Royal Palace in Oslo

Slottet, Royal Palace
View of the front façade
Location within central Oslo
General information
Town or city	Oslo
Country	Norway
Coordinates	59°55′0.88″N 10°43′39.24″E / 59.9169111°N 10.7275667°E / 59.9169111; 10.7275667
Construction started	1825
Completed	1849
Client	Charles III of Norway
Design and construction
Architect	Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow
Other information
Number of rooms	173

The Royal Palace (Norwegian: Slottet or formally Det kongelige slott) in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born King Charles III of Norway, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden. The palace is the official residence of the present Norwegian monarch. The crown prince resides at Skaugum in Asker west of Oslo. The palace has 173 rooms.

Until the completion of the palace, Norwegian royalty resided in Paléet, the magnificent town house in Christiania that the wealthy merchant Bernt Anker bequeathed to the State in 1805 to be used as a royal residence. During the last years of the union with Denmark it was used by the viceroys of Norway, and in 1814 by the first king of independent Norway, Christian Frederick. King Charles III John of the Bernadotte dynasty resided there as crown prince (1814-1818) and later as king during his frequent visits to his Norwegian capital.

Charles John chose the site for the permanent royal palace on the western side of Christiania in 1821 and commissioned the officer and inexperienced architect, Danish-born Linstow, to design the building. The Parliament approved the stipulated cost of 150 000 speciedaler to be financed by the sale of government bonds. Work on the site started in 1824, and on 1 October 1825 the king laid down the foundation stone beneath the altar of the future palace chapel. Linstow originally planned a building of only two storeys with projecting wings on both sides of the main façade.