You know that you’re getting old when all the policemen and soldiers look 12-years-old. The soldiers guarding Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, home to Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, not only look 12, they look like they should be dangling from a Christmas tree. All that is missing is a key in the back to wind them up.
Watching the changing of the guards performed by Denmark’s Royal Life Guards was my first stop in a royal-themed day out in Copenhagen. This is the home of fairytales after all, thanks to Hans Christian Andersen.
Every girl coming to Copenhagen deserves to get a handsome prince. But with both the country’s princes off the market, my chances were zip so my royal itinerary is as close as I was going to get.
They’re changing guard at Amalienborg Palace
They Royal Life Guards have been protecting the Danish Royal Family since 1658. It doesn’t look like they’ve updated their uniform since.
The guards by the gate stand inside little bright red booths that, ahem, have the shape of love hearts cut out of the sides like tiny windows. Their toy soldier look and the love heart windows make it a little hard to take them seriously but they could, I’m sure make short work of anyone who tried any nonsense.
The policemen who guard the soldiers from the tourists during the changing of the guard are much more sinister. I accidentally stood on the wrong side of the road and a mean policeman shook his finger at me. I was terrified.
A painted line on the ground marks the point where observers must stand. As I passed him on my way to stand in the correct place the scary policeman said, “If you go across the line then we will have to shoot you. Ha ha.” Each time he caught a tourist in the wrong place he went through the charade of pretending to pull out his gun, point it at the offending tourist and pull the trigger. Clearly a man who enjoys his work.
The changing of the guard was first stop in my royal day out in Copenhagen. Next up was the palace museum. A special exhibition was being held to commemorate the recent christenting of the baby royal twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. Their christening gowns were on display along with the outfits worn by their parents, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, the Australian girl who did get herself a handsome Danish Prince and leaving none for me.
The museum depicts decades of life in the Danish Royal Family through photographs, personal possessions and stories. An enormous family tree, that takes up an entire wall, shows how most of the royals of Europe are related.
The Crown Jewels
After the palace museum it was time for some bling. I headed to Rosenborg Castle to see the Danish Crown Jewels.
If you had any ideas about pinching the Danish Crown Jewels you’d better think again. They are guarded by two 14 year-old boys who march up and down in front of the door to the Treasury. These ones are dressed in camo gear and carry serious looking bayonets. But they also stand in little red houses that have love hearts cut out of them.
To view the Danish Crown Jewels you have to descend into a darkened chamber within the Treasury. Oh my goodness is there some serious bling in there. There are crowns of kings and queens and diamonds you can only dream of. My favourite was the Queen’s stunning emerald necklace with matching earrings.
Inside Rosenborg Castle you can explore the one-time home of Danish Kings from Christian IV who built the castle in the 1600s. The castle set in a picturesque garden with swans on the moat. It’s vey fairytale. Definitely my idea of a castle.
My final royal event for the day was a reenactment of the 2004 wedding of Frederik and Mary at Copenhagen Cathedral where Frederik and Mary were married. There weren’t many people around so I walked myself down the aisle. It didn’t do me any good. When I got to the end I was still a 40-year-old chubby spinster. There was no handsome prince waiting for me.
Despite the shortage of spare princes, Copenhagen is a wonderful city filled with plenty to entertain fans of fairytale castles and toy soldiers like me.
Louise visited Copenhagen in June 2011.