The Royal Palace was constructed after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh in the mid-19th century.

The establishment of the Royal Palace at Phnom Penh in 1866 is a comparatively recent event in the history of the Khmer and Cambodia. The seat of Khmer power in the region rested at or near Angkor north of the Great Tonle Sap Lake from 802 AD until the early 15th century.

Entry into the Throne Hall was not allowed, nor was photography allowed; the latter is always too tempting for me..

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It was not until after the implementation of the French Protectorate in Cambodia in 1863 that the capital was moved from Oudong to Phnom Penh, and the current Royal Palace was founded and constructed.

On the year of 1865, the year of the cow, at nine o'clock in the morning, King Norodom moved the Royal court from Oudong to the new Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and the city became the official capital of Cambodia the following year. Over the next decade several buildings and houses were added, many of which have since been demolished and replaced.
[Wikipedia]

The complex is divided by walls into four main compounds, on the south side is the Silver Pagoda, to the north side is the Khemarin Palace and the central compound contains the Throne Hall and to the west is the private sector or the Inner Court.
The buildings of the palace were built gradually overtime, and some were dismantled and rebuilt as late as the 1960s. Some old buildings dates back to the 19th century though.

Beautiful detail

Stately gardens and the Moonlight Pavilion.

Only a few weeks before our visit (01-07Feb2013) the palace was involved in the funeral ceremonies of Cambodia's King Father, Norodom Sihanouk.
The urn containing the late king Norodom Sihanouk’s remains was brought to the Royal Palace, its final place of rest, on the last day of a weeklong funeral rite for the former monarch.
A portion of Sihanouk’s remains were cast into the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers.
A golden urn containing the other portion was moved from the Preah Meru field.

From the palace compound we passed through a wall, entering the Silver Pagoda compound.

The Royal Palace of Cambodia is a good example of Khmer architecture featuring its layout of the defensive wall (kampaeng), throne hall (preah tineang), Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot, photo above), stupas (chedei), towering spires (prang prasat) and mural paintings.
This part of the entire complex is called the Silver Pagoda and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is part of that compound.

I don't recall where I took this photo...

Our guide shared a lot of information, alas a lot of the lessons in history passed through my brain without
settling in my memory. He was enthusiastic and I am sorry I forgot his name.
Thank goodness for Wikipedia to learn more about the history of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda.

Stupa of Hm King Norodom (I think).

Model of Angkor Wat, a taste of what was yet to come!

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