Clausholm

Facts

House arrest for the king's sweetheart

By Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen , Lektor, dr. phil., Aarhus Universitet (26 stories)

Clausholm near Voldum has been a large manor since the 14th century. In 1686, the estate was bought by Chancellor Conrad Reventlow. He had the three-winged main building built in the baroque style. Outwardly, it has almost no decoration at all, but inside, there are colourful panels and luxurious stucco ceilings. The two small wings facing the grounds were built in 1718-20. The baroque garden was landscaped in the 1690s in terraces, and decorative fountains were added in the 1970s. In summer, the castle and park are open to the public. The estate was bought by Mathias Huitfeldt in 1757 and has since been handed down through the generations. It has belonged to the Berner family since 1859.

Public place

Selected entry

The countess who became queen

Story written by Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen

Time / Periode 1711 1743

0 comments 0 recommendations

King Frederik IV was 40 years old when he met 18-year-old Countess Anna Sofie Reventlow at a masked ball at Koldinghus in 1711. They fell head-over-heels in love. Anna Sofie's mother was against the idea and put her daughter under house arrest at Clausholm. But with help from the king and a couple of servants, Anna Sofie eloped in 1712. The king married her immediately to his left hand, as he was already married. Such practices were accepted among kings. But a great scandal erupted when the king appointed Anna Sofie queen after the former queen's death in 1721. Because she was not a princess. The crown prince never forgave her. When he became king, he banished his stepmother to her childhood home where she lived until her death.