Denmark’s heir to the throne has reached another milestone. Crown Prince Christian, the eldest child of King Frederik X and Queen Mary, turned 21 on Thursday 15 October, and he marked the occasion in two very different ways: with a set of formal new portraits and with his first major personal interview, in which he spoke with striking honesty about the job that awaits him.
New portraits and the highest grade of the Dannebrog
The Royal House released new official gala portraits of the prince, photographed at Amalienborg in the gala uniform of the Royal Life Guards. On his chest he wears commemorative medals from family occasions, including Queen Margrethe’s 80th birthday, alongside the insignia of the Order of the Elephant, which he received in 2023 when he came of age.
His birthday brought a new honour too. King Frederik awarded his son the Grand Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, the order’s highest grade, which is reserved for royals who are already Knights of the Elephant. Christian is now one of only seven Grand Commanders, a small circle that includes his parents and his grandmother, Queen Margrethe. There is a charming detail behind the piece itself: the cross he received was last presented by King Frederik IX, who reigned from 1947 to 1972, and still carries his initials, so it is being restored to bear those of the current king.
“Surreal” to think about being king
In a long conversation with the Danish newspaper Politiken, conducted by journalist Jakob Hvide Beim and published on 10 October, Christian admitted that the thought of one day becoming king still feels surreal to him. He said he has known about his future since he was young, that his parents have prepared him for it, and that he feels both excited and nervous, promising to fill the role as well as he can when the time comes. He is expected one day to reign as Christian XI.
He was just as candid about the army. He began his conscription in February 2025 and told the paper he was so nervous on the drive to his first day that his whole body was shaking. Today he is a second lieutenant in the Royal Life Guards, helps to train new recruits at the Høvelte barracks and is open to continuing a military career once his officer training ends next summer. He also confessed he would rather the press left him alone when he goes to music festivals.
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Sources: Vanity Fair Italia (17 October 2026); Politiken (10 October 2026); Altinget; TV 2; Ekstra Bladet.
