborate
collections of weaponry. Gustavus Adolphus, in 1620, wanted his
blood stained clothes to be preserved to show future generations
that the king had been both valiant and brave, and preserved in this
royal armoury. In the 1850s, the ceremonial costumes of the royal
families were brought from the royal wardrobe and incorporated into
the Royal Armoury with other numerous ceremonial props that were
used for parades, like saddles, that had been on view since the 17th
century, and in the 19th century, the royal carriages were brought
here from the Royal Stables. The marvelously decorated saddles and
harnesses that had been diplomatic gifts from other kings and
sultans are located here, as well as the honorary gifts of luxuriant
equipped horses that would eventually be replaced by the Orders of
Chivalry. Those relics that have been related to the royals during
war, ceremonial or political events have been donated to the museum
by the royal families involved and since the middle of the 19th
century; but still continues to get donations from the public that
pertain to the royal costumes. The clothes showcase the difference
between royals and the public. The collections can be studied for
numerous reasons, including style, craftsmanship and fashion with a
royal commission being set up to verify the high quality workmanship
that usually has some reliable documentation.
|
