Frederiksborg opens “Frederik X” exhibition: the first official painted portrait of King Frederik since his accession

HILLERØD, Denmark — The first official painted portrait of King Frederik X of Denmark was unveiled on Friday, September 25, 2026, at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød, as part of the Carlsberg Foundation’s 150th anniversary, as ad-hoc-news reports.

The work was created by Danish artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen and is the first official painted portrait of the king since his accession to the throne. The portrait now hangs in the castle’s Great Hall, alongside portraits of the monarchs of the Glücksburg dynasty, in Denmark’s largest portrait collection.

The artist blends classical royal tradition with contemporary expression in the work: vivid brushstrokes and layers of texture merge the king’s figure with nature, giving the portrait a modern dimension within a centuries-old setting.

The exhibition titled “Frederik X,” which opens to the public on September 28, also shows the work’s creative process — from first sketches to the final version — offering a rare glimpse inside the artist’s collaboration with the monarch.

Frederiksborg Castle, built by Christian IV between 1600 and 1620 and rebuilt after the 1859 fire, has housed Denmark’s National History Museum since 1878, with a collection spanning five centuries of Danish history.