Royal Central - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Next weekend, Prince Christian will celebrate his 18th birthday in Copenhagen, and the Danish Royal Family has planned a series of events to mark the occasion.
On Sunday at noon, Prince Christian and his immediate family will appear on the balcony of Frederik VIII’s Palace after a changing of the guard of the Royal Life Guard at Christian VII’s Palace in the Amalienborg grounds.
That evening, Queen Margrethe is hosting a gala dinner at Christiansborg Palace for Prince Christian, and the special guests include other 18-year-olds from around Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
According to the Danish Royal House’s website, guests will include “a selection of the country’s youth organisations” and “young people who have distinguished themselves in the world of sport, art and culture.” The total guest list for young people will include 200, with every municipality in the Danish Commonwealth inviting two 18-year-olds to attend.
Other guests will include dignitaries and foreign royals. As of publication, the following young royals have publicly announced that they will attend: Princess Estelle (with Crown Prince Victoria and Prince Daniel), Princess Ingrid Alexandra (with Crown Prince Haakon), and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium.
A month after Prince Christian’s birthday, on 14 November, a Council of State will take place for the young heir to affirm an oath to the constitution and his position as a future king.
From this point on, he will be able to act as Denmark’s head of state if needed, but the Royal Court has stated that Prince Christian will not receive a spot on the Council of State until a change of throne—namely, his father’s accession—has taken place.
As of his 18th birthday, Prince Christian would normally be entitled to an allowance from the Danish government; however, he stated in the summer that he plans to decline this to focus on his education.
In a statement shared by the Danish Royal Court, it was revealed that “[i]t has thus been agreed with the Prime Minister’s Office that support will only be sought…when the Prince turns 21 or upon a possible change of throne, if it takes place before that.”
The night before Prince Christian’s 18th birthday, a special documentary entitled ‘Prince Christian — A Royal Journey’ will air on DRTV, tracing the young prince’s educational journey through the government, state, church and military alongside his father as he prepares for his future.