Gottorf Castle
To stop the increased rumours about his paternity, in February Gerhard VII declared in the courtyard of Gottorf Castle in front of his knights that he secretly slept with Agnes before the wedding, and that she'd been a virgin then; therefore, the children were his, and Henry would be capable of inheriting his possessions. In Schleswig Cathedral and in a State Assembly before the clergy and nobility Gerhard VII reaffirmed his word, who was further confirmed by court ladies, doctors and midwives. The matter was ultimately settled by the Bishops of Lübeck and Schleswig. The Count's brother Adolphus VIII supported his declaration. All the scandal received the name of the "Twin Disaster of Gottorf" (de: "Zwillingssturz von Gottorf").