This is the summer residence of the Danish royal family. Once it was called the palace of "the parents-in-law" of Europe. King Christian IX and Queen Louise had sons and daughters sitting on thrones in many of the royal houses of Europe, and they would gather in the summer months to catch up on royal gossip and scandals.

Although the palace has been added onto many times, it still retains its baroque, rococo, and classic features.

When the queen is in residence today, visitors assemble at noon to watch the changing of the guard -- but don't expect this ceremony to match that of Buckingham Palace in London. On Thursdays, except in July, the queen often appears to acknowledge a regimental band concert in her honor.

The Danish architect J. C. Krieger built the palace for King Frederik IV. Originally there was only the main building with a Cupola Hall. Over the years, the palace was extended with such additions as the Chancellery House and the Cavaliers Wing. Though hardly one of the impressive royal palaces of Europe, it has its own charm, especially in the Domed Hall and the Garden Room.

The palace opens onto a 275-year-old baroque garden. A public part of the palace garden is open year-round daily 1 to 5pm, but the private, reserved royal garden and Orangery are open only limited hours in July. These are some of the largest and best-preserved gardens in Denmark. Note how strictly symmetrical and geometrical the shapes are. Drawing on Italian designs for their inspiration, Frederik IV and J. C. Krieger laid out the palace gardens in the 1720s. In the 1760s, Frederik V redesigned the garden, adding elements from French baroque horticulture.