Palace announces grand celebrations for Prince Christian's 18th birthday in October

Big celebrations have been announced to mark the 18th birthday of Denmark's Prince Christian.

The Danish Royal Household has revealed how the future King's milestone will be observed across the country in October, also sharing a series of new portraits of the teenager.

Prince Christian is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik and is second-in-line to the throne after his father.

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He will turn 18 on October 15 and the palace is hoping Danes and royal fans across the world will join in celebrating the occasion.

Prince Christian's birthday will be marked by a changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, to be followed by a balcony appearance by the royal family.

The birthday boy will join his grandmother Queen Margrethe II, and his parents and siblings, on the balcony of the Frederik VIII's Palace at noon.

The palace is home to the Crown Prince family and is one of the four mansions that make up the Amalienborg complex in Denmark's capital.

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Later that evening, at 5pm, Prince Christian will be the guest of honour at a gala banquet to be held inside the nearby Christianborg Palace.

Christianborg Palace is where the second of the annual New Year's banquets are held, along with other important royal and state occasions.

It is also where Queen Margrethe was proclaimed monarch to the people of Denmark in 1974 following the death of her father.

Prince Christian's birthday banquet will include young people from across Denmark and its territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands who have made their mark in the worlds of sport, arts and culture with more than 200 invited to take part.

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Nearly a month later, on November 14, Prince Christian will join his first Council of State meeting.

The palace says Christian will "make a so-called solemn declaration that he will abide by the Constitution".

But Prince Christian will not have a formal seat in the Council of State before a succession to the throne has taken place, the palace said.

From November 14, he'll also be granted the right to act as regent on the monarch's behalf.

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That means Prince Christian will be able to perform the role of the monarch, acting in his grandmother's place for official duties.

Those who can stand in as regent on the Queen's behalf include Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary – who was granted the honour for the first time in October 2019 – and Margrethe's youngest son Prince Joachim and her sister Princess Benedikte.

The role of regent happens only when the monarch is unable to perform her constitutional duties due to ill health or being abroad.

Three new portraits of Prince Christian have also been shared ahead of his birthday.

Taken by photographer Franne Voigt, the photos show the prince looking very grown up.

They will be used in official correspondence promoting Prince Christian's birthday, with more details to be announced by the palace in the coming weeks.

In June, the palace announced that Prince Christian had turned down a government-funded pension he'll soon be entitled to, delaying the move until he turns 21.

Instead, Prince Christian will focus on his studies rather than full-time royal duties.