Honorific Prefix: | Count |
Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille | |
Birth Date: | 26 February 1965 |
Birth Place: | Svendborg, Denmark |
Noble Family: | Ahlefeldt |
Father: | Claus Christian Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille |
Mother: | Merete-Anette von Lüttichau |
Spouse: | Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg |
Michael Preben, Count Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (Danish: Michael Preben [[Count|Greve]] [[Ahlefeldt|Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille]]) (born 26 February 1965)[1] is a Danish Count and a landowner. By birth he is a member of an ancient German House of Ahlefeldt.
He was born as the only son of Count Claus Christian Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (Copenhagen, 6 March 1932 - 2014), Landlord in Havnø Gods, Hadsund, and his second wife (m. Tranekær Kirke, Tranekær, 21 September 1963, divorced in 1971) Countess Merete-Anette von Lüttichau, née Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (b. Rudkøbing, 1 April 1943), Nurse,[2] who was also her husband's third cousin.[3] [4] He has one sister, Countess Suzanne Ingrid Jessie Dorthe Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (b. Svendborg, 4 March 1967),[5] lady-in-waiting to Princess Alexandra, who married in Mahé, Seychelles, on 15 February 1993 Erik Ove Carl John Emil Vind til Sanderumgaard (b. Hellerup, 5 May 1954),[6] grandson of Prince Erik of Denmark.[7] His father married firstly in Taarnborg Gods, Korsør, on 2 August 1958 and divorced Countess Marianne Moltke af Nør til Kruusesminde (b. Kruusesminde Gods, Korsør, 18 October 1936), Landlady in Kruusesminde Gods, Korsør,[8] married thirdly on 9 September 1976 and divorced in 1995 Baroness Louisa Wedell-Wedellsborg (b. San Francisco, California, 8 June 1939)[9] and married fourthly in 2002 Bente Skipper.
In 1992, he assumed ownership of the family's residence Egeskov Castle near Kværndrup, from his father Count Claus Christian.[10] Under his ownership, Egeskov Castle has been turned into one of Funen's major tourist attractions. He was awarded the title of Hofjægermester[11] (hunting master of the court) in 2006 and the title of Kammerherre[12] (chamberlain) in 2015.[13]
Michael married firstly to Margrethe Kirketerp-Møller (27 March 1965 - aft. 1995) in 1992 and divorced,[14] daughter of Mogens Kirketerp-Møller (12 October 1936), Landlord, and wife (m. 22 February 1963).[15] They have a son and a daughter:
He married secondly Caroline Søeborg-Ohlsen (b. 1968) on 26 August 2006.[16] The couple divorced in 2016[17] and have two children:
On 18 May 2019, he married Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, niece of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at Sankt Jørgens Kirke in Svendborgsund.[18] [19]