Queen Mary and King Frederik pictured with towering kids as they relocate
King Frederik and Queen Mary are ready for the holidays! The Danish royal couple have relocated for the festive season as they prepare to host their family for the first time in their reign.
The monarch, 56, and his wife, 52, have moved to Marselisborg Castle in Aarhus, located on the eastern coast of the Jutland peninsula, for the family gathering.
They're joined by their four children – Crown Prince Christian, 19, Princess Isabella, 17, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, who turn 14 in January.
The youngsters are growing up fast and it's the first time they have all been pictured together since Christian's return from his gap year trip.
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The Danish heir spent three months in East Africa from September to the beginning of December, where he was involved in the day-to-day running of two farms.
Christian, who now towers over his father, was also pictured greeting his grandmother, Queen Margrethe, 84, at the front door of the royal residence.
Margrethe, who abdicated after 52 years in January, looked overjoyed as she was reunited with her grandchildren.
The Danish royals posed for a snap amid the reunion, with Mary donning a cosy high-necked knit, while Isabella looked chic in a suede jacket with wide-legged jeans, and Josephine opted for a grey tailored coat.
Frederik and Christian matched in dark blazers, while Vincent sported a funnel-neck coat.
King Frederik and Queen Mary will stay at the castle until 26 December, while Queen Margrethe will remain at the residence until 30 December.
However, Frederik's brother, Prince Joachim, and his wife, Princess Marie, will miss out on the festivities at Marselisborg Castle.
Joachim, Marie and their two children, Count Henrik, 15, and Countess Athena, 12, will spend Christmas with French-born Marie's family.
The couple relocated to Washington D.C. in September, where Joachim works as the defence industry attaché at the Danish Embassy.
Joachim also has two sons, Count Nikolai, 25, and Count Felix, 22, from his first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg.
Nikolai, who graduated from Copenhagen Business School in June, appears to be spending the holidays in Tasmania, Australia with his model girlfriend, Benedikte Thoustrup.
A year on
It has been almost a year since Queen Margrethe shocked the nation as she announced her abdication in her New Year's address.
Alluding to health reasons for her decision, she said: "In February [2023] I underwent extensive back surgery. It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.
"I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik."
An emotional Frederik was proclaimed King on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace, where he and wife Mary shared a tender kiss as their proud children looked on.
