Count Nikolai shares rare peek inside former royal home

Danielle Stacey
·2 min read
Count Nikolai shares a look inside Schackenborg Castle
Count Nikolai shares a look inside Schackenborg Castle (Getty / Instagram)

Count Nikolai has shared a rare glimpse inside one of the Danish royal family's former residences.

The 25-year-old model and business school graduate posted a series of snaps from Schackenborg Castle, located in Møgeltønder Parish, Southern Jutland.

The first photo showed Nikolai playing pool inside what appeared to be a library inside the beautiful baroque castle, which dates back to the early 1660s.

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Gold ornate chairs can be seen behind the pool table near the windows along with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Family photographs are dotted around the room, while ancestral portraits line one of the green walls.

Count Nikolai playing pool in the library at Schackenborg Castle
Playing pool in the library (Instagram / nikolaitildanmark)

Nikolai shared a closer look at the picture frames, showing snaps of his grandmother, Queen Margrethe, and his late grandfather, Prince Henrik.

Photos of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik
Photos of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik (Instagram / nikolaitildanmark)

Another image showed the tree-lined driveway in the entrance to Schackenborg, with the grounds a perfect autumnal scene as Nikolai is pictured looking out of one of the castle's sash windows.

Entrance to Schackenborg Castle
The entrance to Schackenborg Castle (Instagram / nikolaitildanmark)

In another snap, taken from behind, Nikolai, wearing a flat cap, can be seen taking a walk through the castle's gardens.

Count Nikolai looking out of the window at Schackenborg Castle
The perfect autumn day at Schackenborg Castle (Instagram / nikolaitildanmark)

"Back at my childhood home," he captioned the post.

The Count was also joined by a special guest during his stay at Schackenborg – his girlfriend, Benedikte Thoustrup.

Count Nikolai walking in the gardens at Schackenborg Castle
Walking in the gardens at Schackenborg Castle (Instagram / nikolaitildanmark)

When one of his followers asked Nikolai about his favourite memories from his former home, he replied: "Probably all the Christmases I've spent here!"

The castle was the family home of Nikolai's father, Prince Joachim, from 1993 until 2014. It is now owned by the Schackenborg Foundation and is now open to the public daily for tours.

Count Felix, Count Henrik, Princess Marie, Countess Athena, Count Nikolai and Prince Joachim
Count Felix, Count Henrik, Princess Marie, Countess Athena, Count Nikolai and Prince Joachim at Château de Cayx during the summer (Instagram / @detdanskekongehus)

Joachim and his family, who now reside in Washington D.C. in the US, use the castle for occasional stays.

Nikolai is the eldest son of Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. He also has a younger brother, Count Felix, and two half-siblings from his father's second marriage to Princess Marie – Count Henrik and Countess Athena.

The youngsters were previously titled prince and princess, but Queen Margrethe made the decision to strip her four grandchildren of their royal titles in January 2022, in order for them to "shape their own lives, without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that a formal affiliation to the Royal House of Denmark entails".