Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XXI - The palace of Fredensborg
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
314
FREDENSBORG.
Chap. XXL
Majesty King Frederic IV., founder of the palace.
Stone—stone—stone! not an ell of verdant turf to
refresh the eye. Then, too, the palace, of brick and
stone copings, never boasting of any architectural
beauty in its most palmy days, has been most
ignominiously and glaringly whitewashed.
The origin of the palace—“ Castle of Peace,” as its
name implies—was this. King Frederic IV. and his
Queen Louisa of Mecklenburgh were accustomed*
when they desired a little rest and quiet, to drive
over from Frederiksborg to a farmhouse in the manor
of Endrup, dine, sup there, and fish in the Esrom
lake, with no other attendants than the worthy farmer
and his wife, whose portraits, depicted in their
farmhouse kitchen, you may see among the extensive
collection of rubbish which adorns the walls of the
state apartments. Gradually royalty became satiated
with the delights of farmhouse fare; they
determined to build—just a mere notliing—a maisonette.
An architect was summoned, plans laid out before the
august eyes. “ Too small! too small! no place for my
ladies of honour! ” exclaimed the queen. The ladies of
honour entailed ladies’ maids, and the overhofmarskal
aides-de-camp. “ And suppose a foreign ambassador
should arrive—such a bore to return to
Frederiksborg to receive him.” And so, like Mr. Briggs’s loose
tile in ‘Punch,’ the buildings, or rather the plans,
were enlarged and added to, and in the year 1720—
year of the signature of peace between Sweden and
Denmark—was completed the present not beautiful,
but most comfortable of all royal residences in
Denmark—the Palace of Fredensborg.
“ Don’t visit the interior,” said the Elsinorians; “ not
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
