Hørsholm Church

Description

Hørsholm Church is located to the site of demolished Hirschholm Palace (also known as Hørsholm Palace), a former royal palace. The palace was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 1740s and, one of the finest buildings of its time, it became known as the 'Versailles of the North'. It developed a notorious reputation in connection with its role in the affair between Johann Friedrich Struensee and Queen Caroline Mathilda in the 1770s. After that it fell into despair and was demolished in 1809-13. The palace was designed by Lauritz de Thurah for King Christian VI and his consort Queen Sophie Magdalene, and was intended as their summer residence.

In 1822-23 a small church designed by architect Christian Frederik Hansen was built on the grounds of the demolished palace. The park surrounding the church, which is located on a small island in a lake, still bears some evidence of the original palace garden. A number of the farm buildings Louise had built in the early 18th century still exist. Some of them house the Danish Museum of Hunting and Forestry. The Hørsholm Local Museum has a permanent exhibit about the palace, the royal affair and its consequences.