Guided tour of ‘Flora Danica – The World’s Wildest Dinnerware’

Experience a royal banquet with the world’s wildest dinnerware

Learn more about the myths and facts behind the iconic Flora Danica service and hear the story of the very first time it was used, at Christian VII’s 54th birthday dinner on 29 January 1803.

The Flora Danica service is the porcelain parallel to the Danish crown jewels. It is the world’s best preserved luxurious dinnerware from the 18th century. In scale and decorations, it is in a league of its own, and since its completion in 1802, it has been used for royal banquets on very special occasions. Most recently, it was used to mark HM Queen Margrethe II’s Golden Jubilee on 14 January 2022, when The Queen’s closest family arranged a surprise dinner at a table set with the historical Flora Danica service.

This guided tour of the Flora Danica exhibition tells the story behind the lavish dinnerware, from its link to the prestigious project of surveying and documenting wild Danish flora that provided the decorations to the meticulous process of designing the many different pieces and the premiere of the Flora Danica service at Christian VII’s 54th birthday banquet on 29 January 1803.

Learn about myths of international politics, remarkable depictions of plants and, not least, the structure and composition of a royal banquet in 18th-century Denmark, as the guide walks you through the exhibition and points out interesting details – from cracks in plates to pieces with very specialized functions on the impressive gala table in the gold-ornamented showcase that is the centrepiece of the exhibition. Here you can get a close look at how events unfolded when the Royal Family, headed by Christian VII, sat down for the birthday banquet in 1803 and were the first to have their dessert served on the iconic Flora Danica service.

Book your guided tour of the Flora Danica exhibition here