DEC 2

ETHIOPIA

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One of the most amusing and curious anecdotes from Rosenborg Castle comes from the 18th century and involves perhaps the most colorful king in Danish history: Christian VII, who reigned from 1766 to 1808.

Christian VII was known both for his mental instability and for his wild imagination and eccentric behaviour. Despite the darker sides of his reign—marked by power struggles and the dramatic downfall of his advisor Struensee—there were also lighter, more whimsical episodes.

One of the most famous took place at Rosenborg.

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Today’s Anecdote

The King and the Mirror Trick

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One day, wandering alone through the castle as he often did, Christian VII decided to play a prank on his courtiers. He had discovered a large, old-fashioned gilded mirror in one of the state rooms—and suddenly an idea struck him.

He ordered the mirror to be placed in the center of the Knight’s Hall and instructed his servant to decorate it with silk and gilding so that it resembled a “royal throne installation.” Then, dressed in full regalia—crown, robe, and scepter—he seated himself before the mirror and called for the courtiers to attend an audience.

When they entered, the king rose dramatically and declared:

“Behold! Today you shall meet your truest king!”

The bewildered courtiers had no idea what he meant—until, one by one, they were positioned in front of the mirror and forced to “greet the king,” who turned out to be their own reflection. The king was delighted, insisting that each man’s mirror image revealed his true ambitions—and that therefore “every minister should look at himself in the mirror before speaking of the kingdom’s welfare.”

The courtiers laughed nervously—some blushing, others completely confused—but the king was in excellent spirits. According to later accounts, he repeated this “mirror audience” several times until the court begged him to return to more “traditional” forms of entertainment.

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Though it reads today like the scene from a comedy, the episode reveals both Christian VII’s playful nature and the absurd elegance that sometimes unfolded behind Rosenborg’s thick walls. The mirror—or at least one much like it—still stands in one of the halls, and guides love to tell visitors the story of the day when the king decided that Denmark should be ruled… by its own reflection.

MORE ABOUT THE COFFEE

Ethiopia

Origin

Jebena - Sidama

coffee roast

Taste Notes

vanilla, malt / cereal,

dark chocolate,

citrus fruit

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This Grade 4 Sidama is sourced through Hambella Flavor, which supports farmers by paying premiums for quality. Grown at high altitudes and naturally processed, the cherries are hand-picked, sorted, and sun-dried on raised beds, developing sweetness and complexity.
In the cup, expect silky vanilla and malt, layered with dark chocolate richness and lifted by a bright touch of citrus fruit. Vibrant yet balanced, this coffee captures both the highlands’ brilliance and the care of the farmers behind it.

Altitude: 1900-2000 m.a.s.l.

Variety: Heirloom

Process: Natural

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Did you know that you can order same coffee as beans?

SHOP ETHIOPIA BEANS

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