The castle has been inhabited by several royal kings and queens from the 16th century until today. The name came to 1579 when John III was alive.
History
It was Johan III who built a stone house for his queen Katarina. Today, the property is owned by the state and the state already bought all of Drottningholm's property as early as 1777 from Queen Lovisa Ulrika, who had received the castle as a wedding gift from King Adolf Fredrik. Since then, the royal family has the right to dispose of Drottningholm.
It was Queen Hedvig Eleonora who was married to Karl X Gustav who planned and built the current castle from 1662 - 1750 - which was called a pleasure castle. Various kings and queens over the years have since left their own mark on the castle and its surroundings.
Today, the castle is Sweden's most distinguished and best-preserved royal castle. The parks and several buildings are open for visits. The castle was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 along with several buildings and the park. In 1981, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia moved to Drottningholm.
Early history
The first castle on the site was built in stone in 1579 by Johan III son of Gustav Vasa. During the siege of Stockholm in 1521, Gustav Vasa had made several villages his own property and called the area a royal estate. The castle was never really clear when Johan III Queen Katarina Jagellonica died in 1583. Johan III did not want to visit the castle so often after her death.
In 1603 the new owner was Queen Catherine. One who also left his mark on the castle was Gustav III (1771–1792). He laid out the English park and the Gothic tower. The theater was also expanded and rebuilt during Gustav III's time. During the time of Gustav IV Adolf (1792–1809), the castle stood uninhabited for a long time and began to decay. The king would rather live in Haga Castle than Drottningholm Castle. It was not until 1846 that Oscar I began to repair the castle. Then Charles XV and Oscar II lived in the castle from and to.
The castle was restored again in 1907 during Gustav V's time.
English Park
English park. It was Gustav III who had the park built. In the park there are two ponds with canals, bridges and large lawns. He also had the Gothic tower built in the park.
Gothic Tower
The Gothic tower stands to the west of the castle's English park. Construction began on the same year that Gustaf III was assassinated in 1792. The tower is octagonal and consists of three levels and has 124 steps. The building has been a state monument since 1935 and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.
Drottningholm Slott's theater
Make a visit to the theater which had its heyday in the late 18th century during the reign of Gustav III. After Gustav III's death in 1792, there was no direct activity in the building. It was not until 1921 that Agne Beijer visited the theater and saw that it needed to be restored. After the restoration, the theater began to flourish again. The 18th century theater is the only one in the world that still uses the original stage machinery.
Bathhouse
The bathhouse was built in 1792 on behalf of Charles XIII. The cold bathhouse is today used privately by the royal family.
