Unknown royal death rituals

We revisit a time when even royal families were not spared personal tragedy. The museum curator Peter Kristiansen explores the Royal Danish Collection and shows us the wax casts of two of Charlotte Amalie’s dead children that tell a silent but powerful story of loss and love. 

The Royal Danish Collection includes a carefully preserved lock of hair from Christian I, dating back all the way to 1481. However, this is not just a curiosity. The tradition of snipping and preserving a lock of hair from a deceased person began during the 19th century. The custom also involved kings, whose power and secrets live on in the hair. Museum curator Jens Busck presents the locks of royal hair in the Royal Danish Collection.

On 28 January 1906, Christian IX has his last meal, unaware that his long reign and life are about to come to an end. The final moments of a historical era are captured in a menu that has been preserved in the Royal Danish Collection. The museum curator Jens Busck takes us on a journey back in time with a detailed look into The King’s final hours.

Here, on the ground level of Rosenborg Castle, you can feel the presence of history as you enter the very room where Christian IV took his last breath. Join the museum curator Jens Busck on a visit to The King’s private chamber. You will see where we believe his bed stood and come face to face with the portrait capturing The King just after his death. Experience the intense atmosphere in the room as you listen to the dramatic story of the fateful days leading up to Christian IV’s final moments in February 1648.