He was famed for having two weaknesses, womanizing and pleasure seeking. Clearly there was a third – eating,

He definitely had an eye for the ladies. And not just an eye! He had seven children with his first wife, who promptly died. Either she was exhausted or was crushed to death. Then he took another wife. This one was made of sterner stuff as he had 12 children with her. Then he managed a few more children with other women while his wives were busy. I think that justifies calling him a womanizer. And yet he looked like that. Obviously he had never heard of Ozempic! And that hair! And the long thin pony tail with a red bow on the end that hangs down one side of his face. What was he thinking. And more to the point, what were all those women thinking.

Maybe they were thinking of all the money …. and the power. He was after all, King Christian 4 of Denmark (The Danes don’t use roman numerals). He reigned from 1588 to 1648, one month short of 60 years. I think that justifies calling him rich and powerful.

In the early 1600’s he took a trip to Venice. And the Italians taught him a thing or two about his two vices. Several of them had what were called pleasure palaces. King Christian 4 had a couple of palaces of his own but neither of them could be called a pleasure palace. Time for a third one, he thought. He wanted a Royal Pleasure Palace. If you’re wondering what exactly a Royal Pleasure Palace is, let your imagination run wild and you will get there. Especially if you remember King Christian’s weaknesses.

So he commissioned a new palace to be built. He chose a site that was in the countryside, well outside the city walls of Copenhagen. His Pleasure Palace needed a little privacy!

And so Rosenborg Castle was born. A magnificent Renaissance Castle that from the outside looked as if it was straight out of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale.

From the inside, not so much. There were “special features” requested by the King, such as a mirrored bedroom which we were allowed to see on our tour and a private room where he kept his porn collection which we were not allowed to see. Damn it! He also requested a peep hole into his bedroom. We will never know whether he wanted other people to watch what he got up to, or whether he wanted to watch what his wife go up to. It was a pleasure palace, after all.

It is hardly surprising that it quickly became the King’s favourite residence, and the place where he wanted to spend the last few weeks of his life. After all, if you are going to die, it is so much better to die with a smile on your face.

Today the Castle is a museum brimming over with a collection of important art, furniture, and decorative arts. Even the floor tiles, wallpaper, tapestries, and ceilings are amazing. This is one, over the top, decadent palace. And the Fabulosity Meter loves it.

The walls are covered in paintings of the Royal Families. We have already seen King Christian 4, but here are some other portraits

They are obviously not known for their looks

But then neither are the the tourists

But some Royals wanted more than just paintings to be remembered by. Frederik 3 who came to the throne after King Christian 4, wanted to be immortalized in wax alongside his wife and son.

Not a good idea! They look like something from a funfair. Just put a coin in the slot and they will start moving. The fabric behind them doesn’t help. It looks like a circus tent.

They certainly don’t belong in the Palace. Just take a look at the Great Hall

A simple little room to house the thrones, which you can just spot in the distance. Up close they look a little more opulent

The lions in the foreground are full sized lions made out of silver. That’s about as opulent as you are going to get.

King Christian seemed to have a thing for silver baubles. Really, really big silver baubles. And he liked to place them by the fireplace. That way, he could put his feet up in front of the fire, have a cup of tea and look at his silver baubles, as one does. Or as one did before there was such a thing as the telly. And the palace had a lot of fireplaces which meant a lot of silver baubles. And if you think I am exaggerating, I am not.

And when those baubles get too much for you (as if they would!), then just pop into the Winter Room, where all you will find is a simple fire screen. But made out of silver, of course

But it wasn’t just silver that King Christian liked. He enjoyed a touch of marble as well. It could be anywhere, on the floor, on the wall or on the ceiling. And in the case of the aptly named ” marble room”, on all of those

And then of course there were the tapestries, the ornate mirrors, the desks, the tables, the chairs and so much more. As you already know, the King was partial to a little excess.

Minimalism was never going to appeal to him.

And lets not forget this was the King’s Pleasure Palace. We already know one pleasure he enjoyed. But there were others. He loved a good prank. So much so that he had this chair made.

It looks like a rather grand but comfortable dining chair for guests. But it is anything but.

First of all a suitable guest has to be found. Preferably someone the King is not particularly fond of. Then he is invited to sit.

When he does a loud fart can be heard, made from a bellow of air underneath the seat. A simple whoopee cushion. Everyone laughs, the guest is embarrassed and it’s all a bit of fun. But wait, there is more. So much more. The fun has only just begun .

A pair of restraints emerge from under the armrests and restrain the guest, much like a seat belt. Then the prankster pulls a ring on the back of the chair, releasing a spray of water from a hidden water container onto the seat, wetting the poor unsuspecting victim’s pants. At the same time a sprinkling sound can be heard as if the person is peeing. Then a second ring is pulled and a steady stream of water sprays onto the guests feet and the surrounding floor.

After everyone has enjoyed the total humiliation of the poor unsuspecting guest, the restraints are released and the victim is able to stand up. As he does, the bellow gives a final toot causing more laughter from everyone in the room ……… except one.

It seems a cruel thing to do to a guest. I would never inflict that on anyone, mainly because, however hard I try (and I have tried really hard), I cannot find that chair on Amazon.

Finally, you might remember way back when you started this post, that the title said something about a Palace with three thrones. And I have yet to show you the third. Well here it is – a little more utilitarian than the other two.

It rather looks as if the Royal backside could suffer from splinters.

And if you are wondering where the waste goes, it makes a drop of three storeys directly into the moat surrounding the castle.

And that, dear readers, maybe why the castle was never invaded.