Royal Palace
The Royal Palace in Oslo
A Living Landmark at the Heart of the Norwegian Capital
There are royal palaces that overwhelm, and there are royal palaces that command by silence. Oslo’s Royal Palace belongs to the latter tradition. It does not shout across the city in gold and marble. It does not retreat behind a fortress of gates. Instead, it stands at the top of Karl Johans gate with a calm, pale-yellow façade, a measured rhythm of windows and columns, and a dignity that feels almost architectural in its modesty.
This is one of the great pleasures of the Royal Palace in Oslo: it is monumental, but never theatrical. It is formal, yet surprisingly open. The broad sweep of Slottsplassen — the Palace Square — gives the building its ceremonial distance, while the surrounding park softens it into the life of the city. On a winter morning, the palace can appear almost austere against the blue-grey Nordic light. In spring, it seems to wake with the trees. In summer, when the park is green and the palace opens for guided tours, the building becomes not only an emblem of monarchy, but an invitation into Norwegian history.
The Royal Palace is today the residence of the King and Queen of Norway, a workplace for members of the Royal Family, and the setting for official audiences, dinners, receptions and state occasions. It is owned by the state and placed at the disposal of the head of state — a detail that says much about the Norwegian model of monarchy: ceremonial, constitutional, public-facing and closely woven into the institutions of the nation.
The Palace at the End of Oslo’s Grand Axis
The Royal Palace occupies one of Oslo’s most symbolic urban positions. From Oslo Central Station, Karl Johans gate runs westward through the centre of the city, passing shops, cafés, the Parliament, the National Theatre and the University of Oslo’s historic buildings before arriving at the open forecourt of the palace. Few walks in the Norwegian capital reveal so much of its civic identity in such a short distance.
The approach matters. The palace is not hidden in a royal quarter. It crowns the everyday route of the city itself. Office workers, students, visitors, joggers, diplomats, schoolchildren and tourists all pass through the area. The result is a royal residence that feels both elevated and accessible — an official building that remains part of Oslo’s daily choreography.
Slottsplassen, with its gravel surface and open sky, creates a deliberate pause in the cityscape. At its centre stands the equestrian statue of King Karl Johan, the monarch who initiated the palace project. Beyond it, the palace rises in neoclassical order: a symmetrical composition of wings, columns and measured proportions. The architecture has a restrained European elegance, but its atmosphere is distinctly Oslo — spacious, clear, unhurried.
Built for a King Who Never Lived There
The story of the Royal Palace begins in the early 19th century, during a period when Norway was redefining its political identity. The idea of building a royal residence in Oslo was raised in the Storting in 1821, and the following year King Carl Johan himself proposed the project. The site was chosen west of the then city centre, on Bellevue hill, and the foundation stone was laid on 1 October 1825.
The architect was Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow, a Danish-born architect entrusted with designing a residence worthy of the monarchy in the Norwegian capital. Yet the building’s path to completion was far from simple. Money ran short. Work stopped for several years. The original plan, more ambitious in scale, had to be revised for financial reasons. What emerged was a simpler U-shaped palace — an adjustment that may, in retrospect, have contributed to the building’s enduring restraint.
King Carl Johan never saw the completed palace. It was finished after his death and formally inaugurated on 26 July 1849 in the presence of the Royal Family. King Oscar I became the first monarch to use it.
This delayed beginning gives the palace a certain poignancy. It was conceived as a residence for one king, completed for another, and gradually adapted to the needs of a modern constitutional monarchy. Like Norway itself, the building has lived through unions, independence, modernisation and democratic transformation.
Architecture of Restraint and Ceremony
The Royal Palace is neoclassical in spirit, but it is not a palace of excess. Its effect lies in balance: the long horizontal façade, the central temple front, the rhythm of the windows, the soft yellow exterior and the white columns that frame the main entrance.
The palace as it stands today is also the result of alteration. After King Carl Johan’s death in 1844, it became clear that the building would be too small for the new Royal Family. The Storting granted additional funds to enlarge the wings and improve the exterior. The roof was lowered, and the monumental columned front was added to the main façade — the feature that today gives the palace its most recognisable ceremonial face.
Inside, the building reflects the changing tastes of the 25 years it took to complete. The Royal Court describes interiors ranging from Pompeian wall paintings in the dining rooms to national romanticism in the Bird Room and emerging Neo-Rococo in the White Salon. The palace is therefore not a single stylistic statement, but a layered interior world shaped by European influence, Norwegian identity and the evolving requirements of court life.
Among the most important reception rooms are the Council Chamber, the Bird Room, the Banqueting Hall, the Great Hall and the Palace Chapel. These are not museum rooms in the ordinary sense. They are working ceremonial spaces — rooms where the state, monarchy and public ritual intersect. The Banqueting Hall is used for gala dinners during state visits and major occasions, while the Council Chamber is where the King presides over the Council of State on Fridays.
A Palace That Still Works
To understand the Royal Palace in Oslo, one must see it not only as an attraction, but as a functioning institution. This is where official audiences are held, where foreign heads of state are received, where ceremonies unfold and where national traditions are given a physical stage.
That living function gives the palace a special energy. It is not simply a preserved relic of monarchy. It is a house in use. Its rooms have protocol, memory and purpose. Its balconies and halls belong not just to the past, but to the present tense of Norwegian public life.
This is also why the palace feels different from many larger royal residences elsewhere in Europe. Its scale is human. Its grandeur is controlled. It reflects a country where monarchy has survived not by distance, but by adaptation — by becoming part of a broader democratic landscape.
The Palace Park: Oslo’s Royal Garden for Everyone
One of the great charms of the Royal Palace is that its park is part of the city’s open life. The Palace Park is not merely a decorative frame; it is one of central Oslo’s most beloved green spaces. With lawns, meadows, perennial beds, old trees and winding paths, it offers a gentle contrast to the formal geometry of the palace façade.
The park was laid out alongside the construction of the palace in the mid-19th century, while its oldest sections date back to 1751. Today, the Palace Park is a protected cultural heritage site, maintained by the palace gardeners. The main part of the park is open to the public all year round, while the Queen’s Park is normally open during daytime from 18 May to 1 October.
For visitors, the park is essential to the experience. It allows the palace to be approached from different angles: from the grand frontal view of Slottsplassen, from the shaded pathways behind the building, or from the quiet green edges near Parkveien. In a city that values outdoor life, the Palace Park makes the monarchy feel unusually close to everyday Oslo.
Visiting the Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is open to the public for guided tours during the summer season. For 2026, the official season runs from 20 June to 16 August, with tours every day between 10:00 and 17:00. All visitors must join a guided tour, and while most tours are in Norwegian, several English-language tours are offered daily.
The address is Slottsplassen 1, and the nearest public transport stop is Nationaltheatret, served by metro, tram, bus and train. The entrance for tours is on the west side of the palace, not from the main square in front.
Visitors should note that photography is not permitted inside the palace, and bags, coats, cameras and umbrellas must be left in cloakroom lockers. Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster, with a limited number available at the entrance each day during the season; advance booking is recommended because tours can sell out quickly. A palace ticket also includes same-day entrance to the Queen Sonja Art Stable.
Why the Royal Palace Matters
The Royal Palace is not Oslo’s oldest monument, nor its boldest architectural statement. It does not have the medieval gravity of Akershus Fortress or the avant-garde drama of the Opera House. Yet it is one of the city’s most important places because it gathers so many strands of Norway into one view.
It is a royal residence, but also a public landmark. It is a neoclassical building, but also a Norwegian story of economy, compromise and adaptation. It is a ceremonial stage, but also the backdrop to ordinary walks through the city. It belongs to the monarchy, but it also belongs to the visual memory of Oslo.
To stand on Slottsplassen is to understand something essential about the Norwegian capital. Oslo is not a city that overwhelms through imperial display. Its beauty often lies in proportion, openness, air and restraint. The Royal Palace expresses precisely that quality. It is dignified without being distant, historic without feeling frozen, and grand without losing its Nordic clarity.
For international visitors, it is one of the natural starting points for understanding Oslo. Walk up Karl Johans gate, pause at the statue of King Karl Johan, watch the guards at the palace entrance, continue into the park, and let the city unfold from there. From this hilltop, Oslo feels both capital and village, state and landscape, ceremony and everyday life.
That is the quiet power of the Royal Palace. It does not merely stand above Oslo. It helps explain it.
Monumental, but never theatrical. It is formal, yet surprisingly open.
The Royal Palace in Oslo is the most important of His Majesty The King’s residences. There are also residences in Trondheim, Bergen and Stavanger, in addition to several private properties. The Royal Yacht Norge is used on many journeys in Norway and abroad.
A large part of the Royal Family’s official activities take place at the Royal Palace. Meetings and audiences are held daily, in addition to numerous official dinners, receptions, and other events hosted here.
The Royal Palace is owned by the state and placed at the disposal of the head of state. It serves as the residence of the King and Queen and as a workplace for members of the Royal Family. Most of the staff of the Royal Court also carry out their daily duties here. The Palace is open for guided tours during the summer.The rooms reflect the various styles that were fashionable during the 25 years it took to build the Palace. Here you will find Pompeian wall paintings in the Great and Daily Dining Rooms, national romanticism in the Bird Room, and emerging Neo-Rococo in the White Salon.
The Vestibule
For those arriving as official guests, the Vestibule is their first encounter with the Royal Palace. For the Palace’s architect, the first impression was of great importance: the Vestibule had to impress.The Vestibule spans two storeys and is situated directly behind the central section of the Palace façade. From the Upper Vestibule, one can step out onto the Palace Balcony, which overlooks Oslo’s main thoroughfare, Karl Johan, and the Storting (Parliament). The placing of the Vestibule and the main staircase in the centre of the Palace determined the city planning of Oslo.When the Palace was built, it stood some distance outside what is now central Oslo. Karl Johan street was constructed in the 1830s to link the royal residence with the city. It is one of Oslo’s principal axes and the promenade in Norway built on a European scale. The axis was laid out with the central section of the Palace as its focal point.In the Upper Vestibule, guests are received by the Lord Chamberlain on the occasion of gala dinners and receptions. On certain ceremonial occasions, soldiers from His Majesty The King’s Guard line up here.The Vestibule is likewise the place where guests arriving for an audience are shown further — either to the right, through the Bird Room to the King’s office, or to the left, where the Crown Prince has his office.
Design and Decoration
Twenty stucco marble columns dominate the Upper Vestibule. It was originally intended that the columns should be carved from white Bergen marble. The Storting allocated funds for this in 1836, and quarrying began. However, during one of his trips abroad, Architect Linstow became convinced that stucco marble would be a more suitable material, as it allowed greater freedom in the choice of colour.The walls are painted according to Linstow’s original plan, in a pink distemper with vermilion red line decoration featuring palmettes, while the columns are a creamy white.
Stucco marble
Stucco marble is a mixture of water, diluted bone glue, gypsum, crushed dolomite and pigment.The components are mixed manually and applied to a well moistened base. When the mass has hardened it has to be laboriously sanded down with pumice stone, preferably six to eight times, in order to achieve a high gloss.Since the vestibule columns are load-bearing, their centre consists of a wooden post covered with reed mats to which stucco has been applied.
Decoration
The artistic decorations consist of a number of sculptures and two plaster reliefs, the latter depicting important events connected with the building of the Palace.There is also a small display case containing the trowel used by King Carl Johan when he laid the Palace’s foundation stone in 1825.
The Council Chamber
The King presides over the Council of State Fridays at 11.00 hours. The members of the Government take their places around the King’s table.At 11:00 a.m., His Majesty The King arrives, usually accompanied by His Royal Highness The Crown Prince, who takes his place at His Majesty’s side.During the meeting, the Prime Minister is seated on the King’s right. The other ministers are arranged according to rank around the King’s table. Directly opposite the King sits the Secretary to the Government, with the Laws of Norway.All laws and other decisions made in the Council of State must be sanctioned by the King and countersigned by the Prime Minister (or his/her deputy) in order to be valid.Above the large table hangs a wrought-iron chandelier in Art Nouveau style from 1901, designed by architect Jørgen Berner. It bears the inscription “By law shall the land be built” in gilded letters. The quotation is taken from the Frostating Law, as it was written down around 1260. The chandelier was installed in 1901, when the Palace was fitted with electric lighting.
Facts
The throne and the other chairs in the Council Chamber
The Chairs in the Council Chamber
His Majesty The King’s throne dates from 1846. It was designed by Palace Architect Linstow for use in the Council Chamber. The chair is decorated with acanthus leaves, features sturdy lion’s feet, and has armrests terminating in lion heads. The backrest is topped with a closed royal crown.The Crown Prince’s chair dates from 1997 and was designed by Thomas Thiis-Evensen. It is also gilded and upholstered in deep red, but is simpler in design than the throne. The backrest is adorned with an open crown – a hereditary princely crown.The ministers’ chairs were made for the original Council Chamber in 1880. They have been restored over time, and as the number of ministers has increased, new chairs have been added. These new chairs are exact replicas of the originals from 1880.
History
Originally, the Council Chamber was located in the official part of the royal apartments, in what is now the King’s office. In 1907, it was moved to its current location. The architect brothers Carl and Jørgen Berner were tasked with adapting the original guardroom to its new function as a Council Chamber.
Extensions
In the 1990s, the government had more ministers than the Council Chamber could accommodate, making an expansion necessary. The Council Chamber was merged with the adjoining room.It is not difficult to see that the Council Chamber used to be two rooms. Firstly, part of the wall between the two rooms still stands, as it is a load-bearing wall. Secondly, the ceiling decorations differ: the coffered ceiling designed by Palace Architect Linstow in the original section, and the ceiling with star motifs executed under architect Arnstein Arneberg in the 1950s in the other.As the number of ministers increased, the table was also extended. The oldest part is closest to the King’s throne. This section of the table is equipped with drawers that the ministers originally used to store papers and writing materials.During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020–2021, the Palace’s joiners extended the table further so that the requirement of at least one metre between each minister could be observed.
Artistic Decoration
The paintings in the Council Chamber commemorate important events in the monarchy following the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905: King Haakon’s arrival in the country in 1905, King Haakon’s oath before the Storting in 1905, and the Royal Family’s return after the Second World War on 7 June 1945.On either side of the door behind the throne are busts of King Haakon VII and King Olav V. Thus, when King Harald V holds a Council of State, he is flanked by portraits of his father and grandfather.
The Bird Room
The Bird Room is one of the best known rooms of the Royal Palace, both because of its unique decoration and because it is the antechamber for those awaiting an audience with the King. Members of the Royal Family are also photographed here on ceremonial occasions.
In his plans for the Bird Room, architect Linstow wrote:“The room … is where those granted an audience will be waiting. Since they often have to spend some time in this room the decoration of it should give pleasure and at the same time speak to all kinds of people. I therefore propose that the walls are painted with Norwegian landscapes. Since Norway is rich in beautiful scenery, this task should not be difficult.”
Design and decoration
Johannes Flintoe was responsible for the decoration of the Bird Room, which was completed in 1843. Its theme reflects the contemporary currents of National Romanticism, the emerging national consciousness and the growing interest in Norwegian nature and history.The Norwegians’ new sense of identity can be exemplified by the works of one of Norway’s most renowned painters, Johan Christian Dahl. In 1837 he produced a volume of prints featuring Norwegian stave churches, and in 1844, together with a group of other Norwegian artists, he established the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments.The room gives the visitor the impression of being in an open garden pavilion. Through slim pillars entwined with hops the viewer looks out onto some of the best known and most impressive Norwegian prospects: Gaustatoppen, Vøringsfossen, Vedalsfossen, Jutulen, Kringen, Myrhorn, Filefjell, Drivdalen, Vindhella and Feigum.A rich variety of Norwegian birds perch here and there about the pavilion - a total of 39 birds and six butterflies. A white-tailed eagle hovers on the ceiling.The Norwegian Ornithological Society has counted 14 different species of birds in the room, in addition to one that cannot be identified. There are also four butterflies hidden among the leaves.
Other decorations have been inspired by the designs used in stave churches. This influence is apparent in the dragon ornamentation framing the wall panels and in the typical stave church portal painted above the console mirror between the windows.Flintoe painted straight onto the plaster, which reduced the cost of the decoration; the cost estimate in the plans was just over 889 rix-dollars.The floor in the room is wooden and has been painted light grey. The carpet matches the colour of the floor and features edging that echoes the wall decorations. The carpet does not extend all the way to the wall, revealing some of the floor surface.Apart from the cleaning of the walls, no other changes have been made, either in the decoration or in the function, since the room was first built.
Furniture and objects
The specially designed furniture of the Bird Room dates back to 1846. It is made of oak, and consists of a console table and a mirror, two sofas and 12 chairs in the Neo-Renaissance style. The sofa and chairs have high backs and are upholstered in green plush.The stave church portal framing the console mirror is surmounted by the Norwegian coat of arms. It was customary at that time to paint the coats of arms of Norway and Sweden side by side on official buildings, since the two countries formed a union, but Flintoe painted the Norwegian arms alone. King Carl III Johan was sensitive on this point, and it was presumed that he would probably prefer either both coats of arms or neither. In an attempt to avoid provoking the king, the committee responsible for the building of the Palace presented the following conclusion in its report:“Question: Is the Norwegian coat of arms always shown side by side with the Swedish arms at the palace in Stockholm? Vote: If it is not possible to determine whether or not this is the case, the committee proposes that the emblem in the antechamber in the Christiania Palace remains as it is.”And so it remained.The light fixtures in the Bird Room were among the first in Norway to be powered by electricity.
Facts
The Bird Room: the decorations
The birds
There are 39 birds in the Bird Room, and the following species are represented: white-tailed eagle, willow grouse, swallow, white wagtail, great grey shrike, song thrush, redstart, pine grosbeak, common crossbill, bullfinch, house sparrow, yellowhammer, magpie and hooded crow.The six butterflies consist of two peacocks, three small tortoiseshells and a cabbage white.
The Family Dining Room
The Family Dining Room is used for smaller official dinners and lunches, such as the annual dinners for the Supreme Court and Norway's bishops. New ambassadors are invited to lunch in this room.The name “Family Dining Room” is misleading today, but in the past the room was in regular use. King Olav V used to have lunch here with his staff, and before that the room served as the family’s everyday dining room.Today it is set for lunch or dinner for up to thirty guests.
Decoration
Palace Architect Linstow wanted the dining room to have a calm yet festive interior and décor. He chose to have the walls painted in the Pompeian style. This was very fashionable at the time, while the costs remained relatively low.
Facts
On Pompeian style
Pompeian style
At the time when Linstow was planning the decoration of the Family Dining Room, frescos inspired by the finds at Pompeii and Herculaneum were the height of fashion in Europe. The Danish king’s official dining room in Christiansborg Palace and the Tsar family’s private dining room in the Winter Palace were decorated in this style. Arcitect Linstow wrote:“The Pompeian style, which imitates the patterns found in the excavated ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiæ, gives a splendid impression at the lowest possible cost, since the distemper can be applied directly to a smooth wall.”The walls and ceiling of the Family Dining Room were painted by Peder Wergmann in 1841. He and his helpers spent seven months decorating the room, including three months devoted to the ceiling. The men and women depicted in the blue panels were painted by August Thomsen.Wergmann and Thomsen also decorated the wass in the Great Dining Hall.
The Banqueting Hall
The Great Dining Hall is primarily used for gala dinners, such as during state visits, the annual dinner for Members of the Storting (Parliament), major anniversaries, and other special occasions.A number of traditions are associated with the dinners held in the Great Dining Hall. When the procession of guests enters the hall, it is always to the tune of the Gammel jegermarsj (Old Hunter’s March). Speeches are announced by the striking of a great brass bell, a gift to King Haakon VII in 1952.Banquets usually have four courses, all of which are based on Norwegian ingredients. A banquet usually lasts three hours, before the royal procession leaves the hall to the tune of Valdresmarsjen (“The Valdres march”).The banquets follow certain traditions. Royalty and their guests enter the hall to the notes of Gammel Jægermars (“The Old Hunter’s March”) by the Norwegian composer Chr. Schjølberg. Speeches are announced by the striking of a great brass bell, a gift from the Oslo Firemen’s Corps to King Haakon VII for his 80th birthday in 1952.Banquets usually have four courses, all of which are based on Norwegian ingredients. A banquet generally lasts three hours, and the royal procession leaves the hall to the tune of Valdresmarsjen (“The Valdres march”), by the Norwegian composer Johannes Hanssen.The Banqueting Hall measures 300 square metres, and building costs were estimated at 1,500 rix-dollars, or one-eighth of the cost of the Great Hall. Palace architect Linstow decided that the decoration should be simple, because even though the distance between floor and ceiling is 5.7 metres, it appears less to guests entering the Hall from the Ballroom where the ceiling height is almost 11 meters.
Design and decoration
In order to “produce a splendid effect at little cost”, in Linstow’s words, the artist Peder Wergmann was commissioned to decorate the hall in the Pompeian style. Linstow felt that this style had richness of expression without requiring too much preparation, since it could be painted directly onto the walls.Both here and in the Family Dining Room, Wergmann collaborated with August Thomsen, who was responsible for the figurative representations.The style of the Banqueting Hall is light and elegant. The wall and ceiling are embellished with rosettes, vines and palmettes, and there are several fine centrepieces.The walls also feature a number of Greek gods and goddesses. The first time the Banqueting Hall was used, the guests claimed that the faces of a number of members of Christiania high society were to be found among the goddesses. This was the subject of lively discussion for weeks afterwards. There are no decorations apart from those painted on the walls.The room has diagonal oak parquet flooring, which has replaced the original wooden planks.The Banqueting Hall was renovated in 2009-2010. The colors and decorations were returned to their original light colours.
Furniture
The Banqueting Hall can seat 225 people. This is larger than the hall in the palace in Stockholm, in spite of the fact that the Swedish palace has about four times the number of rooms.As part of the restauration work in 2009-2010, new tables and new chairs were designed in classical style.The glassware is by Hadeland Glassverk. The dinner service was specially made for the Banqueting Hall by Porsgrunn Porselensfabrikk. It was a gift for the King and Queen for their 60th anniversaries in 1997, and the pattern replicates details of the ceiling decorations. The silver was made by Tostrup and Thune in Christiania (as Oslo was then called) at the beginning of the 1860s, and is engraved with the former coat of arms of Norway.The table linen is made of Irish damask and woven to a pattern based on the decorations. It was first used for the state visit of the King of Jordan in April 2000.The table is dominated by tall silver-gilt candelabra, each bearing four candles. These were gifts from the Storting to King Haakon on his 80th birthday and to King Olav both on his 60th birthday and on the 10th anniversary of his reign, in 1967.The glassware, silver, dinner service and table decorations reflect the history of the Norwegian monarchy. They are gifts commemorating royal birthdays, anniversaries and other notable events. For example, the first time Queen Maud celebrated her birthday in Norway, on 26 November 1905, women’s associations all over the country sent her silver centrepieces, bowls and other objects.Queen Maud also received a table service from the British people on her coronation in 1906. It consists of silver and silver-gilt plates, trays, cutlery, salt cellars, candelabra and copies of the Warwick urn (an urn from Roman times found during the excavation of Hadrian’s villa, Tivoli, Italy in 1770). The set has since been supplemented, and can now be used for larger banquets.
Facts
The chandeliers
The Banqueting Hall was originally lit by eight glass chandeliers, but these were dismantled and sold at a chandelier auction in 1903 and electric chandeliers were put in their place.During the restoration work on the Palace in the 1990s, the electric chandeliers from King Oscar II’s time were discovered packed in boxes in the attic. These have now been restored to their original places, linked by garlands of glass prisms.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall is the room on which most care and expense has been lavished; palace architect Linstow called it “the only truly grand room in the building.Nowadays the Ballroom is used for luncheons and after banquets, and is the room where the King presents honours to the recipients. The most recent ball to be held in the Great Hall took place in 2005 and marked the centennial anniversary of the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden. The ball for the silver wedding anniversary of the King and Queen was held here in 1993, as was the wedding ball for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in 2001.Linstow had to make substantial changes in his original plans for the Palace in order to save on costs, but he refused to modify the design for the Ballroom. He wrote: “I found it impossible to be sparing in the architecture of this Hall, since this would have meant that the room could not fulfil its function.”The budget for the Ballroom was 12,000 rix-dollars, which was one-third of the total amount spent on the decoration of the entire second floor, including the two wings.Linstow’s main inspiration was the concert hall in Berlin, designed by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and built in 1819-21, and the Great Hall in Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen, designed by Christian Frederik Hansen at the beginning of the 1830s in connection with the rebuilding of that palace.
Design and decoration
The Ballroom is two storeys high, with a ceiling height of 10.7 metres and an area of 360 square metres.The second storey is formed by a gallery that runs round the hall. There are 12 columns of white stucco marble and 24 wooden pillars supporting the gallery. On the short sides another 12 columns of white stucco marble extend from the gallery to the ceiling.The principal colours of the Hall are white and gold, with pink wall panels and gilded mouldings. The coffered ceiling is sky-blue, with diamond-patterned panels.The ceiling is made of wood to reduce the load on the beams. The ornamentation is made of gilded papier-mâché instead of plaster, since this was considered to be less dangerous for the dancers. Linstow wrote:“When the room shakes, for example during dancing, the dancers would be at risk. A large rosette falling from such a height is a heavy object, and there are examples of this happening. Papier-mâché, on the other hand is a light material, and would be less dangerous if it should fall.”The room contains eight large mirrors, four on each longitudinal wall. Each mirror is made up of four smaller mirrors in order to save costs.The floor is parquet. Linstow explained: “All dance halls in Berlin have parquet floors, and it would be unheard of to dance on wooden planks.”Many of the decorations were imported ready made from Berlin. The capitols of the columns and pillars were moulded in zinc by Geiss and the gilded papier-mâché ornaments were made in the workshop of Carl Gropius.
Chandeliers
The Ballroom was originally lit by four large prism chandeliers, each holding 48 candles. The gallery was lit by 20 candelabra, and eight smaller chandeliers hung beneath the gallery, in front of the mirrors, and there were three chandeliers under and three above the minstrels’ gallery.
The chandeliers were sold at auction in 1903 when electric lighting was installed at the Palace. They were replaced by electric, rosette-shaped lights bearing the monogram of King Oscar II.The four large and the eight smaller wheel-shaped chandeliers in front of the mirrors were reconstructed in the autumn of 2005 and once more lend ambience to the festivities.
Furniture
The furniture includes two high-backed gilded chairs with arm rests and five chairs without, all upholstered in deep red velvet. The chairs were intended for King Oscar I, Queen Josephine and their five children. The style is early Neo-Baroque and thus later than the style of the hall as a whole, which is strongly influenced by Late Classicism.The hall was also furnished with freestanding and built-in benches upholstered in red plush. Both these and the chairs are still in use.The 10 windows were hung with heavy deep red velvet curtains, and today’s curtains, which are also in dark red velvet, are trimmed with the original fringes of 1846, decorated with braiding in rich gold silk. They were made by the German-born passementerie-maker Heinrich Sommer, who had settled in Christiania (as Oslo was then called) when the palace was being furnished, in the hope of obtaining commissions.
The Palace Chapel
The Palace Chapel provides a framework for important events in the life of the Royal Family. The altar stands over the foundation stone of the Royal Palace.Both His Majesty King Harald, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon and Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra were baptised and confirmed in the Palace Chapel. In addition, Princess Astrid, Prince Sverre Magnus and other members of the Royal Family were baptised here.The Palace Chapel also plays an important role when the people bid their final farewell. Here King Haakon VII, Crown Princess Märtha and King Olav V lay in closed coffins while thousands filed past to pay their last respects.Since 2002, the Palace Chapel has also been used for concerts, and in recent years the Royal Family has on several occasions invited guests to Christmas at the Palace Chapel — a pre-Christmas gathering bringing joy to both guests and television viewers. The first event took place during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, though without any guests present.
The Foundation Stone of the Palace
King Carl Johan laid the foundation stone of the Palace during a solemn ceremony on 1 October 1825. The stone was placed beneath what was to become the altar in the Palace Chapel. The fact that the foundation stone was placed here tells us of the important position a palace chapel held as part of a royal residence. The Norwegian royal residences have had their own chapels ever since the Middle Ages, and such chapels can also be found at Stockholm Palace, in Copenhagen, and at other European estates. The chapel is the only room in the Palace that bears King Carl Johan’s monogram.
Restoration
The chapel was restored in 2004 in connection with the baptism of Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and it appears today largely as it did when the Palace was inaugurated in 1849. The only elements missing are the original brass chandeliers, which hung in the chapel until 1903. The originals can now be found in Vanse and Hole churches.
History and architecture of the Royal Palace
The Royal Palace was built as a residence for King Carl Johan, but was not completed until after his death. On 15 March 1849 the Lord Chamberlain took possession of the new palace on behalf of King Oscar I, and on 26 July it was formally inaugurated in the presence of the whole Royal Family.The proposal to build a royal residence in Oslo was raised in the Storting (Norwegian national assembly) for the first time in 1821, but this was not followed up until the following year, when King Carl Johan himself proposed it to the Storting. In spite of the pressures on the Norwegian economy, the Storting allocated 150,000 rix-dollars for the work, and in 1823 a commission was appointed to oversee the sale of government bonds to finance the project and to have overall responsibility in matters concerning the building.The Danish-born architect Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow (1787-1851) was commissioned to design the new palace.
Location
There was no obvious choice for the site of the new palace, but the question was decided by Carl Johan during a ride on Bellevue hill, west of what was then the city centre. The land was purchased in July 1823 and on 1 October 1825 the King laid the foundation stone at the intended site of the altar in the Royal Chapel.
Simplified plans
By 1827 the palace foundations were completed. However, most of the allocated money had now been spent, and between 1827 and 1833 all building work ceased, since the Storting was not willing to grant further funds.The original plan was a building in the shape of an H, but this had to be revised for financial reasons, and it was decided to build a simple U shape. By summer 1836 the exterior was completed, and Linstow travelled to Denmark and Germany to find inspiration for the interiors. The rooms were completed during the 1840s in accordance with Linstow’s designs.
New facade
When King Carl Johan died in 1844, it was immediately apparent that the Palace would be too small for the new Royal Family. The Storting granted an additional allocation for the purpose of beautifying the exterior and enlarging the wings. The original roof, which no one had considered to be satisfactory, was lowered, and a monumental temple front with pillars was added to the main façade.
Changes
A variety of changes have been made to the Palace since it was first inhabited in 1849. At the end of the century the sanitation was improved and electricity was installed.Until King Haakon VII and Queen Maud arrived in Norway in 1905, the Palace had only been lived in for short periods at a time, during visits to Oslo by the Norwegian-Swedish King. It was therefore quite unsuitable as a permanent home for the new Royal Family. In order to meet their needs a set of Royal apartments was installed, with bathrooms and lavatories.Minor rehabilitation and maintenance work was undertaken during King Olav V’s reign (1957-1991).
Modernisation
When Harald V became king at the beginning of the 1990s, a survey of the building showed that it was in need of a complete renovation.The state of the electrical system aroused concern, the kitchens and sanitation had seen very little improvement since 1906 and the working conditions for the staff did not comply with the national working environment regulations. The fire alarm system and fire walls were inadequate and the emergency exits were not secure. The façade had not been properly maintained and there was discovered rot in the floor beams. The layout of the rooms was functionally impractical.In 1993 the Royal Court presented a general plan for the renovation of the Palace, and the Directorate of Public Construction and Property was given the task of restoring the building and upgrading the Royal Apartments.The rebuilding and rehabilitation was carried out in consultation with the Royal Family and representatives of the state, the Royal Court and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage. The work involved comprehensive and complicated changes.On 15 March 1999, 150 years to the day after the Lord Chamberlain took possession of the original building, the Directorate of Public Construction and Property was able to deliver a completely restored and renovated building. The furnishing and decoration of the Royal Apartments was undertaken as a separate project in 1999 under the leadership of the Royal Court. The apartments were completed in spring 2001.
Flags at the Royal Palace
Most days of the year the flag of His Majesty The King, the Royal Standard of Norway, flies over the Royal Palace. But the Royal Standard is not the only flag used at the Palace. Fixed rules determine which flag is used at any given time.Three different flags are flown over the Palace:The Royal StandardThe Standard of the Crown PrinceThe State FlagBoth the Royal Standard and the Standard of the Crown Prince depict the Norwegian lion in gold bearing a silver axe on a red background. The flags are the same size but the flag of the Crown Prince is swallow-tailed.The National Flag is the Norwegian flag, but is not used on government buildings. The State Flag resembles the National Flag but is swallow-tailed and has a third tail (the “tongue”) between the two other tails.
The Royal Standard of Norway
The Royal Standard is flown whenever the King is in Norway or Norwegian territories.There are, however, two exceptions to this: If the King is in residence at Stiftsgården in Trondheim or is on board the Royal Yacht Norge (and in Norwegian waters) neither the Royal Standard nor any other flag is flown over the Royal Palace. The flag pole at the Palace remains bare. The reason for this is that on these occasions the Royal Standard is hoisted either at Stiftsgården or on the Royal Yacht and as a main rule the Royal Standard is not flown in two places at once.
The Standard of the Crown Prince
When the King travels abroad, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince is Regent. On such occasions the Standard of the Crown Prince is flown over the Palace. The changing of the flags takes place as the King leaves the country.
The State Flag
If both the King and the Crown Prince are out of the country, the State Flag is flown above the Palace. The flag is changed as the Prince Regent leaves the country.
Flag raising and lowering
Normal rules for flags do not apply to the Royal Standard and the Standard of the Crown Prince. These two flags may be flown all day long and are hoisted and lowered according to the rules outlined above. The State Flag, however, is flown according to normal rules for flag raising and lowering.
Size of flags
Both the Royal Standard of Norway and the Standard of the Crown Prince are found in three different sizes:A medium-sized flag, which is the one normally used.An extra large flag used on official flag days and on special occasions such as state visits.A small storm flag that is used when the winds are strong.
Flying flags from the Palace balcony
Sometimes flags are flown from the balcony of the Royal Palace as well as – or instead of – from the roof. This is the case, for example, if it is an official flag day and the King is at Stiftsgården or on the Royal Yacht (in Norwegian waters). On such occasions the flag pole on the roof remains empty and the State Flag is flown from the Palace balcony.Flags are flown from the balcony according to instructions issued by His Majesty The King.
The Palace Park
The Palace Park is one of the Norwegian capital’s first and largest parks. It surrounds the Royal Palace on all sides and features grassy areas as well as old, majestic trees. The Palace Park is open to the public all year.The Palace Park was developed simultaneously with the construction of the new Royal Palace, and is based on the ideal model of nature that prevailed in European horticulture in the mid-1800s.Comprising part of the Palace Park, the Queen’s Park dates all the way back to 1751 when it was created as a private garden in the Rococo style on the plot of land known as Sommerro. It was integrated into the Palace Park in 1840.The Palace Park is a protected cultural monument and is managed by the Palace gardeners.
The Palace Park - then and now
The Palace Park is one of Oslo’s oldest parks, established at the same time as the Royal Palace was built. The oldest part of the park dates back to the 18th century. During the summer months, several thousand people visit the park each day.The Palace Park was developed simultaneously with the construction of the new Royal Palace. The palace architect, Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow, took active part in the planning of the park. Over time the first palace gardener, Martin Mortensen, played an increasingly important role in the design of the park landscape. Several plans for the park were developed, all of which differed from the final result.
Land allotments purchased
In 1823, permission was granted to purchase land for the Royal Palace and surrounding park area. The purchase of garden and land allotments began, but it took many years before the park area extended completely around the Royal Palace. The plot of land known as Sommerro was acquired in 1840. It had been a private park since 1751 and today comprises the section of the park known as the Queen’s Park. The purchases of the Abelhaugen and Nisseberget plots in 1845 gave the Palace Park the dimensions it has today.Although the Royal Palace was completed in 1849, the Palace Park did not assume its final form until the 1850s.
A Romantic park
The park is based on the ideal model of nature which prevailed in the mid-1800s and which set the tone for European horticulture of the era. The park was constructed in the Romantic style, in which the “line of beauty” can be seen in the ponds’ undulating forms and the winding gravel paths.
An open park
The park was open to the public from the outset, and as the city expanded to the west, the park came to lie at the centre of the capital city. It covers an area of 220 decares and contains about 1 000 trees, of which many were planted in the first phase of the park’s history.The Palace Park is a valuable, protected cultural monument which the gardeners of the Royal Court work to maintain in the best possible manner for everyone’s enjoyment.There are several statues in the park. Please find information about the statues via the link list.
The Palace Square
The Palace Park also encompasses the Palace Square – Norway’s largest ceremonial square. Every year on 17 May, Norway’s national day, the Royal Family stand on the Palace Balcony and wave to the Children’s Parade as it crosses the square. When foreign heads of state visit Norway, they are greeted by the King and Queen in the Palace Square.On one side of the Royal Palace is the Guardhouse. Erected in 1845-1849, the Guardhouse is believed to be the oldest building in Norway in the Swiss style.
The statues in the Palace Park
The Palace Park contains seven statues, the oldest being the equestrian statue of King Carl Johan form 1875. The Princess Ingrid Alexandra Sculpture Park is a special part of the park.The latest addition is the statue of Her Majesty Queen Sonja, which was unveiled on the Queen’s 80th birthday, 4 July 2017.
Queen Sonja
The statue of Queen Sonja stands by the pond named "the King's Mirror". The Queen, who has spent a great deal of time exploring Norway’s many mountains, is depicted as the avid hiker she is. The statue was a gift from the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) in honour of the Queen’s 80th birthday.Sculptor Kirsten Kokkin describes the statue as follows: Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway is seated, looking up at the Royal Palace, at her calling. She has placed the rucksack she carries by her side. She has scaled yet another mountain, overcome yet another challenge, and is deep in contemplation with her thoughts criss-crossing Norway’s heights.Ms Kokkin also sculpted the statue of Crown Princess Märtha, which stands in the Palace Park as well.
The Princess Ingrid Alexandra Sculpture Park
The Princess Ingrid Alexandra Sculpture Park was opened 19 May 2016 as part of the celebration of the King and Queen's 25th anniversary. The Royal Family was in attendance when His Majesty King Harald and The Princess declared the park opened. 1 000 children from local kindergartens were also invited to the opening, as this is a sculpture park by - and for - children.Today the sculpture park consists of 12 sculptures - a result of a nationwide competition among 5th and 6th graders.
King Carl Johan
In 1868 a competition was held for an equestrian statue of Carl Johan. A number of well known foreign sculptors submitted entries, along with the Norwegian sculptor Brynjulf Bergslien. However, public opinion was against giving the commission to a foreigner, and as a result it was given to Bergslien after he had first received financial support to submit a larger model. The statue would be the largest single bronze sculpture ever to be erected in Norway.The statue was cast in Copenhagen and unveiled in the Palace Square by King Oscar II on 7 September 1875.
Nils Henrik Abel
The Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland’s monument to the mathematician Nils Henrik Abel (1802-1829) was unveiled in 1908. The model had already been shown at the Autumn Art Exhibition of 1904, and in 1905 it was decided to cast the statue in bronze. Immediately afterwards the clay mould was ceremoniously destroyed, so that the work could never be reproduced.Vigeland wanted the statue to be erected in the middle of the University Square, but this space was already occupied by a statue of A. M. Schweigaard, the Norwegian jurist and economic reformer. A number of different sites were discussed, but in 1907 the choice fell on the Palace Park, on a rise that has since become known as Abelhaugen (Abel knoll). The statue stands on a granite plinth 8 metres high, and the monument as a whole has a height of 12 metres.
Camilla Collett
In 1902 the Norwegian Association for Women’s Rights held a competition for a monument to the writer and defender of women’s rights Camilla Collett (1813-1895). The commission went to Vigeland, who made over 100 sketches and a number of plastic models before he was satisfied.The statue is called I storm (“In the Storm”) and depicts the older Camilla Collett alone against a fierce wind. She is pulling her shawl more closely round her shoulders as protection. The stature is cast in bronze and was unveiled in 1911.
Queen Maud
The statue of Queen Maud stands at the entrance to The Queen's Park. It was sculpted by Ada Madsen (1917-2009) and unveiled by King Olav V in 1959.The style of Madsen’s work was simple and slightly archaic. She made two statues of Queen Maud: the granite one in the Palace Park, and another in bronze, which is to be found in London. She is also known for a group sculpture of the artist Harriet Backer and the composer Agathe Backer Grøndahl, which stands in Holmestrand in southern Norway.
Dear park guests
We are very pleased that so many people visit the Palace Park. Everyone is welcome – all we ask is that you help us to care for our park.
Thousands of people visit the Palace Park each day. Some are only passing through on their way to work, school or an errand, while others take their time, sit down, look around.
In order to care for our park and at the same time ensure that all visitors have the best experience possible, we ask that you comply with the following rules.