Danish royal household
Born into the spotlight, Crown Prince Christian of Denmark is now all grown up.
The eldest son of King Frederik and Queen Mary turned 21 on October 15, 2026, and is making his parents proud.
Read on to find out how the heir to the Danish throne is carving out his own path…
What is Crown Prince Christian up to now?
Crown Prince Christian had plenty to smile about as he celebrated his 21st birthday.
Not only is he still with Emma Nygaard, his first serious girlfriend, but the future king is also forging his own path in the military and has set up a home of his own.
Christian was also awarded the Grand Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog by the King for the occasion. Grand Commander is the highest grade of the Order of the Dannebrog and is awarded only to princely (royal) persons who are already Knights of the Order of the Elephant.
Following his military training, Christian is currently serving with the Royal Life Guards as a platoon commander at the Guard Barracks in Høvelte.
And when he has time off or returns to Copenhagen, he no longer heads back to his old room at his parents’ home in the Amalienborg palace complex. Instead, the Crown Prince now has his own apartment, believed to be located in an annex of a former workshop adjoining his childhood home.
The detail emerged during Christian’s first major solo interview with Danish newspaper Politiken, in which he also opened up about the future that awaits him.
As heir to the Danish throne, Christian is increasingly taking on greater responsibility, including helping to host visiting dignitaries and acting as regent when his parents are out of the country.
“It’s surreal for me to think about it,” Christian told Politiken.
“I’m about to turn 21, and I know that this is what my future holds, among other things. I’ve known it from a young age and have been prepared for the task by my parents. So it’s something I’m obviously both excited about and nervous about.”
For now, however, his focus remains firmly on his military career. Christian began training with the Danish military in early 2025, qualifying as a Guards Hussar before completing his lieutenant training.
“I remember on the drive down there [to the barracks] my whole body was shaking, I was super nervous,” he recalled of his early days.
“I was like, ‘Are you sure you want this?’ I was actually in a lot of doubt and I was like, ‘What if I don’t like it?’”
His military career also comes at a significant time for Denmark, which has increased its compulsory military service period from four to 11 months and introduced conscription for women.
Hi younger sister, Princess Isabella, is among the first of Denmark’s youth who are undertaking the extended training.
Against a backdrop of heightened tensions across Europe, Christian is keeping an open mind about where his own service could eventually take him, including the possibility of a future deployment.
“I’m open to all the things that could come, and I’m looking at the different options,” he told Politiken. “If a secondment were to come up, and I got the opportunity, I would definitely find it interesting.”
Scroll to see the best pictures of Crown Prince Christian…
It’s a boy!
Oct 18, 2005
The then Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary proudly showed off their newborn on the steps of Copenhagen University Hospital. Christian’s big public debut came when he was just three days old and he has been in the spotlight ever since.
The Aussie Prince
Nov 24, 2006
Thanks to his Australian-born mum, we have a little claim to the prince Down Under. His parents showed off the 1-year-old on his first visit to Oz. As well as meeting his Aussie relatives, Christian also got up close with the local wildlife at a park in Hobart.
Hello, sailor
June 19, 2010
Dressed in his best, Prince Christian, 5, was a page boy in the wedding of his godmother, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Off to school
Aug 12, 2011
With his sweet little backpack on, Christian posed for pictures with his parents at Amalienborg palace before heading off on his first day of school.
In the action
Feb 8, 2015
Taking after his adventurous father, Christian has loved snow sports since he was a child. The young royal had a ball tobogganing on a family holiday in Switzerland when he was 9.
Duty first
Aug 23, 2018
On a visit to part of the Danish realm, Christian, 14, donned the traditional dress of the Faroe Islands while in Torshavn.
Big graduation
June 24, 2024
The whole family attended when Christian graduated from Ordrup Gymnasium. For the important occasion, the prince wore the studenterhue, a traditional sailor-style cap worn in Denmark by students when they complete their secondary education.
Sky’s the limit
Oct 14, 2025
Just a day before his 20th birthday, Christian’s biggest wish was granted. The prince flew a F-16 fighter jet at at Skrydstrup Barracks.
“Today, a boy’s dream came true,” he captioned a series of snaps from the moment on Danish royal family’s official Instagram account.
“I had the opportunity to get on one of the last training flights in an F-16 aircraft and wow, it was crazy,” he added.
Possibly feeling a little jealous, his father King Frederik also came to watch on.
Having signed up to stay on in the army as he takes additional courses to become a lieutenant, Christian might now have a new dream.
“Until about a week ago, I actually thought I was too tall to fly an F-16,” Christian told Billed Bladet when asked if he would pursue a career in the skies.
“But I’ve since realised that I’m not. So time will tell. It could be. You never know,” he added with a smile.
