Prince Joachim and Princess Marie's private home has been used as one of the filming locations for a reality TV series, it has been revealed. Schackenborg Castle in Møgeltønder served as a backdrop for an episode of the TV2 show "Farmer Looking for Love" – the Danish version of "Farmer Wants a Wife".
A post on the Castle's Instagram account read: "We've been keeping a secret... Constitution Day set Schackenborg in the frame for a very special visit from @tv2playdk & TV2, where they recorded Farmer looking for love. Here - in the middle of the historical setting and adventurous surroundings - TV2 had spotted the perfect place for a romantic date."
Behind-the-scenes snaps show the crew filming in the beautiful tree-lined grounds of the estate, which dates back to the early 1660s. For eleven generations, the castle belonged to the von Schack family before reverting to the Danish royal family again in 1978.
The estate was Prince Joachim's private residence from 1993 to 2014. He lived on the estate with his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, and their two sons, Count Nikolai, 26, and Count Felix, 23, during their childhood.
Joachim sold the property in 2014, but he and his second wife, Princess Marie, whom he married in 2008, occasionally return to live at Schackenborg for short periods of time. The couple, who are parents to Count Henrik, 16, and Countess Athena, 13, are also on the board of the Schackenborg Castle Foundation. Joachim even planted four trees on the estate to mark the birth of each of his children.
Living abroad
Joachim, Marie and their teenage children have been residing in Washington D.C. in the US since 2023, when the prince took up the role of defence industry attaché at the Danish Embassy. Prior to relocating stateside, the family lived in Paris, having moved to France in 2019.
But in June, he hinted at plans to return home to Denmark during a TV interview with TV2, saying: "We have a desire to come home. But we also do not rule out the possibility of staying abroad. Now we have to see. For now, it is on our radar, when the post here stops, we will return home."
His role at the Danish Embassy will last for three years, until 2026, with the possibility of extension, but the prince did not express plans to remain in the US. Meanwhile, Princess Marie returned to Copenhagen last month to carry out engagements with some of her patronages, including Copenhagen Cooking festival, where she was joined by Count Henrik and Countess Athena.