At six-foot-three, in the scarlet gala uniform of the Royal Life Guards, 21-year-old Crown Prince Christian would never blend into the background. It's one of the reasons why he was caught on camera, quietly wrestling with one of his white gloves until it finally came loose. It was a small and human moment on a big night for his role as future king of Denmark.
© NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe occasion was a gala banquet hosted by his parents, King Frederik X and Queen Mary, at Christiansborg Palace. The royal couple and their heir welcomed guests in honor of Vietnam's President Tô Lâm and his wife, Ngô Phương Ly, with the visit celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
True to the Danish court’s reputation for throwing a memorable party, the evening included a private classical dance performance by members of the Royal Danish Ballet.
For Christian, it was a night of firsts. It marked his debut at a gala banquet for an incoming state visit, with cameras capturing him looking a little nervous as he stood beside his parents and the presidential couple to greet guests in the palace's Velvet Room.
© Getty ImagesThat receiving line produced the evening’s most viral moment. Christian stood last in line, ready to shake hands, but several members of the Vietnamese delegation appeared to walk right past him. According to the Danish press, some guests seemed unsure of who Christian was, and didn't know if they were meant to greet him at all.
One theory is that his uniform, similar to those worn by the Royal Life Guards on duty at the palace, made it easy to mistake him for a member of staff. “It seemed like some of them didn’t know who he was,” wrote the outlet Billed-Bladet, sharing that the crown prince took it all in good humor.
Once seated, Christian held a place of honor befitting the heir to the throne, between Ngô Phương Ly and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
A birthday week full of milestones
© Getty ImagesThe uniform he wore wasn’t a random choice. Just days earlier, on October 15, Christian celebrated his 21st birthday, and the Royal House marked the milestone by releasing three new official portraits taken in the vestibule of Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg. In them, the prince wore the Royal Life Guards’ ceremonial uniform for the first time.
The uniform belongs to the regiment where he's currently completing his military training as a second lieutenant and platoon commander at Høvelte Barracks, a post he’s expected to hold until summer 2027.
Founded in 1658 by King Frederik III, the Royal Life Guards is one of Denmark’s most emblematic units, charged with protecting the royal family while also serving as an operational army regiment.
Christian's birthday brought another honor, too. King Frederik awarded his son the Grand Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, the order’s highest degree, reserved for royals who are already Knights of the Elephant. Only seven people currently hold it, among them King Frederik and Queen Mary, Queen Margrethe, and Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.
In a charming historical detail, the insignia Christian received once belonged to his great-grandfather, King Frederik IX. It still bears his monogram as it awaits restoration.
© Getty Images
