Riddarholmen Church, in Stockholm, Sweden, serves as the final resting place for most Swedish monarchs, including Gustavus Adolphus to Gustaf V. A single exception exists: Queen Christina, who is buried within St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The church was built as a Greyfriars Monastery in the late-13th century, later converted to a Lutheran church after the Protestant Reformation. Flemish architect Willem Boy designed a spire during the reign of John III, but it was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1835.
The current cast-iron spire replaced it afterward. Armorial plates depicting the arms of deceased knights of the Royal Order of the Seraphim are affixed to the walls of the church. When a knight of the Order dies, his coat of arms is carried from the royal palace and rehung in the church. When the funeral takes place, the church’s bells are rung without pause from 12:00 to 13:00. Today, Riddarholmen Church is run by departments of the Swedish Government and Royal Court.
Riddarholmen Church is an example of eclectic architecture, combining Northern European Gothic style with Baroque elements. After the Protestant Reformation, the original monastery was discontinued, making way for new spaces like the Royal Palace and the Royal Opera.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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