The new generation of heirs to the throne.
When Prince Christian turned 18 and came of age in October, they stood together:
- Princess Estelle of Sweden (11)
- Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (19)
- Prince Christian of Denmark (18)
- Princess Katharina Amalia of the Netherlands (20)
- Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (22)
Future queens and kings of Europe.
Princess Leonor turned 18 in October and was then sworn in in Spain.
Photography: Juan Medina – Reuters
Spanish Princess Leonor (18 years old) did not attend the celebrations in Copenhagen and is therefore not in the photo.
But as the eldest daughter of the Spanish royal couple, she is Europe's youngest Crown Princess and the next Queen of Spain.
– I will give everything
– Prince Christian said: “I am proud to serve my country.”
This was his first official speech. He laughed a little and cleared his throat. He admitted he was nervous.
He turned 18 and was celebrated with a dinner party in Copenhagen.
– Of course I would like to be the best heir to the throne, but I will definitely make mistakes. I can't promise perfection, because what is? But I can promise you dedication. He said: I want to give everything I have and learn everything I can, referring to the job for which he was born:
– I will find my way, even if it leads to a familiar place.
Christian now steps forward as the new Crown Prince of Denmark. Here he is when his 18th birthday was celebrated at a dinner party at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen.
Photograph: Mads Klaus Rasmussen/AFP
Lady of the table that evening was Princess Ingrid Alexandra. Another young man was born with the same fate.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Christian will one day be royalty.
Photograph: Rizzo Scanpix/Reuters
One day each of them will inherit their own kingdom.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra will become Queen of Norway, and Prince Christian will become King of Denmark.
For the Danish prince, the great mission was already one step closer.
Prince Christian stepped out onto the balcony at Amalienborg Castle and accepted tribute from many of those present when he turned eighteen.
Photograph: Rizzo Scanpix/Reuters
He signed the oath – but he must first and foremost be a student at the school
When grandmother Queen Margrethe now abdicates, and father Crown Prince Frederik becomes king, Christian will simultaneously become the new Crown Prince of Denmark.
First in the line of succession to the Danish throne. The next king of Denmark.
Now Christian takes on a new royal role when he becomes Crown Prince. Here he is on his 18th birthday in October.
Photo: Denis Steineld, Danish Royal House
The responsibility of ruling the kingdom could indeed be placed on his shoulders. As for the oath—or “solemn declaration that he would abide by the Constitution”—he signed it in Cabinet shortly after his eighteenth birthday.
But even if he now became the Crown Prince, Christian, who is in the second year of high school, would primarily be a student of the school in the future.
He wants to be protected to give him space to be young and form his own identity. This was confirmed by the Danish court.
From kings to queens
When Queen Margaret now abdicates, and Frederick becomes King of the Danes, only men are the reigning monarchs in the kingdoms of Europe.
But with the next generation the picture looks completely different:
Five European monarchies will eventually have female regents: Norway, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.
In Norway, it is true that Princess Ingrid Alexandra is not first in the line of succession. Her father, Crown Prince Haakon, is our next king, before she takes the throne after him.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the first heir to the throne born in Norway.
Photo: Eskil We Voronis/NRK
“I am very grateful for the opportunity I had, and I believe I can do a lot with it,” Princess Ingrid Alexandra told NRK when she came of age.
-You can of course dream and wonder what a completely different life would be like. I do that too. But that's not the life I live, so it's hard to imagine that I'm not in the role that I play.
After Princess Ingrid Alexandra finished high school last summer, she worked as a school assistant and environmental worker at a primary and secondary school in Oslo.
She is now ready to join the armed forces and has just begun her twelve months of initial service at Camp Skjold in Endre Troms.
He gave up millions of dollars in salary
Both Princess Katharina Amalia of the Netherlands (20) and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (22) are number one in the line of succession in their home countries and are therefore what we in Norway would call Crown Princesses.
Princess Catharina Amalia of the Netherlands and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium joined the celebration for Prince Christian.
Photograph: Mads Klaus Rasmussen/AFP
When Princess Catarina Amalia turned 18 in December 2021, she said she was not ready to become queen yet, but would be determined to devote her life to serving the country.
She became Queen of the Netherlands after her father, King Willem-Alexander.
King Willem-Alexander has been King of the Netherlands since 2013. His daughter Catharina Amalia follows him.
Photograph: Piroschka van de Ouau/Reuters
The Dutch princess should have actually received a royal salary of several million kroner since she turned 18, but she sent a letter to the Prime Minister and wrote that she did not want the money.
The reason was that she should have a break year after high school, before studying. So she thought it was wrong to receive a royal salary, since she couldn't fully work as a concubine for the princess.
“I find it uncomfortable as long as I am not doing anything for money, while other students find it more difficult, especially in this period of coronavirus,” she wrote.
First heir to the throne
Princess Elisabeth was only 11 years old when she became Crown Princess of Belgium, as the eldest daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
Princess Elisabeth is the first heir to the throne of Belgium, and will one day take over the throne from her father.
Photograph: Olivier Houslet/AP
In Belgium, as in Norway, only princes can inherit the throne, but this law was changed in 1991. Elisabeth thus becomes the first reigning queen of Belgium when she one day takes the throne from her father.
When she turned 18 in 2019, she said:
– Belgium can trust me.
Elisabeth attended the Belgian Military School and studied history and politics.
In industrial apprenticeship
Princess Estelle of Sweden, like Princess Ingrid Alexandra, is second in the line of succession in her home country.
Princess Estelle is the eldest daughter of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and will inherit the throne after her.
But despite her young age, fifth-grader Estelle has participated in a number of official functions.
Spanish Princess Leonor, 18, who previously went to school in Wales, began three years of military training in Spain in August last year.
When she was eighteen years old and came of age at the end of October, she took the oath and swore to respect the Spanish Constitution, respect the rights of citizens and regions, and be loyal to the King.
– On this important day, I ask you to put your trust in me, just as I put my trust in the future of our nation, Princess Leonor said in her speech.
– I will always carry with me what is best for our country, in everything I do in all areas of life. I will gain the trust of citizens, and I will carry out my obligations with complete sincerity.
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