Count Nikolai has provided a rare insight into one of the former residences of the Danish royal family. The 25-year-old model and business school graduate shared a series of photos from Schackenborg Castle, located in Møgeltønder Parish, Southern Jutland.
In the first image, Nikolai is seen playing pool in what appears to be a library within the stunning baroque castle, which dates back to the early 1660s. The room features ornate gold chairs behind the pool table, expansive floor-to-ceiling bookcases, and family photographs scattered throughout, complemented by ancestral portraits adorning a green wall.
He also gave a closer view of the picture frames, highlighting images of his grandmother, Queen Margrethe, and his late grandfather, Prince Henrik.
Another photo captured the picturesque, tree-lined driveway leading to Schackenborg, showcasing the beautiful autumn scenery as Nikolai gazes out of one of the castle’s sash windows. In a different snap, he walks through the castle gardens, wearing a flat cap.
“Back at my childhood home,” he captioned the post. During his stay at Schackenborg, he was accompanied by his girlfriend, Benedikte Thoustrup.
When a follower asked about his favorite memories from his former home, Nikolai responded, “Probably all the Christmases I’ve spent here!”
Schackenborg was the family home of Nikolai’s father, Prince Joachim, from 1993 until 2014. It is now owned by the Schackenborg Foundation and is open to the public for tours daily. Although Joachim and his family currently reside in Washington D.C., they still use the castle for occasional visits.
As the eldest son of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, Nikolai has a younger brother, Count Felix, along with two half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Princess Marie: Count Henrik and Countess Athena.
The siblings were previously titled prince and princess, but Queen Margrethe decided to strip her four grandchildren of their royal titles in January 2022, allowing them to “shape their own lives without being restricted by the special considerations and obligations associated with a formal connection to the Royal House of Denmark.”
