Haga Palace, the current home of the Crown Princess Family of Sweden, is located in Haga Park in Solna, Sweden.
It was built in 1802 and designed by King Gustav IV Adolf’s commissioned architect, Carl Christoffer Gjörwell. Haga Palace (or Haga Slott), located just north of Gustav III’s Pavilion, was modelled after ballet-master Gallidiers Italian villa at Drottningholm Palace. The foundation was laid in May 1802, and the interior was completed in 1805.
The initial intent, according to the Royal Court, was not to be a building for official purposes but rather a home.
The 1915 square metres palace was not originally named Haga but instead was given the name of “Barnens Palais” (The Children’s Palace) since it was built for King Gustav IV Adolf’s children; its name would later change to the Queen’s Pavilion. As was a tradition during this time, an apartment for each of his children was built within the palace.
Its exterior has a simple classical design with a balcony supported by four Doric columns, made of Finnish marble, on the entrance side. While on the inside, it is decorated simply with furnishings being mostly fixed mirrors, carved door frames and cornices.
It was not until the 1820s that it became a royal home again when Crown Prince Oskar and Crown Princess Josefina began using it as their summer home. Others who later resided in the home included Prince August and his widow, the Dowager Duchess Teresia of Dalarna and Prince Erik.
The Royal Court has said to Royal Central, “From [King] Oscar I’s time and onwards, the Palace has been called Haga Palace since both the King and Queen started to live together in the palace.”
Additionally, Haga was used as a home for homeless orphans after the First World War.
In 1932, refurbishments began ahead of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla’s moving in; the restoration included installation of several fireplaces on the second floor, bathrooms being fitted and the remodelling of the kitchen. Original decorations including mirrors, door frames and cornices were not removed or altered.
Tragically, Prince Gustaf Adolph died in a plane crash in 1947. Princess Sibylla and the children moved to the Royal Palace in Stockholm after his death in 1950.
Several members of the Swedish Royal Family have resided in this palace throughout the years; Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla settled there in the 1930s, and it was where their children (Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitta, Princess Désirée, Princess Christina and King Carl XVI Gustaf) were born and raised for part of their lives.
King Gustaf V gifted his great-grandchildren a playhouse which is still located on the grounds and used by the Crown Princess Couple’s two children.
However, after a period of unuse, King Gustaf VI Adolf granted the Swedish government permission to use the palace to use for foreign guests in 1966.
Haga was transferred back to the King in 2009 from the government for Crown Princess Victoria and her new husband, Prince Daniel to live in; it has been reported that Victoria’s younger sister, Princess Madeleine, helped decorate the interior.
Victoria and Daniel moved into the residence in 2010 after extensive renovation to add more security and bring the building up to date. Their private quarters, consisting of 25 rooms, are on the first and second floors.
The 16 room main apartment, used for many official functions of the Crown Princess Couple, has a suite of five rooms along the façade. The Royal Court explained, “There is a main room in the centre, a living room to the north, and a library and a dining room to the south.”
It is not open to the public. As it is a protected site in Sweden, it has been illegal to take photographs on the palace grounds without prior permission since 2010.
