Royal Palace, Oslo
From Freepedia
Image:Slottet oslo 2.jpg Image:Slott noreg bak 1.jpg
The Royal Palace (no:Slottet) in Oslo was built in the first half of the 18th century as the Norwegian residence of Swedish-Norwegian king Charles III (Charles XIV of Sweden) and is used as the official residence of the present Norwegian Monarch. The crown princely couple live in Skaugum Residence in Asker Municipality outside of Oslo, while the three princesses of Norway live on estates in Oslo, Fredrikstad and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Swedish-Norwegian Royal Family never used the Palace much, as they did not spend much time in Oslo (then Christiania), and there was a smaller house in the old centre of the city which was preferred as the royal residence of the period. During the reign of Oscar II, Queen Sophia enjoyed long stays in Christiania and used the Palace regularly. When the Swedish king was replaced by the new Norwegian king, Haakon VII, the Palace was for the first time used as a permanent residence.
The palace was designed by the Danish-born architect Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow (1787-1851). The project was initiated in the Norwegian parliament in 1821, the foundation stone was put in place by the king in 1825 and the building was completed in 1849.
During the reign and recidence of the late Majesty, King Olav V, from 1957 to 1991, the Royal Palace was not renovated or kept up to style, and the present Majesties started a large renovation project, which became criticized because of the amount of spendings needed to bring the Palace up to state. Since public tours began in 2002, the general public has been able to view and appreciate the renovation and splendour the palace now enjoys.
External links
- The Norwegian Royal Family (with information on the history and architecture of the Royal Palace)
