King Frederik and Queen Mary's summer vacations in Denmark tend to run long, so much so that they've sparked debate within the country. This summer is no exception, and the same rule always applies: if the king is in Denmark, no explanation is given, but if he leaves the country, a regency is announced, typically alternating between Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Christian. The royal couple's official calendar is largely clear for now, but one private engagement has been confirmed: a near-royal wedding at one of Europe's most spectacular castles.
© Martin Sylvest AndersenDanish outlet Fyens Stiftstidende confirmed that King Frederik and Queen Mary will attend what is shaping up to be the wedding of the year there. The groom is Gregers Carl Preben Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, King Frederik's godson. His name may not ring a bell, but he has deep ties to the Danish royal family. The bride, Cecilie Juhl, doesn't come from an aristocratic background.
The powerful Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille family and its royal connections
It's the groom's family that links him to Danish royalty. He's the son of Michael Preben, Count Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, a landowner, agricultural entrepreneur, cultural patron, royal courtier, and steward of Egeskov Castle, the family's residence and one of the country's architectural gems, as well as the top draw on Funen, Denmark's second-largest island.
Count Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille has been married three times, with this wedding celebrating his first son. The royal connection doesn't stop there. The Count's third marriage was to Princess Alexandra, daughter of Princess Benedikte and King Frederik's first cousin.
© Getty ImagesPrincess Alexandra, daughter of Denmark's Princess Benedikte, as hostess
"Count Michael and Princess Alexandra are doing something highly unusual at Egeskov Castle," reads a headline from Billed Bladet, underscoring that the king's first cousin will serve as the wedding's hostess. Beyond being a major tourist draw, the castle is the couple's home, and Alexandra oversees its landscaping and garden design. What's "unusual" is that the section of the castle open to the public will close for three days for the celebrations, set for August 22.
That kind of closure only happens on rare occasions. Egeskov is one of Denmark's best-preserved Renaissance buildings: it rises straight out of the water, creating a storybook atmosphere where red brick contrasts with the surrounding greenery, framing towers, a bridge, gardens, and water all in a single view.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThis isn't the first family wedding held at the castle. Princess Alexandra (of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg) married Count Michael there back in 2019, in what was her second wedding (she was married for nearly two decades to Count Jefferson, with whom she has two children) and his third.
At the time, Queen Margrethe's cherished niece was 48, and the count was 54. The ceremony drew 33 guests, including Princess Benedikte and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. The event marked one of the occasions where the Norwegian princess introduced guests to her new partner, shaman Durek Verrett. After marrying Princess Alexandra, the Danish count became further embedded in royal life, appearing at most major royal celebrations, both Danish and Greek, since Princess Alexandra is also a niece of Greece's former King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie.
© AFP via Getty Images
