Prince Christian of Denmark Celebrates His 18th Birthday with Inclusive Gala Dinner

Christian of Denmark, son of the crown princes Frederick and Mary, and grandson of the current sovereign, Margaret turns 18 this Sunday. The young man is second in line to the Danish throne and shares a generation with most of the future queens of continental Europe. She is accompanied in the wait by Leonor from Spain, Isabel from Belgium, Amalia from the Netherlands, Ingrid Alejandra from Norway and Estelle from Sweden. In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, little Prince Charles is now three years old. Christian, who is finishing secondary education, will celebrate his birthday with a gala dinner to which the Royal Family has made a great effort to invite around 200 young people his age. Coming from all the municipalities of the country, and from Greenland and the Faroe Islands – the autonomous Danish overseas territories – it is a more inclusive and diverse way of presenting the prince to society. In addition, among the rest of the guests there are also members of other monarchies.

The election of the 200 18-year-olds who will accompany the honoree has been carried out by all Danish municipalities. Each of these had to choose two people, either by lottery or through youth organizations, from all corners of the country “who are a reflection of Prince Christian’s generation”, according to the information service of the Royal House. Another hundred chosen will be there for having stood out in sports, arts or culture. Princes Joachim and Marie, the young man’s uncles, are also invited. Now residing in the United States, the couple was involved in a notorious disagreement with Queen Margaret in September 2022 when she stripped her children, Enrique (14) and Athena (11), of her royal highness titles. The measure reached Nicolás (24) and Félix (21), the two offspring of Joaquín’s first marriage – who have received their corresponding invitation – with the current Countess Alexandra Manley.

Prince Christian comes of age and, as happens with the rest of the European crown princesses, faces the challenge of becoming known among his fellow citizens. He has been seen growing up in official poses, on vacation or at the beginning of the school year. Now, his father, Federico, first in the line of succession, begins to show him the institutional route. In a documentary titled in Spanish Prince Christian, a royal journey, which will be released this Saturday, both visit, among others, Parliament and members of the Supreme Court and representatives of the Danish Church. Father and son are filmed for the first time in this way speaking on board a car or inside Congress in a kind of trip to the future. With certain reservations, but also with a clear commitment. Queen Margaret, 83, has been on the throne for 50 years and shows no signs that a possible abdication is among her plans. However, starting next November, when Christian makes explicit his respect for the Constitution, there will be a substantial change. If something were to happen to Prince Frederick, his daughter would come to the fore. Another thing is the degree of presence at official events or the responsibilities that the young person will acquire.

At the moment, Christian has had a series of official photos taken in which he appears relaxed and in casual clothing. The Greenland postal service, on the other hand, has issued a commemorative stamp where he is dressed in the white anorak that is part of the local traditional costume. This Sunday, the first ceremony of his birthday will be the changing of the guard at Amalienborg, the main official residence of the royal family in Copenhagen, the capital. It consists of four palatial buildings arranged around a courtyard, and the prince will come out at noon to greet from the balcony of one of these: the palace of Frederick VIII. He is expected to be accompanied by his parents, Federico and Mary, his siblings, Princess Isabel (16) and the twins Vincent and Josefina (12), and the sovereign. This greeting is a real tradition at 18 years old. The gala dinner will take place from 5:00 p.m. in Christianborg, another palace that also houses the headquarters of Parliament, the prime minister’s office and the Supreme Court. Several members of other European crowns have confirmed her presence there, including Norwegian Princess Ingrid Alexandra and her father, Crown Prince Haakon. The Belgian princess Isabel and the Swedish heiress, Victoria, with her 11-year-old daughter Estelle will also travel to Denmark.

Oblivious as much as possible to family friction, Christian Valdemar Henri John continues for now with his high school courses at the Ordrup school, a public center in Copenhagen. He was previously enrolled at the private boarding school Herlufsholm, but his parents took him out of there when several students reported alleged episodes of bullying and sexual abuse. While studying, Christian will not make use of the royal stipend that corresponds to him following the example of Isabel of Belgium and Amalia of the Netherlands. “It has been agreed with the Prime Minister’s Office that the support of the Danish Parliament for a law on the annual allowance will not be sought until the Prince reaches the age of 21 or in relation to a possible change of throne, if this occurs earlier,” points out the Danish Royal House. From then on, his participation in official contexts will depend on where he is in his educational program. A final detail for Sunday’s gala dinner: he can dress in formal dress and wear a tiara, but gifts are discouraged.