Michael Preben, Count Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille () (born 26 February 1965) is a Danish Count and a landowner. By birth he is a member of an ancient German Ahlefeldt, House of Ahlefeldt.

Early life

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, who was also her husband's third cousin. He has one sister, Countess Suzanne Ingrid Jessie Dorthe Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (b. Svendborg, 4 March 1967), lady-in-waiting to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, Princess Alexandra, who married in Mahé, Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles, on 15 February 1993 Erik Ove Carl John Emil Vind til Sanderumgaard (b. Hellerup, 5 May 1954), grandson of Prince Erik, Count of Rosenborg, Prince Erik of Denmark. 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, married thirdly on 9 September 1976 and divorced in 1995 Baroness Louisa Wedel family, Wedell-Wedellsborg (b. San Francisco, California, 8 June 1939) and married fourthly in 2002 Bente Skipper.

Biography

In 1992, he assumed ownership of the family's residence Egeskov Castle near Kværndrup, from his father Count Claus Christian. Under his ownership, Egeskov Castle has been turned into one of Funen's major tourist attractions. He was awarded the title of ''Hofjægermester'' (hunting master of the court) in 2006 and the title of ''Chamberlain (office), Kammerherre'' (chamberlain) in 2015.

Personal life

Michael married firstly in 1992 to Margrethe Kirketerp-Møller (27 March 1965 - aft. 1995), the daughter of Mogens Kirketerp-Møller (12 October 1936 - 25 February 2018), Landlord and owner of Sandholt castle, and wife Lisbeth (m. 22 February 1963). The couple later divorced. They have a son and a daughter: * Countess Marie-Sophie Elisabeth Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (born 2 April 1993) * Count Gregers Carl Preben Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (born 31 May 1995), a godson of the Frederik X, King of Denmark He married secondly Caroline Søeborg-Ohlsen (b. 1968) on 26 August 2006. She is the daughter of Cello, cellist Bertel Søeborg Ohlsen and his wife, Anette Faaborg (b. 1942), a pianist. The couple divorced in 2016 and have two children: * Count Julius Søeborg Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (born 2007), a godson of Prince Joachim of Denmark * Countess Iselin Kristine Søeborg Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille (born 2009) On 18 May 2019, he married Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, niece of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at Sankt Jørgens Kirke in Svendborg.

References

1965 births 21st-century Danish landowners 20th-century Danish nobility 21st-century Danish nobility Counts of Denmark Danish counts Living people House of Ahlefeldt Bille family {{Europe-noble-stub