The Hall of State

The Hall of State was ready for use by the 1755 parliament, and was the place where sessions were held under the chairmanship of the monarch. Up until 1974, the King opened parliament here, every year in a formal ceremony.

Nowadays, the opening of the parliament ceremony takes place in the parliament building, although the Hall of State is still used for other official ceremonies.

The main entrance into to the Hall of State is from the South Entrance. The Hall of State and the Royal Chapel are situated on either side of the vaultedentryway, symbols of the God-given power of the monarchy.

Architect Carl Hårleman supervised the decoration of the Hall of State, largely working on plans drawn up by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. The Hall is two and a half stories in height.

The sculptures

The sculptures on the cornice include symbols of Peace (with the olive branch), Strength (with the club), Religion (with the cross) and Justice (with the sword and scales). Most of these sculpture groups were made by the Frenchmen Charles Guillaume Cousin and Pierre Hubert L’Archevêque during the latter half of the 18th century as part of a series designed to pay homage to the Swedish nation.

The large-scale marble sculptures on either side of the throne are the work of Johan Niclas Byström in the 1840s. They depict Karl XIV Johan (to the left) and Gustav II Adolf (to the right).

The Silver Throne

The Silver Throne was a gift to Queen Kristina from Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie for her coronation in 1650. It is the work of the goldsmith Abraham Drentwett of Augsburg and is made of forged and cast silver sections mounted on a wooden frame. The two female figures on either side of the coat of arms depict Justitia (Justice) with the sword and scale, and Prudentia (Truth) with her mirror.

Top image: The Hall of State at the Royal Palace, photo Alexis Daflos