Bernstorff Palace

In 1752, Frederick V donated the pheasant warrant district in Jægersborg and its associated land to his trusted advisor Foreign Minister J. H. E. Bernstorff, who used the original buildings as his summer residence. However, this soon proved inadequate, and in 1759, he commissioned the French Architect Nicolas-Henri Jardin to design a new summer residence.

The Palace was built on the highest point in the area, surrounded by beautiful beech forests, and with breathtaking, unobstructed views:  to the south the spires of Copenhagen come into view, to the east the Sound, to the north Fortunen and to the west Gentofte Church.

The construction

The construction of the two-storied building, which was one of the first examples of neo-classical architecture in Denmark, was very elaborate and proved very expensive when it was finally completed in May 1765.

Bernstorff left the country in 1770, after having been dismissed by Struensee, but the estate remained in his family’s possession until 1812, after which it changed hands several times. An impending demolition order was halted in 1842 when Christian VIII bought the residence and commissioned the Royal Inspector of Listed Buildings J. Hansen Koch to thoroughly renovate the castle and erect several small buildings on the grounds. After the renovation the King resided there for part of the summer.

The great period of the Palace

In 1854 the Palace was placed at the disposal of Crown Prince Christian IX. During his long reign, the castle enjoyed a veritable golden age as the preferred summer residence for the royal couple and their extended family, which branched out all over Europe and included Tsar Alexander III of Russia and King Edward VII of Great Britain. After the Nordic Art and Industry Exhibition in 1888, Queen Louisa bought the Swedish pavilion and had it resurrected in the Palace gardens as guest quarters, and the beautiful timber house became known as the Swedish villa.

Prince Valdemar, the youngest son of Christian IX, inherited the castle in 1906 and lived there during the summer until his death in 1939, after which time it was used by Danish Emergency Management Agency as an academy for non-commissioned officers.  

Bernstorff Palace is now owned by the Danish state and managed by the Agency for Palaces & Cultural Properties. The Swedish Villa is open to the public as a café and exhibition venue.