![Schackenborg slot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Schackenborg_slot.jpg)
Schackenborg Castle ( da, Schackenborg Slot, ) is a
château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Now ...
located in
Møgeltønder
Møgeltønder () is a small town in Denmark, located in Møgeltønder Parish and Tønder Municipality in the southwestern corner of the Danish peninsula of Jutland 5 kilometres north of the Danish-German border and 4 kilometres west of Tønde ...
,
Southern Jutland
Southern Jutland ( da, Sønderjylland; German: Südjütland) is the name for the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark and north of the Eider (river) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The region north of the Kongeå is called da, Nør ...
. From 1993 until 2014, it was the private residence of
Prince Joachim of Denmark
, father = Henri de Laborde de Monpezat
, mother = Margrethe II of Denmark
, house = Glücksburg (official) Monpezat (agnatic)
, religion = Church of Denmark
, occupation = Military Attaché, Royal Danish Embassy i ...
, the second son of Queen
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...
.
History
Originally called Møgeltønderhus (Møgeltønder House), the former stronghold on the site was the property of the
Roman Catholic bishops of Ribe. It served as protection against the
Frisians in the south, and guarded the waterway that joined
Vidå to
Tønder
Tønder (; german: Tondern ) is a town in the Region of Southern Denmark. With a population of 7,505 (as of 1 January 2022), it is the main town and the administrative seat of the Tønder Municipality.
History
The first mention of Tønder might ...
.
During the
Reformation in Denmark
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, the mansion was confiscated from the Church by the
Danish crown.
Count Hans von Schack, a
Schleswig
The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...
nobleman and soldier, was given Møgeltønderhus as a token of King
Frederick III of Denmark's gratitude for his military achievements in the
Northern Wars
"Northern Wars" is a term used for a series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century. An internationally agreed-on nomenclature for these wars has not yet been devised. While the Great Northern War is ge ...
.
Schack demolished most of the mansion in 1661 due to its bad condition, building the more impressive,
baroque style "Schackenborg Castle".
In 1680, a street was laid out from the manor house, leading toward the local church.
For eleven generations, the castle belonged to the von Schack family before reverting to the
Danish Royal Family
The Danish royal family is the dynastic family of the monarch. All members of the Danish royal family except Queen Margrethe II hold the title of ''Prince/Princess of Denmark''. Dynastic children of the monarch and of the heir apparent are accor ...
again in 1978.
Prince Joachim residency
In 1993, Schackenborg and the extensive estate were transferred to Prince Joachim of Denmark, the younger son of Queen Margrethe II. In 1995, it was announced that Prince Joachim and then-
Princess Alexandra would finally be moving into the residence. For their wedding, a national collection was made, known as the "Nation's Gift". Several million
Danish kroner were raised. Prince Joachim announced that the money would be spent on a restoration programme for the castle.
[
The castle and the surrounding park are not open to the general public; however, guided tours of the gardens are sometimes available during the summer.][ Since 2014, it has been owned by a foundation and not by any member of the royal family.
]
See also
*County of Schackenborg
The County of Schackenborg was a Danish and for a period German majorat in the southern part of Jutland, which existed from 1676 to 1924.
History
The County of Schackenborg was established on 23 June 1676 by King Christian V of Denmark for ...
References
{{Castles in Denmark
Houses completed in the 17th century
Castles in Denmark
Castles in the Region of Southern Denmark
Listed buildings and structures in Tønder Municipality