The Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet)
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SNEN
N 59° 19.583 E 018° 04.407
34V E 333491 N 6580054
The Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet)
Waymark Code: WM11W
Location: Sweden
Date Posted: 09/07/2005
Views: 171
The Royal Palace of Stockholm is the sovereign's official residence. Their Majesties the King and Queen and the Duchess of Halland have their offices here. The administration of the Royal Court is located here, and this too is the setting for most of the official receptions given by the Head of State.
The history of the Royal Palace goes back many centuries. Extensive excavations of the surrounding area (Helgeandsholmen) between 1978 and 1980 revealed traces of very ancient timber structures, dateable to the end of the 10th century. These finds have been variously interpreted. Some take them as proof that a fortress already existed on Helgeandsholmen at the end of the 10th century, while a more circumspect theory is that there were barriers of piling in the shipping lane from Saltsjön ("Salt Sea") into Lake Mälaren. These barriers may have been guarded, but the question is whether they had a full garrison of soldiers or just a single watchman. But of one thing we can be sure: the shipping lane now called Norrström ("North Stream") was of sufficient strategic importance for somebody to put barriers across it a thousand or so years ago.
Accessibility: Partial access
Condition: Intact
Admission Charge?: no
Website: [Web Link]
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