The heir to Denmark’s throne, Crown Prince Christian will be taking a ‘gap year’ before heading to university, it has now been confirmed.
The 18-year-old son of King Frederik and Queen Mary will embark on an ‘extended stay in East Africa’ next month, shortly after Prince Christian graduated high school, according to a statement posted on the royal family’s official Instagram account on Friday, August 30.
During his stay in the region, Christian will perform ‘practical and administrative’ jobs while working on ‘two farms’, they added, but declined to divulge any further details about his four-month itinerary.
‘On 4 September, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will set out for an extended stay in East Africa,’ the statement read.
‘There, the Crown Prince will be involved in the daily operation of two farms, which will, among other things, include practical and administrative tasks, and also give the Crown Prince insight into local nature protection.
Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, who is first in line to the throne, will travel to East Africa in a few days for an ‘extended stay’
‘The plan is for The Crown Prince to return to Denmark in December.’
Queen Mary, King Frederik, and their children, daughter Princess Isabella and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, were all smiles at the future king’s high school graduation ceremony that was held in Copenhagen in June 2024.
The royal family put on a united front at the Ordrup Gymnasium in Gentofte, as Prince Christian participated joined his peers for a parade to celebrate finishing school during the festivities.
Following his father’s succession, Prince Christian is now first in line to the Danish throne after his grandmother Queen Margrethe ended her historic 52-year reign in January.
He celebrated his 18th birthday last October with a royal gala dinner at Christiansborg Castle, with royals such as Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, and Princess Estelle of Sweden in attendance.
The heir to the throne (pictured with Queen Mary and King Frederik on his graduation day) will return to Denmark in December
The Palace announced Prince Christian’s ‘extended stay’ in East Africa to work on a farm on its Instagram account
Prince Christian’s upcoming trip to East Africa will be part of a ‘long tradition’ in the royal family, whose heirs are sent abroad ‘during their youth’ to learn more about themselves and ‘experience the world’, the message continued.
The statement highlighted King Frederik’s 1986 ‘expedition to Mongolia…focused on the nomads’ as well as a year-long stint working ‘at a vineyard in California’.
His mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe similarly ‘went on longer trips to East and South America’ in the Sixties.
‘It is the hope of The King and Queen and The Crown Prince that there will be an understanding that the stay abroad remains a private matter from beginning to end,’ the family urged a respect for Christian’s privacy for the duration of his travels.
‘For this reason, no additional details about the stay will be made public,’ the statement concluded.
Fans of the royal family wished the Crown Prince a ‘productive, private, and enjoyable experience’ in the comment section.
‘I hope he has a wonderful trip! I spent several months in my youth doing internships in [the] southern part of Africa and it was very inspiring and educational!’ one person wrote on Instagram.
‘Africa is incredibly exciting and educational,’ another translated comment read. ‘[The trip] something you’ll look back on with pleasure.’
A third Instagram user added, ‘Enjoy every minute of this amazing experience.’
Proud parents King Frederik and Queen Mary were beaming with pride at Prince Christian’s graduation ceremony on June 25, 2024.
Queen Mary, 52, took pictures of her grown-up son, wearing a patterned grey shirt, white trousers, and slate-grey trainers for the function.
He completed his outfit with a classic Danish graduation hat that is traditionally placed on the student’s head by family members upon completion of their final exams, Town & Country Mag reported.
Denmark’s Queen looked happy and relaxed in a summery ensemble, comprising a crisp white shirt and a floral, midi Zimmermann skirt.
Meanwhile, King Frederik, 56, paired a navy blazer with khaki trousers and an Oxford shirt, as seen in photos of the royal family that were shared on Instagram.
The post’s caption read, ‘Today it was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s turn to experience the very special feeling of freedom that the student cap gives.
‘But it’s not only students who are looking forward to it. The Danish tradition also embraces family and friends, which could also be seen at Ordrup Gymnasium today.’
At the time, it was widely reported that the Crown Prince, now one of Europe’s most eligible bachelors, will be headed to university in August, while completing his military training in preparation to rule after his father.
