Prince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (; Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian; born 7 June 1969) is a member of the Danish royal family. The younger son of Queen Margrethe II, he is sixth in the line of succession to the Danish throne, following his elder brother, Crown Prince Frederik and his four children.
Early life
Prince Joachim was born on 7 June 1969 at Rigshospitalet, part of the Copenhagen University Hospital in Copenhagen. He was christened Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian on 15 July 1969 in Aarhus Cathedral, the first member of the royal family to have been christened outside of Copenhagen. His godparents were his maternal aunt, Princess Benedikte of Denmark; his paternal uncle, Jean Baptiste de Laborde de Monpezat; his mother's first cousin, Princess Christina of Sweden; and King Harald V (then Crown Prince of Norway).
Prince Joachim attended school as a private pupil from 1974 until 1976 at Amalienborg Palace and then from 1976 until 1982 at Krebs' Skole in Copenhagen. In the period 1982–1983 the Prince studied as a boarder at École des Roches in Normandy, France. In 1986, Prince Joachim graduated from Øregård Gymnasium. In 1993, he completed his studies in agrarian economics at Den Classenske Agerbrugskole Næsgaard. The Prince's first language is Danish, but he also speaks French (his father's language), English and German.
Schackenborg
In 1993, Prince Joachim took over the estate of Schackenborg Castle in the town of Møgeltønder, in Southern Jutland, having been granted the estate in the will of Count Hans Schack in 1978.
Joachim and his first wife, now the Countess of Frederiksborg, received 13 million DKK collected by the people of Denmark as a national gift, reserved for restoration of the estate. The restoration was completed in 1999. The couple was divorced in 2005, whereupon Countess Alexandra moved with their two sons to Copenhagen. Joachim remained at Schackenborg – from 2007 alongside his second wife – until 2014 when the estate was handed over to the Schackenborg Foundation, which consists of Prince Joachim, Bitten and Mads Clausens foundation, Ole Kirks Foundation, and Ecco Holding. Joachim, Marie and their children moved from the castle to Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, but still holiday at the castle.
Military career
As junior officer
In 1987, Joachim enlisted as a recruit in the Queen's Life Regiment, where from he first entered the NCO School and where after the lieutenant school. Between 1989 and 1990, he served as platoon commander in the 3rd tank squadron/1st Battalion (3/I/PLR) of the Prince's Life Regiment.
In 1992 He entered the Royal Danish Military Academy's course for reserve officers to become a captain
Between 1996 and 2004, he served as squadroncommander of 3rd tank squadron/2nd Battalion (3/II/PLR) also in the Prince's Life Regiment.
As senior officer
In 2005 he was an staff officer in the staff of Danske Division and from 2011 He was liaison officer at the Defence Region of Fuen and South Jutland.
In 2015, Joachim was appointed special advisor to the Chief of Defense in the Royal Danish Army.
During the summer of 2019, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and their two children moved to Paris, France, while the Prince had been admitted to the highest-ranking military educational program at École Militaire by invitation from the French Minister of Defense. Prince Joachim graduated on 26 June 2020, being the first Danish Officer to complete the two-part special education.
As general officer and Denmark's Military attaché to France
Earlier in June 2020, the Danish Secretary of Defense promoted the Prince to Brigadier General due to his new acquired educational merits at École Militaire. He was subsequently named Military Attaché at the Royal Danish Embassy in Paris, France, by the Danish Ministry of Defense, a position he was expected to hold for at least three years while maintaining his patronages and royal engagements in Denmark when possible. Joachim commenced his new position on 1 September 2020.
On 24 July 2020, while on holiday in Château de Cayx, Prince Joachim was admitted to Toulouse University Hospital for surgery on a blood clot in his brain. He was discharged from hospital in early August.
Denmark's Military attache to the United States
In March 2023, it was announced that Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and their two younger children would be moving to Washington, D.C. where the Prince will be taking up the role of defense industry attaché at the Danish Embassy from September 2023.