Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is hosting a private dinner at Amalienborg to celebrate Prince Joachim’s 50th birthday, with family and friends.
Prince Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian was born at 4.30 am on 7 June 1969 at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, weighing in at 3.520 kg (7 pounds and 12 ounces) and 52 cm (about 20 inches) in length.
Proud father Prince Henrik wrote to his father-in-law, Frederik IX informing to announce the exciting news.
According to the Danish Royal Court’s website, Kongehuset.dk, this letter was handed to King Frederik when he was aboard the Royal Yacht Dannebrog en-route from Aarhus to Odense.
Prince Joachim is the younger son of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik and is currently sixth in the line of succession to the Danish throne, following his older brother Crown Prince Frederik and his four children.
He was the first member of the Danish Royal Family to be christened outside Copenhagen, as he was christened on 15 July 1969 at Aarhus Cathedral. His aunt Princess Benedikte, paternal uncle Jean Baptiste de Laborde de Monpezat, King Harald V of Norway and Princess Christina of Sweden.
Prince Joachim was educated at home at Amalienborg Palace and Krebs’ Skole from 1974 to 1982. He spent a year at the École des Roches in Normandy, before finishing high school in 1986.
He worked on a farm near Wagga Waga in Australia from 1986 to 1987, before completing his studies in agrarian economics at the Classenske Agerbrugskole Næsgaard from 1991 to 1993.
Prince Joachim’s military career began in 1987 when he joined the Queen’s Own Regiment, before rising through the ranks to become a Platoon Commander of a tank squadron in the Prince’s Own Regiment from 1989 to 1990 and is now a Major in the Reserve.
On 1 November, Prince Joachim was appointed at a special advisor, involving volunteers in the Home Guard and reserve personnel, to work with Denmark’s Defence Force.
He worked for the A P Møller Maersk Group in Hong Kong (where he met his first wife) and in France. He also owns and runs his own farm, mostly based on conventional agriculture.
In 1995, he married his first wife, Hong Kong-born Alexandra Manley, at Frederikborg Palace Church, near Copenhagen.
They had two sons, Prince Nikolai (born 28 August 1999) and Prince Felix (22 July 2002).
The couple divorced on 8 April 2005 – the first in the Royal Family since 1846.
Alexandra remarried and lost her title as Princess of Denmark, but granted the title of Countess of Frederiksborg. She continues to live and work in Denmark and has joint custody of their sons.
He married Marie Cavallier on 3 October 2008, which happened to be the 73rd wedding anniversary of his grandparents’ King Frederik IX and Ingrid of Sweden.
They have two children, Prince Henrik (born 4 May 2009) and Princess Athena (24 January 2012).
None of his children are styled as Royal Highnesses but, since 30 April 2008, they hold the additional Danish style of their father as Count or Countess of Monpezat as legitimate descendants of their grandfather Prince Henrik.
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie currently live at Emiliekildevej in Gentofte Kommune, in Copenhagen’s northern suburbs.
Prince Joachim is patron of the Dansk Rugby Union (DRU), which is the main organisation of all union rugby in Denmark and represents the nation in international matches.
In addition, Prince Joachim is also patron of many national organisations, institutions, foundation and an honorary member of various associations and societies in Denmark.
He also acts as Regent when Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik are abroad, especially state visits to foreign countries.
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