Frederiksborg Palace, in Hillerød, was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV from 1602 to 1620 by the Dutch architects Hans and Lorents van Steenwinckel . It is the largest Renaissance Palace in Scandinavia, and follows the Dutch style favoured by Christian IV for his new buildings in Copenhagen. Older parts of the castle date back to King Frederick II, after whom it is named. The palace is located on three small islands in the middle of a lake and is adjoined by a large formal garden.
After Christian IV's death in 1648, the palace was mainly used for ceremonial events, primarily the anointing of the Absolute Monarchs. It was also used to house the royal family's art collection; as a result, it came to be regarded as a national monument. In 1720, the Treaty of Frederiksborg was signed here.
In 1850s, the palace was again used as a residence by King Frederick VII; while he was in residence, a fire destroyed a large part of the castle during the night of 16/17 December 1859. Reconstruction was funded by public subscription, with large contributions from the King, state and the prominent philanthropist J. C. Jacobsen, who also provided funds to establish the Museum of National History that now occupies Frederiksborg.
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