Crown Prince Christian has stepped in for his father, King Frederik, for the next two days. The Danish heir, who turned 20 last week, is acting as regent on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the royal family calendar. Christian only steps in as regent when the King is out of the country, and the palace has confirmed to BILLED-BLADET that Frederik and Mary are on a private stay abroad for the next few days.
The King was last seen publicly on Monday as he conducted his weekly audience at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. The royal household has not provided any details about where the couple have travelled to, or whether their three youngest children, Princess Isabella, 18, and 14-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Crown Prince Christian is currently undergoing lieutenant training at the Antvorskov barracks in Slagelse. The royal completed military training with the Guard Hussar Regiment at the barracks in May, having undertaken the traditional "REX-tour," an intense four-day exercise. Ahead of his 20th birthday, the Danish royal palace shared video footage and pictures of Christian taking to the skies in an F-16 aircraft, with a GoPro camera capturing his viewpoint from the cockpit. Watch below.
The Crown Prince called the experience a "boy's dream come true," as his father, King Frederik, also joined him at the airbase in support. Christian is following in the footsteps of his father, who also gained experience in the army and air force, as well as training to be a frogman in the Frogman Corps, an elite maritime special operations unit of the Danish Defence Command. It was there that Frederik gained the nickname "Pingo," after his wetsuit filled with water, forcing him to waddle like a penguin.
Christian's future plans after his lieutenant training are currently unknown, but the future king could decide to enrol at university. King Frederik studied at Aarhus University and later Harvard, becoming the first Danish royal to complete a university education. King Frederik and Queen Mary will present the Royal Couple's Awards next Monday in Randers before heading to Latvia for a two-day state visit on Tuesday.
All about Crown Prince Christian
Crown Prince Christian became heir to the Danish throne in January 2024 upon his grandmother Queen Margrethe's abdication in favour of her son, King Frederik. Born on 15 October at Rigshospitalet, the Copenhagen University Hospital, he was baptised three months later. His godparents include his paternal uncle, Prince Joachim, his maternal aunt, Jane Stephens, Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Christian began his education at Tranegård School and then Herlufsholm School, before moving to Ordrup Gymanasium for his final year of schooling, graduating in June 2024. Before enrolling in military training, the royal spent three months in East Africa, where he worked on two farms and learnt about conservation.