The palaces King Frederik X and Queen Mary call home

This week, King Frederik X and Queen Mary marked a new first since the change of throne in January.
The Danish King and Queen moved into their official residence in Copenhagen, Frederik VIII’s Palace’s at Amalienborg, where they will now live during the cooler months through until next year.
The royal couple, and their four children, had been living north of the capital at Frendensborg Palace, which underwent a number of changes following Queen Margrethe II’s abdication in January.
READ MORE: The Greek princess who is marrying this weekend after two delays
King Frederik and Queen Mary have a number of official residences they can use but they predominately split their time between two main historic and fairytale-like palaces.
On September 26, Frederik and Mary, and their children, moved into Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg, for the first time as King and Queen.
King Frederik, Queen Mary live inside Frederik VIII’s Palace along with their children Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 17, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 13.
This time, Crown Prince Christian won’t be joining his family at Amalienborg as he is currently in East Africa on an extended stay until December.
Frederik VIII’s Palace – originally known as Brockdorff’s Palace – is the royal couple’s private residence with administrative and ceremonial functions.
It is one of the four palaces that make up Amalienborg, a grand complex in the heart of Copenhagen.
The complex is the official home of the Danish royal family in the capital during the wintertime and the most recognisable of all the royal residences.
The four identical palaces were once the home of prominent nobles until they were taken over by the royal family in 1794 when their main residence, Christiansborg Palace, was extensively damaged by fire.
READ MORE: Exploring Copenhagen’s incredible royal sites
While it’s hard to distinguish the four palaces from each other, King Frederik and Queen Mary’s home is the only one with a clock on its exterior.
The palace was built in 1750-60 and was later home to King Frederik’s beloved grandmother, Queen Ingrid, until her death in 2000.
The then-Crown Prince family moved in after an extensive renovation and modernisation in 2010, which had begun in 2004 around the time of the royal wedding.
The interior and exterior restorations and renovations were carried out by Arkitema and architecture firm Erik Einar Holms Tegnestue, along with input from Frederik and Mary, the Danish Palaces and Properties Agency and the City of Copenhagen.
“We succeeded in transforming the palace into a modern home with functional working spaces that integrate contemporary functions without damaging the building historic features,” Arkitema said following the completion of the works.
The flooring included bespoke pinewood planks by Dinesen that match the historical floors, of the late French Empire Rococo style of the 1800s, both in appearance and quality.
Frederik and Mary chose 10 Danish contemporary artists for the inside decorations, which can be seen in the background when the royal couple hosts events, and meetings, inside their home.
READ MORE: ‘Without Mary, Frederik would not be the King he is today’
When the palace was briefly open to the public before the family moved in, the queues to go inside and have a look were among the biggest the city had seen in a long time.
The palaces of Amalienborg are the main spots to see the royals when they are in Copenhagen as they appear on the balconies for important events.
After the proclamation on January 14, King Frederik and Queen Mary and their children appeared on the balcony of Frederik VIII’s Palace. Months later, they returned to the balcony for the King’s birthday (May 25).
It’s also possible to see members of the royal family as they come and go, particularly when they attend events at Amalienborg’s other main palace, Christian VII’s Palace.
Christian VII’s Palace is where the first of the three annual New Year’s galas are held (the first being the most important, requiring tiaras) and it was also where then-Crown Princess Mary and then-Crown Prince Frederik appeared on the balcony together as husband and wife following their royal wedding because Frederik VIII’s Palace was being renovated.
9Honey’s Natalie Oliveri was able to tour the palace during a rare opening in 2023 and got to stand on the other side of that balcony in the same room where Mary and Frederik had their official wedding photographs.
Just over an hour north on one of Copenhagen’s regional trains is Frendensborg Palace, which is often described as Denmark’s Versailles.
The white palace sits within a forest of green trees and flowers and is a must-see.
While the palace is open to the public for just one month, its grounds are free to explore all year around and there are many walking trails around the site including a path that takes visitors to the back of the building where many royal events have taken place over the years.
Then-Crown Princess Mary and then-Crown Prince Frederik’s evening wedding reception was held inside Fredensborg Palace when Queen Margrethe II praised Mary for having “shown the courage to place her future life in Denmark – may we always be worthy of her trust”.
King Frederik and Queen Mary live in the Chancellery House, which is attached to Fredensborg Palace, in the summer months.
The building is connected to the main palace via the stables and the chapel and frames the eastern part of the complex.
Chancellery House was the first marital home for Mary and Frederik and remained their main residence until renovations at Frederik VIII’s Palace were complete.
Built in 1731, the building was constructed for the King’s ministers and government officials, hence its name.
The Chancellery House’s architecture and interiors are in Baroque style with references to the French régence style. Details from the original building remain including stucco ceilings in régence style, panelled doors with decorative fittings in wrought iron, high wall panels and painted canvas wallpaper in Chinese style.
Queen Ingrid also lived at the Chancellery House until her death.
King Frederik and Queen Mary use the Chancellery House as their residence in the summertime and during extended stays at Fredensborg.
Following the change of throne in January, a number of changes were made to Chancellery House to reflect the new monarch.
King Frederik’s cypher was added to the guards’ stations outside Fredensborg in May soon before the royal couple took up residency for the summer.
And in August, Queen Mary gave the public a rare glimpse of a new annex to the residence which had been recently renovated.
The photo showed Mary hosting a meeting, seated a a table used from recycled wood inside a room decorated in the minimalist Scandinavian style.
Along with Amalienborg and Fredensborg, the royal family also stay at Graasten Palace, Marselisborg Palace, the royal yacht Dannebrog and the Château de Cayx in the south of France.
Read more about Copenhagen’s other royal sites here.