Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark will one day be king, but for now his proudest title is probably “dad”.
The 53-year-old shares four children with his Australian-born wife, Crown Princess Mary, and has doted on each and every one of them from the day they arrived.
He and Mary welcomed their first son, Prince Christian, in 2005, followed by their eldest daughter, Princess Isabella, in 2007.
They rounded out their family in 2011 with the arrival of twins Prince Vincent and Princess Isabella.
Talk about a full house – or should we say palace?
Frederik took to parenthood with flying colours, dedicating as much time and love to his children as possible.
From trips to Australia, to accompanying them on their first days of school, he’s had countless adorable moments with each of his four kids.
Now the Danish royal has waved his eldest off, as Prince Christian starts his final studies at an elite boarding school, but Frederik couldn’t be more proud.
To honour this fan-favourite royal dad, we’re looking back at every moment he’s shared with his children that warmed our hearts.
Scroll through to see all of Prince Frederik’s best dad moments through the years!
1
Prince Frederik was smitten from the moment he and Mary welcomed their first child, Prince Christian, in 2005.
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He doted on the little prince from the get-go, as seen here on a day out with Mary.
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Frederik smiled at his son’s milestones during a visit to Australia in Christian’s early years.
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Though the little prince seemed to take some convincing when it came to the local wildlife.
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Fans swooned whenever the royal dad was spotted out with his firstborn, whom he clearly shared a close bond with from day one.
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Then Mary and Frederik welcomed their second child and first daughter, Princess Isabella. Just look at the way her father cradled her on her christening day!
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Of course, Frederik stayed close to Christian as the young prince got used to being a big brother for the first time.
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Here the growing family enjoy a day out on their first trip to Australia with Princess Isabella.
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Towards the end of the 2010s, Prince Christian even started accompanying his parents to royal events – though his dad seemed unsure at first!
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Frederik became a dad for the third – and fourth! – time in 2011, when Mary gave birth to twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
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Now an experienced dad, Frederik couldn’t look happier with the newest additions.
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Here he spends a quiet moment with little Prince Vincent gazing into a pond.
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As his youngest began to grow up, Fredeirk started to show some signs of being a father-of-four – but the salt-and-pepper hair suits him!
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The family also went on plenty of ski trips through the years, which Frederik clearly enjoyed, though Prince Vincent doesn’t seem convinced in this snap.
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Fortunately he grew to love the trips, especially sledding with his dad.
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The girls loved ski trips too! Princesses Isabella and Josephine are seen here setting up for a sled ride with Frederik.
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Even with four kids running around, Frederik finds time for each of his children individually. Here he plants a kiss on Isbaella’s head during an outing.
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And on the twins’ first day of school he simply couldn’t resist giving Princess Josephine a twirl!
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The proud dad wore matching smiles with Mary as their eldest, Prince Christian, marked his religious confirmation in May of 2021.
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But boys will be boys, and Frederik looked just as pleased to attend the football with Christian a few months later.
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He was front and centre again as he and Mary dropped off their son to begin his final years of schooling at an elite Danish boarding school
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There’s no denying that Prince Frederik is one of the proudest royal dads in Europe – just look at the grin on his face in this family snap.