Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat (Christian Valdemar Henri John; born 15 October 2005), is the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the

Danish throne The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alre ...

. He is the eldest child of King Frederik X and Queen Mary. He was born during the reign of his paternal grandmother,

Queen Margrethe II Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

. He became

Crown Prince of Denmark Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. Early life Crown Prince Freder ...

following his grandmother's abdication and his father's subsequent ascension to the Danish throne on 14 January 2024.

Birth

Prince Christian was born on 15 October 2005 at 1:57 am

CET CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast Ente ...

Rigshospitalet Rigshospitalet (meaning ''The National'', ''State'' or ''Hospital of the Realm'', but not usually translated) is the largest public and teaching hospital in Copenhagen and the most highly specialised hospital in Denmark. The hospital's main buildi ...

, the Copenhagen University Hospital, in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. At noon on the day of his birth, a

21-gun salute A 21-gun salute is the most commonly recognized of the customary gun salutes that are performed by the firing of cannons or artillery as a military honor. As naval customs evolved, 21 guns came to be fired for heads of state, or in exceptiona ...

were fired from the Sixtus Battery at

Holmen Naval Base Naval Station Holmen ( da, Flådestation Holmen) is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør. Founded in the late 17th century, it is also a visitor attractio ...

in the

Port of Copenhagen The Port of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Havn) is the largest Denmark, Danish seaport and one of the largest ports in the Baltic Sea basin. It extends from Svanemølle Beach in the north to Hvidovre in the south. Along with Malmö harbour, Copenh ...

and at

Kronborg Castle Kronborg is a castle and stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and was inscribed on the UNES ...

in Elsinore to mark the birth of a royal child. At the same time, public buses and official buildings flew the Danish flag, the Dannebrog. At sunset on the same day beacon bonfires were lit all across Denmark, while Naval Home Guard vessels lit their searchlights and directed them towards the capital. Christian was

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

on 21 January 2006 in

Christiansborg Palace Chapel Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...

by the

Bishop of Copenhagen The Diocese of Copenhagen (Danish: ''Københavns Stift'') is a diocese within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. The Bishop of Copenhagen is currently Peter Skov-Jakobsen, who replaced Erik Normann Svendsen in 2009. The main cathedral of ...

Erik Norman Svendsen. He was baptised at the royal baptismal font which has been used for the baptism of royal children in Denmark since 1671, and wore the

royal christening gown A royal christening gown is an item of baptismal clothing used by a royal family at family christenings. Among those presently using such a gown are the royal families of the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. I ...

which was made for his great-great-grandfather,

King Christian X Christian X ( da, Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm; 26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to his death in 1947, and the only King of Iceland as Kristján X, in the form of a personal union rather ...

, in 1870. Christian's godparents are his paternal uncle,

Prince Joachim of Denmark , father = Henri de Laborde de Monpezat , mother = Margrethe II of Denmark , house = Glücksburg (official) Monpezat (agnatic) , religion = Church of Denmark , occupation = Military Attaché, Royal Danish Embassy in ...

; his maternal aunt, Jane Stephens; his father's first cousin, the

Crown Prince of Greece The Crown Prince of Greece ( el, Διάδοχος, Diadochos) is the heir to the defunct throne of Greece. Since the abolition of the Greek monarchy by the then-ruling military regime on 1 June 1973, it is merely considered a courtesy title. ...

; the

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

and Crown Princess of Norway; the

Crown Princess of Sweden This page is a list of heirs to the Swedish throne. The list includes all individuals who were considered to Inheritance, inherit the Monarchy of Sweden, throne of the Kingdom of Sweden, either as heir apparent or as heir presumptive, since the ac ...

; and two friends of the couple, Jeppe Handwerk and Hamish Campbell. He was named Christian Valdemar Henri John, continuing the Danish royal tradition of alternating between the names Christian and Frederik in direct line. He received a number of presents on the occasion of his christening, including a pony called Flikflak from the

Folketing The Folketing ( da, Folketinget, ; ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national legislature (parliament) of the Kingdom of Denmark—Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands ...

, Denmark's national parliament. On 11 September 2006,

Per Stig Møller Per Stig Møller (, informal: Per Stig; born 27 August 1942 in Frederiksberg) is a Danish politician. He was a member of the Folketing (Danish national parliament) for the Conservative People's Party from 1984 until 2015, and was Minister for ...

, Denmark's Minister for Foreign Affairs, formally wrote and signed a hand-written document confirming Prince Christian's place in the

line of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility. Christian was the first member of the Danish royal family to attend nursery school. At the same age, his father had a nanny at the Palace to teach him rudimentary lessons. He is also the first member of the royal family to attend a public state school, Tranegårdskolen in

Hellerup Hellerup () is a very affluent district of Gentofte Municipality in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The most urban part of the district is centred on Strandvejen and is bordered by Østerbro to the south and the Øresund to the east. It compri ...

. The Danish court announced in October 2019 that Christian and his three younger siblings would undertake a 12-week school stay at Lemania-Verbier International School in

Verbier Verbier is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is a holiday resort and ski area in the Swiss Alps and is recognised as one of the premier off-piste resorts in the world. Some areas are covered with snow all ...

, Switzerland, in the beginning of 2020. The stay was cut short and the siblings returned home in March due to the intensification of the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

situation in Denmark. In April 2021, it was announced that Christian would undertake his secondary education at the Danish boarding school

Herlufsholm Herlufsholm School ( da, Herlufsholm Skole og Gods) is a private day and boarding school by the River Suså in Næstved, about south of Copenhagen. Herlufsholm was founded in 1565 as a boarding school for "sons of noble and other honest men" o ...

, starting in August 2021. In June 2022, shortly after finishing the first year of his upper secondary education, it was announced that Christian would no longer attend the school, after recurring allegations of bullying, violence and sexual abuse at the institution surfaced in a documentary. Instead, he transferred to the public gymnasium, Ordrup Gymnasium. Christian undertook his first official engagement when he attended the opening of a new elephant house at the

Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo ( da, København Zoo) is a zoological garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1859, it is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and is a member of EAZA. It comprises and is located in the municipality of Frederiksberg, sandwiched betw ...

with his grandfather,

Prince Henrik Prince Henrik of Denmark (; born Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat; 11 June 1934 – 13 February 2018) was the husband of Margrethe II of Denmark. He served as her royal consort from Margrethe's accession on 14 January 1972 unt ...

in 2008. Christian opened the elephant house by pressing a button on an interactive console. The elephants were a gift from the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and

Queen of Thailand The monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...

to the Queen and Prince Consort of Denmark on their visit to Thailand. In 2010, Christian and his grandfather revealed a portrait of Prince Ulrik at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, and in 2012, also at the Museum of National History, he and

revealed the first ever portrait of him (with his father and grandmother), commissioned for the Queen's Ruby Jubilee. He and his siblings accompanied their parents on an official visit to Greenland on 1–8 August 2014, where Christian partook in several official engagements. Likewise, he accompanied his parents on most of their engagements during the family's official visit to the Faroe Islands on 23–26 August 2018. Christian was confirmed on 15 May 2021 in the Royal Chapel of

Fredensborg Palace Fredensborg Palace ( da, Fredensborg Slot; ) is a palace located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum (Danish, ''Esrum Sø'') in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in Denmark. It is the Danish Royal Family’s spring and autumn ...

. On 13 June 2021, Christian accompanied his grandmother and father at the COVID-19 postponed centenary of the reunification of Denmark and

Northern Schleswig South Jutland County (Danish: ''Sønderjyllands Amt'') is a former county (Danish: ''amt'') on the south-central portion of the Jutland Peninsula in southern Denmark. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising the former counties of Aaben ...

, following the route his great-great-grandfather

Christian X Christian X ( da, Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm; 26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to his death in 1947, and the only King of Iceland as Kristján X, in the form of a personal union rather ...

rode on 15 July 1920 over the old border between Denmark and Germany. Accompanying his father, Christian attended a memorial for the victims of the

2022 Copenhagen mall shooting On 3 July 2022, a man opened fire at the Field's shopping mall in Copenhagen, Denmark, killing three people and critically wounding four others. A suspect, a Danish man, was arrested after the shooting; he had a history of contact with the psych ...

on 5 July 2022. Prince Christian was made the godfather of his second cousin, Prince Gustav Albrecht, the son of

Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-BerleburgIn 1919 royalty and nobility were mandated to lose their privileges in Germany, hereditary titles were to be legally borne thereafter only as part of the surname, according tArticle 109of the Weima ...

. 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 Anne-Marie, ( el, Άννα-Μαρία ; born 30 August 1946) is a Greek and Danish royal who was the last Queen of Greece from 1964 to 1973 as the wife of King Constantine II. The Greek monarchy was abolished with the 1974 Greek Republic R ...

, the

and Crown Princess of Greece, the

and Crown Princess of Norway,

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (born 21 January 2004) is the eldest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and the grandchild of King Harald V. She is second in line of succession to the Norwegian throne after her fat ...

, the

Duke of Västergötland Duchies in Sweden have been allotted since the 13th century to powerful Swedes, almost always to princes of Sweden (only in some of the dynasties) and wives of the latter. From the beginning these duchies were often centers of regional power, whe ...

, the

Duchess of Östergötland Duchies in Sweden have been allotted since the 13th century to powerful Swedes, almost always to princes of Sweden (only in some of the dynasties) and wives of the latter. From the beginning these duchies were often centers of regional power, whe ...

, the

Princess of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The title ...

and the

Duchess of Brabant The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Leuven (who was duke of Low ...

. A photo was captured on the night that contained the future monarchs of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The official Danish royal family's

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

account posted the following day a photo of a single sparkling shoe that was left in the palace and wrote, "Is it

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

who forgot her shoe last night?"

Crown Prince of Denmark

Christian is first in line to the

and eldest child of King Frederik X. Since the 16th century, first-born sons of Danish monarchs have traditionally been alternately named Frederik and Christian. Christian's grandmother,

, announced her pending abdication on live television in her New Year's Eve address on 31 December 2023. On 14 January 2024, Prince Christian, the Queen, and Crown Prince Frederik participated in a meeting of the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

, with the

cabinet ministers A cabinet is a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the executive branch's top leaders. Members of a cabinet are usually called cabinet ministers or secretaries. The function of a cabinet varies: in some countries ...

and the council of state secretary in attendance. The moment the Queen signed a declaration of her abdication, Crown Prince Frederik acceded to the Danish throne as King Frederik X. Christian, who became the heir apparent, is referred to as "HRH Crown Prince Christian".

Titles, styles, and honours

Royal Monogram of Prince Christian of Denmark

Titles

* 15 October 2005 – 29 April 2008: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Christian of Denmark * 29 April 2008 – 14 January 2024: ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Christian of Denmark, Count of Monpezat * 14 January 2024 – present: ''His Royal Highness'' The Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat

Honours

National honours

=Orders and appointments

= *

15 October 2023: Knight of the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional ...

(R.E.)

=Medals and decorations

= *

DEN Prince Henriks 75th Birthday Medal ribbon

11 June 2009: Prince Henrik's 75th Birthday Medal * Order of the Elephant Ribbon bar

16 April 2010: Queen Margrethe II's 70th Birthday Medal * DEN Medal for the Ruby Jubilee of Queen Margarethe of Denmark ribbon

14 January 2012: Queen Margrethe II's Ruby Jubilee Medal * Order of the Dannebrog R

16 April 2015: Queen Margrethe II's 75th Birthday Medal * DEN Golden Wedding Commemorative Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik

10 June 2017: Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik's Golden Wedding Anniversary Medal * Prince Henriks Commemorative Medal

11 June 2018: Prince Henrik's Memorial Medal * DEN Medal of Merit ribbon

16 April 2020: Queen Margrethe II's 80th Birthday Medal * Order of the Elephant Ribbon bar

14 January 2022: Queen Margrethe II's Golden Jubilee Medal

Foreign honours

* : **

15 October 2023: Grand Cross of the

Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav I ...

Other honours

In 2006

Scandinavian Airlines System Scandinavian Airlines, more commonly known and styled as SAS, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''SAS'' is an abbreviation of the company's full name, Scandinavian Airlines System or legally Scandinavian Airlines System Denmark ...

was in the process of purchasing new

Airbus A319 The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body, commercial passenger Twinjet, twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a ...

aircraft and in Christian's honour the first of these, delivered on 8 August 2006, was named ''Christian Valdemar Viking''.

References

External links

Official website
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Of Denmark, Prince 2005 births Living people Crown Princes of Denmark Danish princes House of Glücksburg House of Glücksburg (Denmark) House of Monpezat Counts of Monpezat Danish people of Australian descent Danish people of French descent Danish people of Scottish descent Danish people of Swedish descent Heirs apparent Sons of kings