Prince Frederik
The eldest son of Queen Margrethe II and her French consort, Prince Henrik, Prince Frederik was born on May 26, 1968. He is the next monarch in a long line of Danish kings streching back to the Vikings. The Prince went to the private Oregaard Secondary School, graduating in 1986. Between secondary school and university, Frederik joined the military, serving in the Royal Lifeguards and the Regiment of Hussars. He currently holds the rank of first lieutenant of the reserves. The Prince then studied at the University of Arhus for a Master's Degree in Political Science, also studying constitutional law. His decision to take a degree was not originally planned, and his degree in 1995 was a break with royal tradition. His education also included a year of study abroad at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts of the United States. His stay at Harvard allowed him to get involved in community service helping the Boston homeless. When he ascends the throne, the Crown Prince will be the first monarch to hold a degree.
In keeping with his less-than-traditional image, the Prince loves extremes. He is a member of the elite Royal Danish Naval Frogman Corps, which he trained for in 1994 after beating out 300 other applicants for four spots. He finished training in 1995. He is also a marathon runner, with his first race being the Copenhagen Marathon of 1992. Among his other exploits, Frederik spent four months dog-sledding in northern Greenland in 2000, after which he went back to the Danish military to gain a pilot’s license. His experiences also include a post in the Danish Embassy in Paris in the late 1990s.
Frederik is somewhat of a rebel who doesn't always like the restrictions of his role. This can be seen in his dating history, which includes underwear model Katja Storkholm Nielsen, pop singer Maria Montell, and Bettina Odum, a fashion student. The Prince also enjoys sports like marathon running and diving, and has also done an extreme sport, parachuting. Despite pressure to marry and settle down, Frederik is more interested in taking advantage of the numerous opportunities the princely life has to offer. Nonetheless, he is one of the most popular members of the Danish royal family.
Prince Joachim
Prince Joachim, the second son of Queen Margrethe II, was born on June 7, 1969. Like his brother, the Prince also graduated from Oregaard Secondary School in 1986, and then served in the military. He is currently a captain of the reserve. However, Joachim did not follow his brother's path. The Prince has an interest in agriculture that has lead him to go to Australia for training, as well as attend agricultural college in Denmark. He practices his trade on Schackenborg Estate in Jutland. The Prince has also learned about international business through his internship with Maersk, a Danish shipping company, in Paris and Hong Kong. While in Hong Kong, the Prince met Alexandra Manley, the daughter of an English-Chinese father and an Austrian-Polish mother. He married her on November 18, 1995, making her the first person with Asian blood to marry into a sitting European royal family. On August 28, 1999, the Princess gave birth to the couple's first child, a son, who became third in line for the Danish throne as the only grandchild of Queen Margrethe. The Princess is expecting their second child in August 2002. As Prince Frederik takes a bride, the family will only continue to grow as it moves into the twenty-first century.
Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra are also involved in various charities. While the Princess does Red Cross work, Joachim is a patron of CARE, a development aid group. The two travel internationally as representatives of Denmark’s interests abroad.
