Prince Joachim of Denmark

Prince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian; born 7 June 1969) is a member of the Danish royal family.

The younger son of Queen Margrethe II, he is fifth in the line of succession to the Danish throne, following the four children of his elder brother King Frederik X.

Prince Joachim was born on 7 June 1969 at Rigshospitalet, part of the Copenhagen University Hospital in Copenhagen.

He was christened Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian on 15 July 1969 in Aarhus Cathedral, the first member of the royal family to have been christened outside of Copenhagen.

His godparents were his maternal aunt, Princess Benedikte of Denmark; his paternal uncle, Jean Baptiste de Laborde de Monpezat; his mother's first cousin, Princess Christina of Sweden; and King Harald V (then Crown Prince of Norway).

Prince Joachim attended school as a private pupil from 1974 until 1976 at Amalienborg Palace and then from 1976 until 1982 at Krebs' Skole in Copenhagen.

In the period 1982–1983 the Prince studied as a boarder at École des Roches in Normandy, France.

In 1986, Prince Joachim graduated from Øregård Gymnasium.

In 1987, Joachim enlisted as a recruit in the Queen's Life Regiment, where from he first entered the NCO School and where after the lieutenant school.

Between 1989 and 1990, he served as platoon commander in the 3rd tank squadron/1st Battalion (3/I/PLR) of the Prince's Life Regiment.

In 1992 He entered the Royal Danish Military Academy's course for reserve officers to become a captain.

In 1993, he completed his studies in agrarian economics at Den Classenske Agerbrugskole Næsgaard.

The Prince's first language is Danish, but he also speaks French (his father's language), English and German.

In 1993, Prince Joachim took over the estate of Schackenborg Castle in the town of Møgeltønder, in Southern Jutland, having been granted the estate in the will of Count Hans Schack in 1978.

Joachim and his first wife, now the Countess of Frederiksborg, received 13 million DKK collected by the people of Denmark as a national gift, reserved for restoration of the estate.

On 18 November 1995, at Frederiksborg Palace Church in Hillerød, near Copenhagen, Joachim married Alexandra Christina Manley, a Hong Kong-born former sales and marketing deputy chief executive of English, Chinese, and Austrian ancestry.

The couple had two sons, Count Nikolai and Count Felix.

Between 1996 and 2004, he served as squadron commander of 3rd tank squadron/2nd Battalion (3/II/PLR) also in the Prince's Life Regiment.

The restoration was completed in 1999.

The couple announced their separation on 16 September 2004; their divorce was final on 8 April 2005.

The couple shared custody of their sons until they came of age.

Alexandra received the title of Countess of Frederiksborg, and was permitted to retain the courtesy title of princess pending remarriage.

She subsequently remarried and forfeited the royal title, but retained the title of countess.

She continues to live in Denmark.

The couple was divorced in 2005, whereupon Countess Alexandra moved with their two sons to Copenhagen.

In 2005 he was an staff officer in the staff of Danske Division and from 2011 He was liaison officer at the Defence Region of Fuen and South Jutland.

Joachim remained at Schackenborg – from 2007 alongside his second wife – until 2014 when the estate was handed over to the Schackenborg Foundation, which consists of Prince Joachim, Bitten and Mads Clausens foundation, Ole Kirks Foundation, and Ecco Holding.

Joachim, Marie and their children moved from the castle to Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, but still holiday at the castle.

In 2023, they sold their home at Klampenborg and purchased a home at Vedbaek.

On 3 October 2007, the Danish court announced that Prince Joachim had become engaged to French native Marie Cavallier.

Their wedding took place on 24 May 2008 in Møgeltønder Church near Schackenborg Castle.

In 2015, Joachim was appointed special advisor to the Chief of Defense in the Royal Danish Army.

During the summer of 2019, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and their two children moved to Paris, France, while the Prince had been admitted to the highest-ranking military educational program at École Militaire by invitation from the French Minister of Defense.

Prince Joachim graduated on 26 June 2020, being the first Danish Officer to complete the two-part special education.

Earlier in June 2020, the Danish Secretary of Defense promoted the Prince to Brigadier General due to his new acquired educational merits at École Militaire.

He was subsequently named Military Attaché at the Royal Danish Embassy in Paris, France, by the Danish Ministry of Defense, a position he was expected to hold for at least three years while maintaining his patronages and royal engagements in Denmark when possible.

Joachim commenced his new position on 1 September 2020.

On 24 July 2020, while on holiday in Château de Cayx, Prince Joachim was admitted to Toulouse University Hospital for surgery on a blood clot in his brain.

He was discharged from hospital in early August.

In March 2023, it was announced that Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and their two younger children would be moving to Washington, D.C. where the Prince would be taking up the role of defense industry attaché at the Danish Embassy from September 2023.