Summer tours of the Royal Palace

The summer tours of the Royal Palace started up this weekend, and today there was a guided tour for the media. A special exhibition is mounted every year, and is part of the tour. This year, the exhibition is dedicated to King Carl Johan, who launched the building of the palace, and laid the cornerstone under what was to become the Palace Chapel on 1 October 1825.

Monarch and employer

The design for the Royal Palace in Oslo that architect Hans Ditlev Franciscus von Linstow originally presented to King Carl Johan showed a very different building. There was not enough funding to realise the original plans, but the Museum of Oslo has lent the Palace a model that shows what the architect originally envisioned. This elegant model is part of the exhibition, and is now standing in the Upper Vestibule.

 The original design of the Palace building presented to King Carl Johan. Photo: Liv Osmundsen, The Royal Court

Carl Johan died before the Palace was completed, and thus never moved in. Whenever he visited Oslo, he stayed in the Royal Mansion that was used at that time. Some of his furniture from the Mansion has now been brought to the Palace. It is said that the king performed some of his tasks, such as dictating letters, from his bed before arising for the day. King Carl Johan’s bed, on loan from the Norsk Folkemuseum – Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, is on display in the Banqueting Hall. 

 Norsk Folkemuseum – Norwegian Museum of Cultural History has provided Carl Johan’s bed for the exhibition. Photo: Liv Osmundsen, The Royal Court

Guided tours

All visitors to the Palace must follow a guided tour. Tours are given every 20 minutes during opening hours in the summer season. In 2018, the Palace is open for guided tours from 23 June to 18 August.

Visitors are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance. A small number of tickets are available at the door for each tour, but these sell out quickly.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster

The guided tour takes visitors through some of the most important and lovely rooms, like the Cabinet Parlour, the Council Chamber and the most beautiful guest room in the Palace - the King Haakon VII Suite.

The upper vestibule is located directly behind the Palace balcony, where the Royal Family stands to greet the children’s parade in Oslo on May 17th. Photo: Jan Haug, The Royal Court.

We visit the Bird Room where all those seeking an audience with His Majesty The King wait to be announced, as well as the Ballroom and the Banqueting Hall. During a gala dinner at the Royal Palace, more than 200 people will dine there.