The Danish royal family have shared a rare photo of Crown Prince Christian enjoying his gap year to mark his 19th birthday on Tuesday.
The snapshot, which was shared to Instagram, showed Christian beaming for the camera whilst standing in front of a golden sunset in East Africa.
In the caption, the Danish palace wrote: “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince turns 19 today. The Crown Prince is currently staying in East Africa and is therefore celebrating the day under warmer skies.”
Switching up his look, the Prince could be seen rocking a much shorter hairdo – a departure from his signature mop of wavy hair.
© Instagram / @detdanskekongehusChrisitan travelled to East Africa on the 4 September and isn’t due to return to his home country until the end of the year. Back in August, the Danish palace released a statement which read: “On 4 September, HRH the Crown Prince will leave for an extended stay in East Africa.
“Here, the Crown Prince will be involved in the day-to-day running of two farms, which will, among other things, involve practical and administrative tasks as well as giving the Crown Prince an insight into local nature conservation. The plan is for the Crown Prince to return to Denmark in December.”
The statement concluded: “It is the hope of the Royal Couple and the Crown Prince that there will be an understanding that the stay abroad will remain private from start to finish. For that reason, no more details about the stay are published.”
© Getty ImagesRoyal fans flooded the comments section with touching well-wishes. Heaping praise on his new hairdo, one wrote: “Big congratulations on your birthday. The short hair looks fantastic,” while a second noted: “Happy Birthday Christian. Enjoy the good life and soak up experiences and lessons,” and a third chimed in: “Congratulations Crown Prince and nice new hairstyle, it suits you!”
The young royal is following in the footsteps of his relatives who similarly embarked on travels in their youth to “develop and experience the world”.
Christian’s father, King Frederik, visited Mongolia and California, while his grandmother, Queen Margrethe, made major trips to East and South America in the 1960s.
While Christian’s future plans remain unknown, he is likely to undergo military training in the future and may decide to enrol at university next year.
© Getty ImagesChristian, who is Frederik and his wife Queen Mary’s eldest child, became heir to the throne when his grandmother Margrethe abdicated in January.
Frederik and Mary are also doting parents to Princess Isabella, 17, and 13-year-old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
