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Crown Prince Christian of Denmark is going abroad! Queen Mary and King Frederik's 18-year-old son will be traveling to Africa for an extended stay.
"On 4 September, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will set out for an extended stay in East Africa. There, The Crown Prince will be involved in the daily operation of two farms, which will, among other things, include practical and administrative tasks and also give The Crown Prince insight into local nature protection. The plan is for The Crown Prince to return to Denmark in December," the Danish Royal House announced on Aug. 30.
The Royal House noted that in the royal family "there is a long tradition that the successors to the throne go on extended stays abroad during their youth and have the opportunity to develop and experience the world."
Back in 1986, King Frederik took part in an expedition to Mongolia, and in 1989, he worked at a vineyard in California for a year. Christian's paternal grandmother Queen Margrethe also went on longer trips to the East and South America in the 1960s.
Christian, who is the eldest of Mary and Frederik's four children, graduated from high school this past June. The teen became the Crown Prince of Denmark following his grandmother's abdication earlier this year. At his 18th birthday gala dinner last October, Queen Margrethe told her grandson (translated to English): "Your path in life is already set, for one day you will follow your father, just as he will follow me one day. You become a link in the long historical chain that has bound our country together for centuries. It can sound violent when you are eighteen years young. It is a challenge, but there is also a sense of security in knowing where you are going and in knowing that others have been in the same situation and have followed the same path."
Frederik's mother also noted at the time: "This summer you become a student, so your school days are over; but your apprenticeship only begins here, regardless of what you choose to do. You have good skills, you are physically active and you are aware of your responsibilities. You have empathy, you have always shown that, not least towards your siblings. The good qualities that you possess and the ballast that you bring from home will follow you everywhere."