Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik’s children are returning home to Denmark. The Danish Royal Court announced on Thursday, March 12, that Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine are cutting their studies in Switzerland short due to the coronavirus outbreak. The palace statement read: “Because of the intensifying situation in Denmark in connection with the handling of the spread of COVID-19, the Crown Prince Couple have decided that the family will return home from Switzerland. The Crown Prince Couple find it most natural to return home and stand together with the Danish people during a time that requires much of everyone and when there is a shared responsibility for taking care of each other.”

“On 6 January 2020, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine began a 12-week school stay at Lemania-Verbier in Switzerland. The school stay is thus cut off ahead of time, and all four children will continue their schooling at Tranegårdskolen in Gentofte when public institutions once again open in Denmark,” the statement continued.

The Danish royal children moved to Switzerland in January to begin their 12-week semester at the co-ed institution. The young Princes and Princesses were staying at their family’s once-secret chalet in the mountain village of Verbier. Back in February, Crown Princess Mary revealed that her sons and daughters were thriving in Switzerland. “Things are going really well. The children thrive. When we made that choice, we thought it must be a great gift for our children, and after a month I can stress and say it is a huge gift and they thrive,” she said. “I also enjoy myself in Switzerland. It is a different pace, but it is a good break for all of us to enjoy a little less planned everyday life.”

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News that the Danish royals are returning home comes one day after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The WHO Director-General said at a media briefing: “WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person. COVID-19 has infected more than 100,000 around the world, including one European royal, Karl von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria. On Thursday, March 12, Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain were tested for the coronavirus after an individual the royal mom of two was recently in contact with tested positive.