Prince Christian has taken the dramatic step of refusing his royal allowance when he turns 18 in October, choosing instead to delay it until he is 21 when he will undertake full royal duties – a move that’s sparking fears there is more to the story than just wanting to focus on school.
The “fiercely independent” teen, who begins his final year of high school next month at Denmark’s Ordrup Gymnasium, has already skirted controversy over recent years, and Woman’s Day hears his latest decision to shun his duties has come as a “shock” to the Danish royal family.
Prince Christian is Prince Frederik and Princess Mary’s eldest child.
(Image: Getty)MARY UNDER FIRE
Caught in the middle, of course, is Christian’s Aussie mum, Princess Mary, 51, who sources say is “desperately playing down the ramifications of his decision” to completely buck royal protocol.
“This has put Mary in the firing line again for her unorthodox approach to raising her children,” says an insider.
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“Never has a prince of Denmark attended nursery school, let alone a public state school, before Christian and his siblings, so there’s a growing concern that it may have been a mistake.”
The prince courted controversy in September last year when a video of him, aged 16, spraying champagne over his under-aged friends on a ski trip went viral.
“That was the first time he’d been caught up in a scandal and he hated the disapproval from the family that came from that,” adds the insider.
The Danish Royal House previously announced the Prince was stepping back from official appearances to focus on his education.
(Image: Getty)“Even worse, he’s started dating and the pressure on him to ‘choose wisely’ has distressed him to no end. He’s definitely feeling cornered right now.”
Sources confirm that Queen Margrethe’s tough decision to strip Christian’s four cousins of their titles to make way for a more streamlined monarchy upset him just as much as it did his uncle Prince Joaquim.
“Christian was dead against it,” adds the source. “In fact, it was his distress that made his grandmother finally realise she may have made an error. Since then, Christian’s become much more outspoken and less inclined to toe the line.
“There’s no doubt that moment was a wake-up call for him – all of a sudden, the real burden of what was to come hit him hard.”
Prince Christian was last spotted with his rumoured girlfriend Princess Chiara at the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix.
(Image: Getty)PARTY PRINCE
Royal historian Lars Hovbakke Sorensen previously told Danish publication BT, “This is the last year when he has his freedom to do what he wants,” adding that when Christian turns 18, he will enter the State Council and begin carrying out royal engagements, including acting as regent if his parents, Prince Frederik, 55, and Mary are abroad.
Meanwhile, a Woman’s Day source believes that as his birthday approaches, there are mounting concerns that Christian doesn’t want to be king at all.
“This isn’t just your everyday 18th birthday coming up, so it’s understandable that he might be having misgivings,” explains the insider.
“Turning down the royal payroll is not just a way to avoid responsibility – it’s a way to limit any control the family has over him. It’s also not gone unnoticed that everyone who seems to escape appears on the surface to be so free. He sees his ‘de-princed’ cousins partying without a care in the world, while he can’t have a date without a full security detail and inquisition.”
Royal life is rumoured to not be for the Prince.
(Image: Getty)“He also sees his poor dad, a former party prince, ageing dramatically each time the Queen’s health takes a bad turn. It’s easy to see why he’d be questioning his role and whether he actually does want this.”
The insider adds that Christian would no doubt be having private chats with his mother and father about his future.
“He is really going through a transformative stage. He’s always been curious, and that was something his mum encouraged, but pushing back against royal tradition, even his birthright, could have serious ramifications for succession. Everyone is hoping this is just a phase.”
