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Countess Athena of Monpezat is 12! King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark’s niece celebrated her birthday on Wednesday, Jan, 24. The Danish Royal House marked her birthday with two photos of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie’s daughter outdoors in the snow wearing a white North Face puffer coat. The images of Athena, who is Queen Margrethe ’s youngest grandchild, were taken in Washington, D.C., where her family lives.
“🇩🇰 Her Excellency Countess Athena has a birthday and turns 12 today 🇩🇰,” the caption alongside the pictures reads. “On the occasion of the birthday, the Countess’s mother, Her Royal Highness Princess Marie, photographed the daughter at the family’s home in Washington D.C.”
Joachim and Marie, who also share 14-year-old son Count Henrik, have been living in the states since last year. King Frederik’s younger brother began working as the defence industry attaché at the Embassy of Denmark back in September.
Athena, Henrik and their older half-brothers, Count Nikolai and Count Felix, were missing from their uncle’s accession day earlier this month. However, their father Prince Joachim was in Denmark for the historic occasion.
Over a year before Queen Margrethe abdicated the throne, she decided to change the titles of Joachim’s children. Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena’s Prince and Princess titles were discontinued at the start of 2023. In an interview with Weekendavisen last year, Queen Margrethe said (via Billed Bladet and translated to English), “For me, it has been important that it should not be Frederik’s lot to make such a decision,” adding, “It was better that it was me.”
Frederik became the King of Denmark on Jan. 14, 2024. Countess Athena’s older brother Nikolai paid tribute to their uncle following Frederik’s accession to the throne with a collage of throwback photos on his personal Instagram Story.