Frederik X, born Frederik André Henrik Christian on 26 May 1968 at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, is the King of Denmark.
He ascended the throne on 14 January 2024 following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II, after her 52-year reign.
He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and the late Prince Henrik (born Henri de Laborde de Monpezat).
Born during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King Frederik IX, he became Crown Prince upon his mother’s accession in 1972.
He married Australian-born Mary Donaldson on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral; the couple have four children: Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
As monarch he is also Count of Monpezat and serves as head of state of the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Siblings
Frederik X has one sibling, his younger brother Prince Joachim of Denmark, born on 7 June 1969.
The brothers grew up together in the Danish royal household.
Prince Joachim has pursued his own path within and outside official royal duties, including military service and family life.
He was married first to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, with whom he has two sons, and later to Princess Marie, with whom he has two further children.
Career
Frederik received his early education at Krebs’ Skole in Copenhagen, with a period as a private pupil at Amalienborg Palace, followed by a year at the boarding school École des Roches in Normandy, France, and graduation from Øregård Gymnasium.
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He was the first member of the Danish royal family to complete a full university degree, earning a Master of Science in political science from Aarhus University in 1995; this included a year of study at Harvard University under the name Frederik Henriksen.
He gained practical experience with a three-month posting at the Danish mission to the United Nations in New York and later served as First Secretary at the Danish Embassy in Paris.
His military career began in 1986 with the Royal Life Guards and extended across all three branches of the Danish Armed Forces.
Notably, he completed the demanding training of the elite Frogman Corps of the Royal Danish Navy, earning the nickname “Pingo.”
He rose through the ranks and, upon becoming king, was appointed to the highest military ranks of General in the Army and Air Force and Admiral in the Navy.
He has also undertaken expeditions, including the Sirius 2000 sled journey in Greenland, and has been active in sports and environmental causes.
Accolades
As King of Denmark, Frederik X is Sovereign of the Order of the Elephant, Denmark’s highest order of chivalry, and Grand Master of the Order of the Dannebrog.
He has long held the rank of Knight of the Order of the Elephant and previously served as Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog.
He has received numerous national medals, including commemorative medals linked to royal jubilees and the Nersornaat Medal for Meritorious Service from Greenland.
Foreign honours include the Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium), Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France), Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, and many other high orders from European and other nations.
He has also been recognised by the Danish Red Cross with its Medal of Honour, an award usually reserved for former presidents of the organisation, in acknowledgement of his longstanding support.
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