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The Royal Palace.
Carl Johan, King of Norway and Sweden, is said to have picked out the site of the Royal Palace himself during a horseback ride – the Bellevue hill west of what was then the city centre. Architect H.D.F. Linstow was given the task of designing the Palace, and the king himself in 1825 laid the corner stone. The Palace was originally planned as a large H-formed complex, but the plans were simplified due to financial reasons. After Carl Johan’s death in 1844, it soon became apparent that the Palace was too small for the new king, Oscar I and his family. The Storting granted funds to enlarge the wings and improve the exterior. The roof, which no one liked, was lowered and the main facade received a monumental temple front with columns. The Royal Palace was finally initiated in the summer of 1849 in the presence of the entire royal family.
Since the early 1990’s the Palace has been under constant rehabilitation and rebuilding. Technical installations have been modernized, along with the overall building structure. Work on the new Royal Apartment is yet to be finished.
May 17 is Norway’s National Day, and is celebrated all over the country with music and children’s parades. In Oslo, thousands of children parade up Karl Johan Street, and past the palace to greet the royal family assembled on the palace balcony.
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