Ulriksdal Palace, Stockholm

Originally a country retreat

Ulriksdal Palace is in Solna on the outskirts of Stockholm. It was originally called Jakobsdal, after its owner Jakob De la Gardie, who had it built 1643-45 as a country retreat. It passed to his son, Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, from whom it was purchased by Queen Hedvig Eleonora.

Tessin the Elder's plans for the palace

Hedvig Eleonora had grand plans for the palace and renamed it Ulriksdal after its intended future owner, her grandson Prince Ulrik, who died however at the age of one. Several surviving drawings by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder show a stately palace, three storeys high, with a lantern roof, furnished attic, and side wings extending the lakeside façade. Implementation of Tessin's designs began in the 1670s and 80s, but building work stopped around 1690 owing to lack of funds. Before the money ran out, the Orangery was built: a glasshouse for growing oranges and lemons, which were considered exotic fruits in those days.

Palace architect Carl Hårleman

When building work eventually resumed in the 1720s, newly appointed palace architect Carl Hårleman had different ideas from Tessin the Elder. Among the features incorporated by Hårleman was one of the first mansard roofs in Sweden. In the mid 18th century, the palace was occupied by King Adolf Fredrik and Queen Lovisa Ulrika. Lovisa Ulrika set up her first theatre here, now called Confidencen.

Veterans' hospital

Relatively little survives of the 18th-century interiors, since Ulriksdal served as a veterans' hospital from 1822 to 1849, established by King Karl XIV Johan for veterans of the 1808-09 war in Finland. The palace was therefore fairly empty when it was acquired in 1856 by Prince Karl, later King Karl XV. With the aid of architect F W Scholander and through extensive purchases of antiques, Karl was able to furnish the palace to his own taste. Some of these furnishings are still on view.

King Gustav VI Adolf

In 1923, the future King Gustav VI Adolf married Louise Mountbatten. Ulriksdal was to be closely associated with this royal couple. During their time, the former knights' hall was turned into a living room with furniture designed by Carl Malmsten.

Ulriksdal today

The palace has been open to the public since 1986. The original furnishings have been reinstated in the preserved rooms. Parts of the former living quarters are also used to exhibit items from Gustav VI Adolf's art and crafts collection and Gustav V's silver collection. The Orangery houses parts of the National Art Museums' sculpture collection.

Ulriksdal Palace Chapel, Sweden's most desirable wedding venue, reopened on 8 April 2005 after six months of renovations. The chapel was built 1864-65 and is unique in being the only surviving royal chapel from that period.

With its beautiful park and numerous surrounding buildings, Ulriksdal forms part of Nationalstadsparken - the National Urban Park.