Design Design objects Kay Bojesen
Royal Guard
Kay Bojesen's painted wooden soldiers of the Danish Royal Guard, first made in 1942 and made today by Rosendahl.
- Designed by
- Kay Bojesen
- Made by
- Kay Bojesen
- First made
- 1942
Pictures © Kay Bojesen, from rosendahl.com.
Why it is renowned
Kay Bojesen's toy soldiers of the Danish Royal Guard, among them a drummer, a private with a rifle and a standard-bearer, belong to his wooden toys with moveable limbs.1 Their success led to his painted Santa Claus.2 Rosendahl still makes the guardsmen, and has made editions for Tivoli in Copenhagen.3
The story
In 1940 King Christian X turned 70, and Bojesen made soldiers of the Royal Guard in his honour.2 Four of them, a metre high and in gala uniform, stood outside his shop in Bredgade and greeted the king as he rode past.2 Bojesen put the guards into production in 1942: an officer with a sabre and guardsmen with a drum, a flag and a gun, after the guard at Amalienborg.2 The guardsman with a sword is made in red, blue and white.4 The guards later led to his Santa Claus and his postman.2 The rights passed to Erik Rosendahl in 1991.2 Rosendahl makes a drummer, a guardsman with a gun and one with a sword, and Tivoli versions in red and white.3
Sources
- Kay Bojesen, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org, read 1 October 2026.
- Kay Bojesen timeline, Rosendahl. rosendahl.com, read 1 October 2026.
- Kay Bojesen Guardsmen, Rosendahl. rosendahl.com, read 1 October 2026.
- Guardsman with sword small, Rosendahl. rosendahl.com, read 1 October 2026.
Last checked 1 October 2026, against the maker's own pages.