Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik.
Early life
Crown Prince Frederik was born by emergency C-section at Rigshospitalet the Copenhagen University Hospital in Copenhagen, on 26 May 1968 at 23:50 to the then Princess Margrethe, oldest daughter of Frederick IX and heir presumptive to the Danish throne, and Prince Henrik. At the time of his birth, his maternal grandfather was on the throne of Denmark and his matrilineal great-grandfather was on the throne of Sweden.
He was christened on 24 June 1968, at Holmen Church, in Copenhagen. He was named Frederik for his maternal grandfather, King Frederick IX, continuing the Danish royal tradition of the heir apparent being named either Frederick or Christian. His middle names honour his paternal grandfather, André de Laborde de Monpezat; his father, Prince Henrik; and his maternal great-grandfather, Christian X. Frederik's godparents were his maternal aunt, the Queen of the Hellenes; his paternal uncle, Count Etienne de Laborde de Monpezat; his extended relatives, Prince Georg of Denmark and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg; and friends of his parents, Baron Christian de Watteville-Berckheim and Birgitta Juel Hillingsø.
He became Crown Prince of Denmark when his mother ascended to the throne as Margrethe II on 14 January 1972. Crown Prince Frederik's only sibling is his younger brother Prince Joachim of Denmark.
Education and career
Frederik attended primary school at Krebs' Skole between 1974 and 1981, as a private pupil at Amalienborg Palace from 1974 to 1976, and from the third form again at Krebs' Skole. From 1982 to 1983, he attended the École des Roches, a boarding school in Normandy, France. In 1986, Frederik graduated from Øregård Gymnasium. In addition to Danish, he is fluent in French (his father's language), English, and German.
In 1986 he began a course in political science at Aarhus University. This included a year at Harvard University (1992–1993) under the name of Frederik Henriksen, studying political science and participating in the Phoenix—SK Club. While studying at Harvard, he lived in a rent controled apartment.
He then took up a position for three months with the Danish UN mission in New York in 1994. In 1995, he obtained his MSc degree in political science from Aarhus University. He completed the course in the prescribed number of years with an exam result above average, thus becoming the first royal to obtain a master's degree. His final paper was an analysis on the foreign policy of the Baltic States, which he had visited several times during his studies. The prince was posted as First Secretary to the Danish Embassy in Paris from October 1998 to October 1999.
Military career
Frederik has completed extensive military studies and training in all three services, notably completing the education as frogman in the naval elite special operations forces Frømandskorpset. It was here that he earned the nickname "Pingo", when his wetsuit filled with water and he was forced to waddle like a penguin.
In the period 2001 and 2002, he completed further training for leaders at the Royal Danish Defense College. Frederik remains active in the defence services, and in the period 2002–2003 served as a staff officer at Defense Command Denmark, and from 2003 as a senior lecturer with the Institute of Strategy at the Royal Danish Defense College.
The Royal Life Guard 1986. Lieutenant in the Reserve (Army) 1988. Reconnaissance Platoon Commander with the Royal Guard Hussars' Regiment 1988. First Lieutenant in the Reserve (Army) 1989. Royal Danish Navy Frømandskorpset 1995. First Lieutenant in the Reserve (Navy) 1995. Captain in the Reserve (Army) 1997. Lieutenant Commander in the Reserve (Navy) 1997. Royal Danish Air Force Flying School 2000 Captain in the Reserve (Air Force) 2000. Command and General Staff Course, Royal Danish Defence College 2001–2002. Commander (Navy) and Major (Army, Air Force) 2002. Staff Officer, Defense Command Denmark 2002–2003. Senior lecturer with the Institute of Strategy at the Royal Danish Defence College, 2003–. Commander, senior grade (Navy), lieutenant colonel (Air force, Army) 2004. Captain (Navy), Colonel (Air Force, Army) 2010. Rear Admiral (Navy), Major General (Air Force, Army) 2015.