Danish duo builds four-metre Lego replica of royal yacht Dannebrog

A life-sized Lego model of Denmark’s royal yacht Dannebrog, measuring over four metres in length, will be unveiled at Legoland Billund on 1 July after 800 hours of construction by two master builders.

The replica, built at a 1:20 scale using approximately 225,000 standard Lego bricks, was assembled without instructions by Morten Gravgaard and Jack Thorboe Rosendahl, reports Danish broadcaster DR. The pair relied solely on the yacht’s original technical drawings, converting them into a 3D model before translating the design into Lego layers.

“We start with the drawings and create a 3D model, which we then break down into 1×1 plates,” explained Gravgaard, the more experienced of the two, who previously worked as a baker before joining Legoland’s model workshop 12 years ago. His colleague Rosendahl, a former nightclub bouncer with tattooed arms, described the job as demanding: “You have to really love Lego. It’s eight to nine hours a day, just you and the bricks.”

The project presented unique challenges, particularly in replicating complex details. The yacht’s motorboat—positioned on the port side and designed to be lowered by crane—proved the most difficult element for Rosendahl to perfect. Compromises were inevitable; the Lego version of King Frederik’s jacket features four buttons instead of six, a detail Gravgaard expects only “the biggest royalists” to notice once the miniature monarch and queen are glued into place on deck.

The model anchors a newly redesigned harbour area in Legoland’s Miniland, replacing exhibits destroyed in a 2022 fire. The updated section now includes Copenhagen landmarks such as Reffen Street Food, Urban Riggers, and the Cirkelbroen bridge. “After the fire, we had to replace many models, so we took the opportunity to refresh the area—and that’s how Dannebrog came aboard,” said Jan Mouritzen, head of Legoland’s model department.

Final touches, including wiring for lights in the command bridge, cabins, and salons, are underway before the yacht’s public debut. Once complete, the model will leave the workshop, though Gravgaard and Rosendahl won’t be short of new challenges: “There’s always another build waiting,” Rosendahl said.