Vacation at Gråsten castle

It is a tradition for Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary to stay for a few days at Gråsten Castle along with the rest of the Danish family. This year the vacation is a bit more unusual then the past years, because the royal couple are actually moved into the castle for the summer. We have already seen Mary and Frederik riding, Mary bicycling with Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and the twins where she wore a new lovely knitted blouse I have found at JOSEPH, here. Then the news came that Princess Josephine broke her left arm because of a riding accident, but she's doing fine.

Then we saw the family, except Princess Isabella, on a bike ride. When mom and dad are coming King and Queen of Denmark, I think it's great for the four royal children to spend some time with their parents outside public -even though some photos have been published. I'm sure Mary and Frederik have the same feeling when it comes to spend time with their children. We all love the summer and our vacation. I will not be sharing any pictures because they need their privacy. Instead I will share a little history about Gråsten castle with you.

Gråsten Castle 

The original Gråsten Castle has its history back to the 1500s and was a relatively small hunting castle. In 1603, a new castle was built since the former hunting castle was burned down the same year. It is believed to be built where the current castles south wing is located today. From 1662-1682 the castle was owned by Chancellor Frederik Ahlefeldt (1623-1689) and his son built a large Baroque palace - also burned down in the 1757th. Chancellor Frederik Ahlefeldt was a knight of the Order of the Elephant, the most prestigious in Denmark. The Castle Church and a few pavilions were the only thing left after the fire in 1757. The current Gråsten castle is dated from 1759, where a new south wing was built and in 1842 the central building was built. The castle have had several owners. From 1725-1852 it was owned by the August Citizens (Augustenborgerne) where Frederik 7. took over the castle. The August Citizens became the owners again in 1864. 1920, the government took over the castle and it was used for courtrooms, library and housing for judges and the police chiefs. 

Then Gråsten castle underwent a large renovation and in 1935 the palace was given as a summer residence for the then Crown Prince couple - Crown Prince Frederik 8th and Princess Ingrid. Until the death of Queen Ingrid, the castle has been used as a royal summer residence. Today Queen Margrethe is the owner and keep the tradition and stay there every year. The family is also invited such as this year.