Crown Prince Christian Is Officially Acting as Denmark's Regent for the First Time

danish king frederik x succeeds queen margrethe ii
Crown Prince Christian's First Time as RegentSamir Hussein - Getty Images

King Frederik is heading out of Denmark for his first time as monarch, and his son, Crown Prince Christian, will act as regent until his father returns. The Danish royal house confirmed the role to Billed Bladet.

In Denmark, unlike in the UK, when a monarch travels out of state, a regent must step in. "The reason we have a regent is because, according to the constitution, we have a constitutional monarchy, which means that if the king does not put his signature on the laws, then they are not valid—he is simply part of the state machinery, and therefore always [needs someone] to do it," historian Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen explained to BT.

Queen Margrethe can also act as regent, the Royal House announced earlier this month. "As acting regent, The Queen will be able to perform duties as head of state when both [Frederik] and Prince Christian are prevented from doing so after 14 January, for example during stays abroad." Queen Mary, Frederik's brother Prince Joachim, and Margrethe's sister Princess Margrethe "can assume the function of acting regent and thus handle the duties as head of state."

Crown Prince Christian, 18, is still a student, finishing his final year of secondary education at Ordrup Gymnasium. He will act as regent instead of his mother, Olden-Jørgensen says, because he's heir to the throne. "There is, after all, a hierarchy and a ranking order in the Royal House, and that is respected," Olden-Jørgensen explains.

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