Prince Christian, 18, a carefree young man from Denmark who is a fan of soccer and e-sports, will undergo a dramatic transformation on Sunday when his father becomes king and he becomes crown prince.
The young prince, with his relaxed demeanor and welcoming smile, has spent most of his childhood and adolescence out of the spotlight, as the Danish media largely respected his private life.
However, the future crown prince will take on more royal responsibilities as his father ascends to the throne following the abdication of 83-year-old Queen Margrethe.
“Nothing will ever be normal for Prince Christian anymore,” Cecily Nielsen, royal correspondent for public broadcaster DR, told AFP.
“He is first in line (to the throne) and will be the first to stand in when his father is away, so he will be very close to the front line,” Nielsen added.
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Prince Frederick, who will become King Frederick X on Sunday, and his Australian-born wife Mary have tried to give their children as normal a childhood as possible.
Christian is the eldest of four children and is the first member of the royal family to enroll in a municipal nursery school.
He then attended public school in Hellerup, a chic suburb of the Danish capital.
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“This was a big break with tradition,” expert Simone Kerstin Hansen told broadcaster TV2.
He then spent a year at an exclusive boarding school in Denmark, whose prestige was sullied by an outright scandal.
Wanting to protect his image, Christian transferred to a state high school and plans to graduate at the end of this year.
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The royal family has not yet provided information about his future education, but he could first complete his military service and potentially follow in his father’s footsteps.
On November 14, Christian signed the so-called “Solemn Declaration on Observance of the Constitution” at a meeting of the Council of State attended by the government and his grandmother Queen Margrethe.
The signing paves the way for him to become an active member of the royal family and serve as regent in the absence of his father or inability to fulfill his duties as king.
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“I’m proud to be able to serve my country,” he said at a dinner celebrating his 18th birthday in October.
“I’m going to give everything I have and I’m going to learn everything I can,” he added.
He promised to “work with dedication, not perfection.”
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Queen Margrethe also publicly declared her faith in her grandson.
“His grandmother is proud of him. Prince Christian told it like it is,” she said in a televised speech on New Year’s Eve announcing her plans to abdicate.
“Today, young people are daring to show their insecurities. This openness is a force we can celebrate and draw inspiration from,” she said.
The prince, whose full name is Christian Valdemar Henry John, was born on October 15, 2005 at Rigshospitalet Hospital in Copenhagen.
Three months later, he was baptized in Christiansborg Palace Chapel in the Danish capital.
Christian has eight godfathers, including his uncle Prince Joachim, heir to the Norwegian and Swedish royal families, and one of his maternal aunts, Australian Jane Stevens.
Prince has cultivated the image of a typical teenager who loves sports and going out with friends.
He proved himself as a runner in the Royal Run, a race founded by his father to encourage physical activity.
He also skis, sails, plays tennis, and plays soccer. Prince is an avid supporter of FC Copenhagen and the national team, and is often seen attending matches.
Like many of his contemporaries, Christian loves esports and even invited professional gamers to his recent birthday dinner.
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