Prince Joachim and Princess Marie's second home
His Royal Highness Prince Joachim was no more than nine years old when he was handed over Schackenborg Castle by Hans Schack. Today, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, along with their children, use Schackenborg Castle as the family's second home.
The Gift for Prince Joachim
Schackenborg and the Royal House are closely connected—both historically and today. For many years—before Hans Schack built Schackenborg—the area and the old Møgeltønderhus were a royal estate, and the bond between the Schack family and the Royal House has been a consistent thread throughout centuries of history. Therefore, it is by no means coincidental that Schackenborg returned to the Royal House when the last Schack at Schackenborg, Count Hans Schack 6., and his wife Countess Karin chose to transfer the castle and land holdings to Prince Joachim. The count couple were childless, and in the mid-1970s, the idea of transferring the castle to Prince Joachim was announced, but it was only confirmed in 1978 when the prince was nine years old.
Prince Joachim spent many moments at Schackenborg during his childhood and youth, where he got to know every nook and cranny of the castle and was entrusted with the many stories and the history of the castle.
Prince Joachim moved into Schackenborg in 1993. Before that, he had trained as a farmer and agricultural economist, so he was ready to take over Schackenborg’s large and modern farm. Prince Joachim came with a lot of enthusiasm and ideas, taking the initiative for many innovative projects such as The Five Farms, meat production, high-quality raw material production, and Christmas trees.
Even though Schackenborg is a cultural and historical gem and one of Southern Jutland’s few castles, maintenance had been lacking over the years, and when Prince Joachim took over Schackenborg, the old castle needed some tender loving care.
In connection with the marriage between Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra in 1995, the couple received a public gift earmarked for a comprehensive restoration, especially of Schackenborg’s exterior. The first major project was to restore Schackenborg’s main axis. The work was inspired by a door frame in the castle that shows the entire layout around 1760. The beautiful baroque layout featured two axes intersecting at right angles, and with the extensive restoration of the main axis, Schackenborg returned to this expression. The restoration included the entire park, the restoration of the south bridge near the gatehouse, and the construction of a new bridge at the entrance from the east.
Schackenborg’s exterior walls also received a necessary and much-needed lift with the public gift. The facade was renovated, and the roofs were replaced. In particular, the roof restoration was a very large project, including the rebuilding of chimney pipes and the removal and restoration of dormers. The old gatehouse also underwent extensive restoration.
The south wing of the beautiful castle is furnished as a private residence for the prince couple and their family, so don’t be surprised if you see members of the royal family when visiting Schackenborg.
Photo: Steen Brogaard – The Royal House
A castle with royal residents
Prince Joachim has lived permanently at Schackenborg for 21 years, and Schackenborg runs in the prince’s blood. He is an expert in the history of Schackenborg, which today would be difficult to tell without his knowledge and insight. The prince knows every nook, every portrait, every treasure, and all the good stories behind Schackenborg.
In 2014, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, along with their children, chose to move to Copenhagen, and today they temporarily reside in Paris while Prince Joachim completes a 10-month course at the prestigious École Militaire in his capacity as a colonel in the Army. Schackenborg is the family’s second home, and Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and their children often visit the castle. Schackenborg is the family’s sanctuary, and the family has many friends here.
Prince Joachim’s four children are, like their father, closely connected to Schackenborg, and the eldest already know every nook and cranny and the stories of Schackenborg.
The children's birth trees
In Schackenborg’s garden, there are four very special and beautiful trees that Prince Joachim had planted on each of his four children’s birthdays. Since the prince does not have control over exactly when a child is born, he has, well in advance of each birth, chosen both the tree and its location so that everything was ready when the day arrived.
Each child has their own tree.
Prince Nikolai’s tree is a copper beech, planted on August 28, 1999.
When Prince Felix came into the world on July 22, 2002, a beautiful tulip tree was planted.
Seven years later, on May 4, 2009, he planted an acacia tree when Prince Henrik was born.
The last tree in the garden was planted on January 24, 2012. It is Princess Athena’s Canadian maple, which from mid-September each year displays vibrant red colors in Schackenborg’s garden.
Do you want to learn more about the royal family at Schackenborg Castle? Book a guided tour and look forward to all the stories.
Experience Sønderjylland
Schackenborg Castle is located in the idyllic Møgeltønder, just a few kilometers from the border to Germany. Combine your visit to Schackenborg with other delightful experiences in Southern Jutland. Explore, for example, Tøndermarsh, Museum South Jutland, take a stroll in the charming Slotsgade, and immerse yourself in the Southern Jutlandic atmosphere.Schackenborg Slot ligger i idylliske Møgeltønder få kilometer fra landegrænsen til Tyskland. Kombinér dit besøg på Schackenborg med andre skønne oplevelser i Sønderjylland. Besøg fx Tøndermarsken, Museum Sønderjylland, gå en tur i den hyggelige Slotsgade og få den sønderjyske stemning ind under huden.
