In its first edition, Gråsten was a small hunting castle built in the middle of the 16th century. The south wing of the present-day main house is believed to be built on the site of the second structure built in 1603 to replace a
hunting lodge which had been destroyed in a fire in the middle of the 16th century. Under the ownership of
Carl von Ahlefeldt, the second palace was demolished in favour of a grand
Baroque style palace built in the years leading up to 1700. This third palace was however devastated by a fire in 1757 under the ownership of the then
Duke of Augustenburg which only the Palace Chapel and two pavilions survived. The Duke then commissioned
Johann Gottfried Rosenberg to rebuild the fourth and current palace in
Rococo-style in 1759 – though considerably smaller than its former edition. After about three and a half succeeding centuries of ownership by
Danish nobles, Gråsten Slot was taken over by the State and extensively restored. In wake of their wedding in 1935, it was given as a summer residence to Crown Prince Frederik (later King
Frederik IX) and his Swedish-born Crown Princess Ingrid (later Queen
Ingrid) who especially adored the palace until her death in November 2000. It remains the summer residence of the
Danish royal family. In November 1845,
Hans Christian Andersen visited Duke Christian August II at Gråsten Castle. Legend had it that Gråsten Palace was where Andersen wrote
The Little Match Girl, during his visit. However, that is not the case. Andersen wrote it when he visited
Augustenborg Palace. ==Landscape and Palace Chapel ==