Princess Marie's towering teenagers support her during Denmark outing - amid 6-year absence

Princess Marie was joined by two surprise guests as she returned to Copenhagen this week for a series of engagements.

The royal, 49, attended the Copenhagen Cooking festival in her capacity as patron, and she brought her children, Count Henrik, 16, and Countess Athena, 13, along for the fun.

The royal palace shared that the trio had several culinary experiences during their outing, including the competition for the best ratatouille and a visit to the Ice Cream Shop.

It was a rare public outing for Henrik and Athena, who have been educated in the US since 2023. Princess Marie and Prince Joachim moved to Washington D.C. when Joachim took up the role of defence industry attaché at the Danish Embassy.

Henrik, dressed in a denim shirt and beige chinos, now visibly towers over his mother, while Athena is almost the same height as Marie.

© Sophie Due for Copenhagen Cooking

Princess Marie opted for a sky blue blazer with a white cami top and flared stone-coloured trousers for the festival. Athena sported a blue and white striped top, a white A-line skirt and trainers.

© Sophie Due for Copenhagen Cooking

Earlier in the week, the princess also visited Positivgruppen in Frederiksberg, a venue and patient association for HIV positive gay and bisexual men.

And on Wednesday, she visited the Danish Emergency Management Agency in Birkerød.

Ret

Prince Joachim hinted at his family's return to his homeland after six years away, in a TV interview with TV2 in June.

Prior to relocating to Washington D.C, Joachim, Marie and their two children lived in Paris, having moved to France in 2019.

© Shutterstock

Speaking to TV2, Joachim said: "We have a desire to come home. But we also do not rule out the possibility of staying abroad. Now we have to see. For now, it is on our radar, when the post here stops, we will return home."

His job will last for three years, until 2026, with the possibility of extension, but the prince did not express plans to remain in the US.

© Getty Images

While Henrik and Athena have settled into life in the US, Joachim admits his family have felt homesick, saying: "Overall, we can all feel it, and we can also feel it in the children, that it is at home in Denmark that we have our largest social base. We can't travel back and forth, after all, there is a six-hour time difference and an entire ocean in between. We take our time when we are home and enjoy it to the fullest. Perhaps that is the band-aid for being far away from home."

Joachim also has two older sons from his previous marriage – Count Nikolai, 25, and Count Felix, 23.