Prince Christian
Count of Monpezat
Crown Prince Christian in 2021
Born (2005-10-15) 15 October 2005
Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Names
Christian Valdemar Henri John
HouseGlücksburg (official)[1]
Monpezat (agnatic)
FatherFrederik X
MotherMary Donaldson

Prince Christian of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, RE (Christian Valdemar Henri John; born 15 October 2005) is a member of the Danish royal family. He is the eldest child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. A grandson of Queen Margrethe II, he has been second in the line of succession to the Danish throne since birth, after his father.

He is expected to become the heir apparent and Crown Prince of Denmark when his father ascends to the throne as King Frederik X on 14 January 2024.[2]

Birth

Prince Christian was born on 15 October 2005 at 1:57 am in Rigshospitalet, the Copenhagen University Hospital, in Copenhagen. At noon on the day of his birth, 21-gun salutes were fired from the Sixtus Battery at Holmen in Copenhagen and at Kronborg Castle 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 over Denmark, while Naval Home Guard vessels lit their searchlights and directed them towards the capital. Bonfires were also lit in celebration in Australia.

Christian was hospitalised briefly on 21 October 2005 because he suffered from neonatal jaundice, a usually harmless illness and a fairly common one (especially in premature births). The first photographs of the then 6-day-old boy showed a yellow tinge to his face and hands. The prince was examined by doctors and underwent blood tests, then spent time in a light box under special coloured light rays to break down the bilirubin substance which causes jaundice. His parents took him home again the same day and he made a full recovery.

Christian was baptized on 21 January 2006 in Christiansborg Palace Chapel by Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen.[3] Christian's godparents are his paternal uncle, Prince Joachim of Denmark; his maternal aunt, Jane Stephens; his father's first cousin, the Crown Prince of Greece; the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway; the Crown Princess of Sweden; and two friends of the couple, Jeppe Handwerk and Hamish Campbell.[4] He was named Christian Valdemar Henri John, continuing the Danish royal tradition of alternating between the names Christian and Frederik in direct line.[5]

He received a number of presents on the occasion of his christening, including a pony called Flikflak from the Folketing, Denmark's national parliament.[6]

Succession

Christian is second in line to the Danish throne (his father, Crown Prince Frederik, being first). Since the 16th century, first-born sons of Danish monarchs have traditionally been alternately named Frederik and Christian.[5][7]

On 11 September 2006, Per Stig Møller, Denmark's Minister for Foreign Affairs, formally wrote and signed a hand-written document confirming Prince Christian's place in the line of succession. The prince's full name, his dates of birth and baptism, and the names of his godparents were recorded as dictated by the Royal Law of 1799.[8][9]

Education and activities

Prince Christian escorted by his parents on his first day of school in August 2011

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.[10] 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, Switzerland, in the beginning of 2020.[11] The stay was cut short and the siblings returned home in March due to the intensification of the COVID-19 situation in Denmark.[12] In April 2021, it was announced that Christian would undertake his secondary education at the Danish boarding school Herlufsholm, starting in August 2021.[13] 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.[14] Instead, he transferred to the public gymnasium, Ordrup Gymnasium.[15]

Christian undertook his first official engagement when he attended the opening of a new elephant house at the Copenhagen Zoo with his grandfather, Prince Henrik in 2008. Christian opened the elephant house by pressing a button on an interactive console. The elephants were a gift from the King and Queen of Thailand to the Queen and Prince Consort of Denmark on their visit to Thailand.[16][17] 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 Queen Margrethe II revealed the first ever portrait of him (with his father and grandmother), commissioned for the Queen's Ruby Jubilee.[18] 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.[19] On 13 June 2021, Christian accompanied his grandmother and father at the COVID-19 postponed centenary of the reunification of Denmark and Northern Schleswig, following the route his great-great-grandfather Christian X rode on 15 July 1920 over the old border between Denmark and Germany.[20] Accompanying his father, Christian attended a memorial for the victims of the 2022 Copenhagen mall shooting on 5 July 2022.[21]

Prince Christian is the godfather of his 2nd cousin, Prince Gustav Albrecht, the son of Gustav, 7th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.[22]

Titles, styles, and honours

Royal monogram

Titles

  • 15 October 2005 – 29 April 2008: His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Denmark[23]
  • 29 April 2008 – present: His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Denmark, Count of Monpezat[23]

He has been Prince of Denmark since birth and Count of Monpezat since 29 April 2008, when Queen Margrethe II granted the title to her male-line descendants[23]

Honours

National honours

Orders and appointments
Medals and decorations
  • 11 June 2009: Prince Henrik's 75th Birthday Medal[25]
  • 16 April 2010: Queen Margrethe II's 70th Birthday Medal[26]
  • 14 January 2012: Queen Margrethe II's Ruby Jubilee Medal[26]
  • 16 April 2015: Queen Margrethe II's 75th Birthday Medal[26]
  • 10 June 2017: Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik's Golden Wedding Anniversary Medal[26]
  • 11 June 2018: Prince Henrik's Memorial Medal[27]
  • 16 April 2020: Queen Margrethe II's 80th Birthday Medal[26]
  • 14 January 2022: Queen Margrethe II's Golden Jubilee Medal[28]

Foreign honours

Other honours

In 2006 Scandinavian Airlines System was in the process of purchasing new Airbus A319 aircraft and in Christian's honour the first of these, delivered on 8 August 2006, was named Christian Valdemar Viking.[30]

References

  1. ↑ "The Danish Monarchy". Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Queen of Denmark Margarethe II announces abdication live on TV". Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "TRH The Crown Prince Couple: The Christening ceremony". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  4. ↑ "TRH The Crown Prince Couple: Godfathers and godmothers to the little Prince". Archived from the original on 15 August 2007.
  5. 1 2 "A look at Denmark's future king as he turns 15". Royal Central. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2021. His given name Christian also follows tradition as Danish kings have had their names alternate between Frederik and Christian throughout the years.
  6. ↑ "Dåbsgave: En glad pony".
  7. ↑ Skipper, Jon Bloch (14 January 2011). "Can Prince Christian Choose to be Call King Valdemar?". Billed Bladet (in Danish). Aller Media A/S. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  8. ↑ TV2 (11 September 2006). "Prince Christian is Now the Successor". TV2 (in Danish). Retrieved 31 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "Succession is Secure" (in Danish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  10. ↑ Horswill, Ian. "Crown Princess Mary's son Prince Christian turns eight years of age". Courier Mail Brisbane - 16 October 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2017. Prince Christian, the eldest of four children - Princess Isabella, aged six; and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, two - is the first member of the Danish Royal Family to attend a public state school.
  11. ↑ "Kronprinsparrets børn begynder i skole i Schweiz efter nytår" (in Danish). TV 2. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "The Crown Prince Family returns home". Danish royal family. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "HRH Prince Christian will attend the gymnasium at Herlufsholm". Danish royal family. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  14. ↑ Shipley, Diane (26 June 2022). "Royal family release shocking statement as they remove son from school". Hello!. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "Prins Christian og prinsesse Isabella har fundet nye skoler". Berlingske (in Danish). 7 August 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  16. ↑ (in Danish) Prins Christian og farfar så elefanterne
  17. ↑ (in Danish) Prins Henrik: Flere børnebørn, tak
  18. ↑ "Se stolt prins Christian afsløre kongeligt portrætmaleri" (in Danish). Billed Bladet. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "HRH Prince Christian's confirmation". Danish royal family. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Dronningen til genforeningsfejring: Vi overlader nu grænsen til unge" (in Danish). Sjællandske Medier. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  21. ↑ "Ofrene i Field's-skyderi blev mindet under højtidelighed: Se de vigtigste øjeblikke her" (in Danish). DR. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  22. ↑ "Det var uventet: Prins Christian står fadder ved prins Gustav og prinsesse Carinas søns dåb" (in Danish). Billed Bladet. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 "His Royal Highness Prince Christian". Danish Royal Court. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  24. ↑ "H.K.H. Prins Christian tildeles Elefantordenen" [HRH Prince Christian is bestowed the Order of The Elephant]. Kongehuset.dk (in Danish). 15 October 2023. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  25. ↑ "Lille prins Christian fik medalje" [Little Prince Christian got a medal]. Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). 19 July 2009. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 "H.K.H. Prins Christian — Dekorationer" [HRH Prince Christian — Decoration]. Kongehuset.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  27. ↑ "Mindemedaille for Prins Henrik" [Prince Henrik's Memorial Medal]. Kongehuset.dk (in Danish). 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023. Hendes Majestæt Dronningen har i dag den 11. juni 2018 tildelt en mindemedaille for Prins Henrik til den kongelige familie, hoffets medarbejdere og personer, der har bistået på særlig vis ved Prinsens sygdom, død og bisættelse. [Her Majesty the Queen has today, 11 June 2018, awarded Prince Henrik's Memorial Medal to the royal family, court employees and persons who have assisted in a special way during the Prince's illness, death and funeral.]
  28. ↑ "Commemorative medal in connection with the 50th anniversary of HM The Queen's accession to the throne". Kongehuset.dk. 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023. ... the Royal Family, the Court's employees and other individuals have received the Commemorative Medal in connection with the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's accession to the throne.
  29. ↑ "Tildelinger av ordener og medaljer" [Awards of orders and medals]. Det Norske Kongheus (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  30. ↑ "SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES TAKES OFF FROM HEATHROW TERMINAL 2". Danish-UK Chamber of Commerce. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
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