Count Nikolai shares rare peek inside former royal home

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.

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.

© Instagram / nikolaitildanmark

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

© Instagram / nikolaitildanmark

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

© 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.

© 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.

© 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".