The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry

The Apartments of the Orders house an exhibition relating to the Orders of Chivalry. During the Age of Liberty the rooms were offices for the Council of the Realm, and later for the Supreme Court.

The Apartment’s suite of large rooms consists of a guardroom, two assembly halls and a fourth room, which was the chapter room for the royal orders. The rooms were prepared in 1755 by architect Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz as offices for the Council of the Realm.

A dramatic turn

It was in the two assembly halls that the Council met during the 18th century. A dramatic turn of events occurred here on the 19 August 1772, when King Gustav III prevented the members of the Council from leaving the premises, carrying out a coup d’état.

He then introduced a new judicial office, the Supreme Court, which took over the judicial functions of the Council. The offices of the Supreme Court were housed here in the former Council Apartments from 1792 to 1949.

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry

In the 1860s, the interior decoration was modernised according to designs by architect Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander. The rooms were named after the royal orders – the Order of Vasa, the Order of the Polar Star, the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The papiermâché wall decorations of the period contain each orders’ emblems.

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry were opened to the general public in 1993 to mark the occasion of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 20th jubilee as King of Sweden. The Apartments house an exhibition relating to the Orders of Chivalry, and have four halls, one for each Order:

The Hall of the Order of Vasa

The Order of Vasa’s emblem consists of a sheaf, which is part of the Vasa Dynasty’s coat of arms.

An exhibition on the origins and history of Swedish royal orders from the 17th century to the present is on display. Also shown are Royal medals currently awarded to Swedish citizens. In the hall there is a portrait of King Carl XVI Gustaf, by Olle Hamngren.

The Order of Vasa, founded in 1772 by Gustav III, is awarded to Swedish and foreign men and (from 1952 onwards) women for services in a number of areas.

The Hall of the Order of the Polar Star

The Hall of the Order of the Polar Star is richly decorated with sculpted pilasters and splendidly sculpted doors and overdoors by Jean Bourguignon. The overdoor depicts Le Conseil or the Council. The older man is Nestor, who with an owl and a book to aid him, serves as the wise advisor. Towards the south is Unity. The handshake is intended to illustrate the role the Council played in creating mutual understanding between the King and the estates. The Supreme Court’s seal was stored in a small compartment in the wall towards the west.

The exhibition in this hall presents the ceremonial aspects associated with orders in older times.

The Order of the Polar Star was founded
in 1748 by Fredrik I, awarded for services including long public office or services to science, society or the arts. It can still be awarded to foreign citizens on the occasion of state visits or as a token of gratitude for services rendered to Sweden.

The Hall of the Order of the Sword

This room has somewhat simpler wall coverings and overdoors than the previous room. The overdoors symbolise war, trade, commerce, arts and science. In 1755, the room was furnished with 17th century gilt leather wall coverings.

The exhibitions include displays on Swedish Order costumes, older badges of chivalry from before 1860, and the history of Swedish medals. In the large display cabinet are the Order Statutes from 1798. A wall display shows orders and badges of distinction awarded to Prince Bertil, the King´s uncle.

The Order of the Sword was awarded in recognition of long-term meritorious service to the armed forces. The Order has been dormant since 1975.

The Hall of the Order of the Seraphim

The hall is the chapter room for the royal orders of chivalry, formerly known as the Knights’ Hall.

The room is set up as if for a session of the chapter of the order. Only the chairs used by royalty are gilded, as was the rule on official occasions in the 18th century. The monarch’s chair was also the only one to be fitted with armrests. The chairs are upholstered with the Patriarchal cross, the emblem of the Order of the Seraphim.

The small hooks in the ceiling were intended for mourning crape and are a remnant from the time when the room was used for royal funerals.

On the windowed wall is King Carl XVI Gustaf’s shield together with the shields of the male knights of the Order of the Seraphim. To the right are the shields of the female holders, displayed below the shield of Queen Silvia. The shields of arms of a selection of currently living knights and members are displayed on the opposite wall.

Sweden’s highest order, the Order of the Seraphim, may be awarded to foreign heads of state and royalty. When a person is awarded the order, a shield with their coat of arms as Knight of the Seraphim is painted. Upon their death, the knight’s shield is hung up in Riddarholmen Church.

Top image: The Hall of the Order of the Sword, one of four halls in the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry, photo Bruno Ehrs