Crown Prince Christian awarded Order of the Dannebrog for 21st birthday

Crown Prince Christian of Denmark has been awarded the Grand Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog for his 21st birthday today.

The rank of Grand Commander is the highest rank in the Order of the Dannebrog and is awarded exclusively to members of royal families who are already Knights of the Order of the Elephant. Crown Prince Christian received the Order of the Elephant for his 18th birthday in 2023. There are currently seven Grand Commanders: King Frederik, Queen Mary, Queen Margrethe, Prince Joachim, Princess Benedikte, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The late King Harald V of Norway was also a Grand Commander.

Crown Prince Christian’s Grand Commander’s Cross holds the monogram of his great-grandfather, King Frederik IX and will be restored soon to bear the monogram of his father, King Frederik X.

Three new formal portraits have also been released to mark the Crown Prince’s birthday. In these portraits, he wears the full-dress uniform of the Royal Life Guards. Among his decorations are the Grand Commander’s Cross and the breast star of the Order of the Dannebrog.

The photos were taken a few weeks ago in the vestibule of Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg.