Over the years various monarchs and their families have lived there, including today's King Frederik X and Queen Mary.

It was built by Queen Sophie Amalie, consort to Frederick III, on part of the land which her father-in-law Christian IV had acquired outside of Copenhagen's old walled city, now known as the Indre By district, in the early 17th century when he had been king.

However, immediately after the start of the second performance a stage decoration caught fire, causing the theatre and the palace to burn to the ground, and about 180 people died.

The King planned to rebuild the palace, whose church, Royal Household and garden buildings were still intact.

In 1694, the King negotiated a deal with the Swedish building master Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, who spent some time in Copenhagen that summer reviewing the property.

This development is generally thought to have been the brainchild of Danish Ambassador Plenipotentiary in Paris, Johann Hartwig Ernst, Count von Bernstorff.

Heading the project was Lord High Steward Adam Gottlob Moltke, one of the most powerful and influential men in the country, with Nicolai Eigtved as royal architect and supervisor.

[1] The project consisted of four identical mansions, built to house four distinguished families of nobility from the royal circles, placed around an octagonal square.

The noblemen who owned them were willing to part with their mansions for promotion and money, and the Moltke and Schack Palaces were acquired in the course of a few days.

Its Great Hall (Riddersalen) featured woodcarvings (boiserie) by Louis August le Clerc, paintings by François Boucher and stucco by Giovanni Battista Fossati, and is acknowledged widely as perhaps the finest Danish Rococo interior.

Due to Eigtved's death a few months later, final work such as the Banqueting Hall, was completed by Nicolas-Henri Jardin.

After 200 years the façade, decorated by German sculptor Johann Christoph Petzold, was severely damaged, causing parts of Amalienborg Place to be closed to prevent injury.

In 1982, exterior and interior restoration began that completed in early 1996, Copenhagen's year as European Capital of Culture.

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, who reside permanently in France, have also had an apartment made available to them in the palace when they perform engagements in Denmark.

The King's half-brother Frederik bought the palace in 1794, and painter and architect Nikolai Abildgaard modernized the interiors in the new French Empire style.

In the 1980s the palace was restored as residence for the Crown Prince, storage facilities for the Queen's Reference Library and a museum for the Royal House of Glücksborg.

The following year the palace was prepared to house King Christian VIII's son, Frederik VII, who ascended the throne in 1848, and his bride, Princess Vilhelmine.

Building work was commenced in 1750 by Eigtved, and was supervised first by architect Christian Josef Zuber and later by Philip de Lange.

It was originally commissioned by Privy Councillor Severin Løvenskjold, but in 1754 he had to give up due to economic difficulties.

Their full dress uniform is fairly similar to that of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army: a scarlet tunic, blue trousers, and a navy bearskin cap.

The Guard Lieutenant (Løjtnantsvagt) is always alerted when King Frederik or another member of the royal family is in residence.

A Lieutenant Watch is when Prince Joachim, or Princess Benedikte, takes the place as regent, when the monarch is unable to.

[6] The equestrian statue of King Frederik V was commissioned by Moltke, as Director for the Danish Asiatic Company, and it was made by French sculptor Jacques Saly.

Work began in 1753, and the foundation stone was laid in place in 1760 at the 100-year celebration of political absolutism in Denmark.

The short axis on which Amalienborg lies, Frederiksgade (English: "Frederik's Street"), has been much discussed due to construction the building of the Copenhagen Opera House in 2001–04.