19-05-2025
Prince Christian and Princess Isabella of Denmark's relationship under threat amid reports of sibling rivalry
Queen Mary and King Frederik X of Denmark's two eldest children are growing up and coming into their own as royal figures.
In recent months, both Crown Prince Christian and Princess Isabella have increasingly stepped up their public presence.
But a new report suggests that the young adult Danish royals could find themselves increasingly at loggerheads as they grapple with their varying reception levels from the public.
A palace insider told Woman's Day that Crown Prince Christian, 19, was allegedly taken aback following the outpouring of attention afforded to his younger sister Princess Isabella after she turned 18 last month.
The palace source explained: 'It's normal for princesses to have more emulators than princes, so Christian's right to feel a little left out on the cold. But he's going to have to get used to it.'
'It was only a matter of time before Isabella would eclipse them all in terms of media attention,' the insider added.
Royal watchers have now pegged the teen princess as one to watch.
In just a short few weeks following her birthday on April 21, royal pundits quickly declared that Isabella was the 'ultimate modern princess'.
All eyes were on the royal at a succession of celebratory events for her milestone birthday, with the princess applauded for her 'fresh approach, youthful energy and the modernity she brings to the royal family'.
The accolades particularly began pouring in for Isabella after one memorable celebration moment.
At her first birthday event held at Aarhus Hall on 11 April, Isabella took to the podium to give her first official royal address.
Much to the surprise of attendees, a confident Isabella kicked off her speech with a funny and self-deprecating quip.
'Almost four years ago I found out that your words can be overheard when you least expect it,' Princess Isabella said, as the room erupted in laughter. 'Today I have no doubt that the microphone is on.'
The comment referenced a terse moment in 2021 when Princess Isabella was caught on camera saying the words 'are you completely confused' to her mother, Queen Mary.
At the time, Isabella's frustrated statement to Mary was made as the Danish royal family tried to arrange themselves for a photo op - with the candid mother-daughter exchange captured in a viral video.
Isabella's bold decision to address her biggest public scandal head-on was praised by royal watchers, including Danish publication BT's entertainment editor, Fie West.
'Princess Isabella shows great initiative by starting her very first official speech with a joke,' Fie said, adding that Isabella had proved herself to be 'extremely charming'.
The positive reception only continued in the following days when Isabella took centre stage at a black tie gala performance held in her honour at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.
As the royal family graced the red carpet, Isabella stood dead centre flanked by her parents King Frederik and Queen Mary. Next to them were 14-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine – and finally Crown Prince Christian.
With his predestined future as heir to the throne, the latest Woman's Day report suggested it may be difficult for the Prince to fathom seeing a sibling shine.
'As much glory as it will be to sit on a throne, at the tender age of 19 watching as his sister is literally festooned with new opportunities, from profile interviews to modelling and speaking gigs is difficult for Christian,' said the palace insider.
Meanwhile, as Princess Isabella enjoyed her recent moment in the spotlight, her older brother Prince Christian has been more quiet of late.
The Prince is currently away embarking on months of military training with the Guard Hussar Regiment in Slagelse - returning only briefly for the recent birthday events for his sister and grandmother, Queen Margrethe.
Prior to that, the teen prince spent several months off the grid in remote East Africa undertaking a "gap year" holiday in late 2024.
While the latest report suggests there could be a brewing rivalry between the two eldest Danish royal siblings, it also addressed the extent to which their mother Queen Mary, 53, would be actively attempting to quash any sign of tension.
Rather than seeing each other as adversaries, the report suggested that Mary will be advocating for her two eldest children to be each other's greatest support and allies.
It's understandable that the royal mother of four would be on the front foot with any potential royal sibling rivalry issues, particularly given her husband Frederik's own personal history.
Reports of tension, jealousy and sibling rivalry have been well reported for years between King Frederik, 56 and his younger brother, Prince Joachim.
Joachim and Frederik are said to have endured a strained relationship since childhood, allegedly due to the now King being shown favouritism.
That tension is said to have continued into adulthood, eventually culminating in the decision by Joachim and his wife Princess Marie to relocate their family overseas in 2019. The royal family still live abroad in Washington DC where Prince Joachim, 55, is military attaché to the Danish Embassy in America.
The family rift spilled into the open in January 2023 when then monarch Queen Margrethe, 85, made the surprising move to strip Joachim's four children of their royal titles.
Unable to bite his tongue, Joachim and his family unleashed a torrent of statements about the unfair treatment of his family. Margrethe later conceded that the situation was not well handled, but stood firmly by the decision to remove her grandhcildren's titles.
Certainly, Queen Mary along with the Danish royal family would be keen to avoid any kind of history repeating when it comes to warring siblings.
