Drottningholm

Drottningholm Palace is an excellent destination on Lovön in Mälaren. Since 1991, Drottningholm stands on the UN's World Heritage List and it was Sweden's first contribution among Heritage.

As the name suggests, Drottningholm was for a long time the queens castle.

The first queen who got the castle as a gift was Catherine Jagellonica who married King Johan III. This was in the late 1500's.

A century later, namely in 1661, the Queen Hedvig Eleonora bought the castle. She had as 18 year old married Karl X Gustav. After only six years of marriage, Charles X died in disease. It was as Queen Dowager Hedvig Eleonora purchased the Drottningholm Palace.

Unfortunately, the castle burnt down the same year. Hedvig Eleonora decided that it would be rebuilt and the architect who was responsible was Nicodemus Tessin the older.

Thereafter, Drottningholm was to be the royal ladies palace until the end of the 1700s.

1744 was the Princess Lovisa Ulrika's turn to get Drottningholm Palace as a gift. It was a wedding gift as she married the heir to the throne Adolf Fredrik. During her time the culture and science developed here. Among other things, Carl Linnaeus did a part of his work at Drottningholm.

1777 Drottningholm passed into state ownership.

After the kings had a more prominent role. Gustav III, Lovisa Ulrika's son, spent much time at the castle.

During all these years, Drottningholm was a summer palace.

1981 moved Queen Silvia and King Carl Gustaf their home, at Drottningholm was where they remained.

Read more about Drottningholm på Kungahusets hemsida