Queen Mary of Denmark has revealed her eldest son and heir to the Danish throne, Crown Prince Christian, is moving to Africa after graduating from high school.
The Royal House of Denmark announced last week that the future king, 18, will travel to East Africa for an “extended stay” until December.
Naturally, doting mom Mary — who shares four kids with King Frederik X — admitted that she will find it difficult not having her son around for the next few months.
“We are going to miss him unimaginably… very, very much,” she said while attending a ceremony in the capital city of Copenhagen on Wednesday.
The royal added that while she and Frederik are excited for him to embrace “deeper learning,” the pair “look forward” to hearing about his experience when he returns.
The teen will be working on farms during his trip as he gets to know the community he’s visiting, the palace revealed. He will also learn about Africa’s natural landscape.
Crown Prince Christian is following a “long tradition that the successors to the throne go on extended stays abroad during their youth and have the opportunity to develop and experience the world,” the Danish palace said in a statement.
His father, King Frederik, traveled to Mongolia in 1986 and worked at a vineyard in California in 1989 during his time as a prince.
His mother Queen Margrethe — who abdicated the throne on Jan 31, 2023, traveled to South America in the 1960s.
Christian’s travels come just two months after he celebrated his high school graduation.
At the time, it was unclear if he would be continuing his studies at university or undergoing military training, as is common practice for many royals.
In Oct. 2023, Christian’s 18th birthday was celebrated with a gala dinner that was attended by royals from around the world.
While Prince Christian is the fifth cousin to Prince William and Prince Harry, there were no British royals in attendance at the gala.
Before his birthday, Christian made a surprising announcement that he was breaking from tradition by deciding to forego his royal allowance and instead prioritize his education.
Although entitled to receive government funding once he comes of age, Christian chose not to accept payments and delay becoming a full-time royal until he turns 21.
