The book about the French holiday home of the Danish Royal Family was published in 2004.
The book deals with the history of the château, the process of acquiring it, the area, the wine and the local kitchen. A chapter on the Monpezat family’s stay in the East, and subsequent return and stay in France during WWII, is also included, although, why, exactly that is, I have trouble understanding. It doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the book.
The book is rather disjointed at times, a mixture of Prince Henrik and the author, and apart from the general topic staying roughly the same; it would have been nice to perhaps have the chapters in a more logical order.
The Queen and Prince Henrik first saw the Château as it was for sale in 1974. They were looking for a place of their own to stay, when they were in France for the summers, visiting Prince Henrik’s family. The story behind the purchase, and the story behind the château are interesting, and mostly told in Prince Henrik’s words.
The chapter discussing the renovations that were needed to bring the Château back to standard, was in my opinion, the most interesting one. The story of why they have a living room with a high ceiling (the third floor collapsed) was particularly amusing.
I’m also fond of France, and so seeing the nice pictures from the area, was also contributing to my enjoyment of the book. Perhaps, another royal connection to note, one of the main photographers contributing in the book was young Martin Jørgensen.
The three chapters on the wine they produce at the Château, well, it did feel just a tad like a public relations stunt, if I’m being completely honest.
It’s a decent book, but unless you’re particularly interested in French wine, or the Danish royal family… you can settle for reading about the château here.
