by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2014
Crown Prince Christian of Denmark; Photo: ©Dennis Stenild
Crown Prince Christian of Denmark was born on October 15, 2005, at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is the oldest child of the four children and the elder of the two sons of King Frederik X of Denmark and his Australian-born wife Queen Mary of Denmark, born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson. Crown Prince Christian became the heir to the Danish throne on January 14, 2024, upon the abdcation of his grandmother Queen Margrethe II and the accession of his father as King Frederik X.
Prince Christian’s family: Princess Josephine, Crown Prince Frederik, Princess Isabella, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Vincent, Prince Christian (Update photo on January 14)
Crown Prince Christian has three siblings:
- Princess Isabella of Denmark (born 2007)
- Prince Vincent of Denmark (born 2011)
- Princess Josephine of Denmark (born 2011)
On January 21, 2006, Christian was christened at the Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen, Denmark by Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen. He was given the names Christian Valdemar Henri John:
- Christian: continuing the Danish royal tradition of alternating between the names Christian and Frederik for the future king
- Valdemar: after King Valdemar IV
- Henri: after his paternal grandfather born Henri de Laborde de Monpezat
- John: after his maternal grandfather John Donaldson
Prince Christian had eight godparents:
- Prince Joachim of Denmark, his paternal uncle
- Jane Stephens, his maternal aunt
- Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, his third cousin once removed
- Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby
- Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, his second cousin once removed
- Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, his first cousin once removed
- Jeppe Handwerk, his father’s friend
- Hamish Campbell, his mother’s friend
Prince Christian and his parents on his first day at Tranegårdskolen; Photo – Zimbio
On March 27, 2007, Christian began preschool at Queen Louise’s Kindergarten in Fredensborg, located 35 kilometers north of Copenhagen. He then started attending a public school, Tranegårdskolen (link in Danish) in Hellerup, Gentofte Municipality, a Copenhagen suburban municipality, on August 12, 2011, the first member of the Danish royal family ever to attend a public school. In June 2021, Christian completed ninth grade at Tranegårdskolen. He began his upper secondary studies at Herlufsholm Gymnasium in Næstved, 80 kilometers south of Copenhagen, Denmark, in August 2021. Following the surface of allegations of sexual abuse and bullying at Herlufsholm Gymnasium not connected to the prince, Christian transferred Ordrup Gymnasium (link in Danish) in Gentofte, in August 2022 and graduated in June 2024.
Embed from Getty Images
Prince Christian on his confirmation day
On May 15, 2021, Crown Prince Christian was confirmed in the Lutheran Evangelical Church at the Fredensborg Palace Chapel in Fredensborg, Denmark. The confirmation was celebrated in private due to COVID-19 restrictions.
For the 18th birthday of Prince Christian, which marked the beginning of his royal duties, Margrethe II hosted a banquet at Christianborg Palace. In attendance were members of the Danish royal family, including Christian’s parents, siblings, cousins and Princess Benedikte, and 200 members of the Danish public youth who had distinguished themselves in sport, art and culture. Additionally, Margrethe II invited eleven members of foreign royal families – Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Greece, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, the Crown Princess of Sweden, the Duke of Västergötland, the Duchess of Östergötland, the Princess of Orange and the Duchess of Brabant.[21] A photo was captured on the night that contained the future monarchs of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden
Left to right: Princess Isabella, Crown Prince Christian, King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Princess Josephine, and Prince Vincent on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace after the proclamation of King Frederik X as King of Denmark.
On January 14, 2024, the day of the abdication of his grandmother Queen Margrethe II and the accession of his father King Frederik X, Queen Margrethe II, Crown Prince Frederik, and Prince Christian met with the Council of State in the State Council Hall at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. The succession of the Danish throne took place during the Council of State meeting at the moment when Queen Margrethe II signed a declaration of her abdication. Queen Margrethe then gave up her seat and offered her it to the new King. At the same time, the new heir to the throne, Crown Prince Christian, took the seat to the right of the King. After this, the visibly-moved Queen Margrethe said “Gud bevare kongen” (God save the king) and left the State Council Hall.
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