The medieval Riddarholm Church is the main tomb of Swedish monarchs. It is located on the eponymous island of Riddarholmen (translated as "Island of Knights"), not far from Stockholm's Royal Palace. The congregation was disbanded in 1807 and today the church is used only for burials and memorial services, as well as a museum, historical monument and a venue for exhibitions and other events. Swedish monarchs have found their final resting place here, from Gustav Adolf (d. 1632) to Gustav V (d. 1950), the only exception being Queen Christina, who rests in St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The earliest burials belong to Magnus III (d. 1290) and Charles VIII (d. 1470).
The church building is one of the oldest in Stockholm, with parts of it still intact, dating back to the late 13th century, when the Franciscan monastery of Greyfriars was located here. After the Reformation, the monastery was closed and turned into a Protestant church.
The church consists of three naves built in the Gothic style, but the brick building did not immediately take on its modern appearance. The original spire was designed by Willem Boy and erected during the reign of Johan III (1537 - 1592), but in 1835 it was destroyed by a lightning strike and replaced by a cast-iron spire, which has survived to this day. It was during the reign of Johan III that Riddarholm Church experienced its greatest dawn and acquired its opulent decoration.
In the walls of the church you can see the coats of arms of the Knights of the Order of Seraphim. If one of the knights of the order dies, his coat of arms is hung in the church, and on the day of the funeral a bell is rung for an hour.
