Frederik to be king of Denmark – explore the royal Copenhagen through his passions

Many Danes regard the Crown Prince and Crown Princess as representatives of a modern Danish family.

Through the years, Crown Prince Frederik André Henrik Christian has been seen picking up his kids from kindergarten on a Christiania bike, just like any other ordinary Danish father. He is also a passionate runner, having established an annual run that takes place in several locations around Denmark.

Soon, the royal couple will become HM King Frederik the 10th and HM Queen Mary when the current Queen Margrethe II plans on abdicating on Sunday, the 14th of January.

Below, you’ll see some ideas on how to follow in his royal footsteps.

The royal family wakes up in the heart of Copenhagen at Amalienborg Palace.

Four 18th-century palaces surround the cobbled square close to the water and are a renowned feature of the city. In fact, the buildings are one of the best examples of Rococo architecture in Europe.

Queen Margrethe II lives in one of the palaces, and the Crown Prince and his family live in another during the autumn and winter months. The third palace is used for guests and events, and the last is an intimate museum with details showcasing day-to-day life. Walking around this house-like palace with its comfortable rooms offers a unique insight into royal life - it’s not all chandeliers, lavish receptions, and grand ballrooms.

This part of the city is highly approachable, and you can walk almost right up to every palace. Of course, there are also royal guards stationed by the royal residences in decorated red pillboxes wearing uniforms and bearskin hats. 

See info on how to explore Amalienborg Palace here.

Crown Prince Frederik has always been a passionate runner, a fact reinforced when he created Royal Run back in 2018.

The run was created as part of his 50th birthday celebrations, and it took place in the country’s five biggest cities. The run has since become an annual tradition and a popular exercise run for Danes, and Royal Run 2024 was already sold out in December 2023.

The run offers three different distances: 1,6 km, 5 km and 10 km, making it an accessible run for everyone. The host cities change every year, but permanent fixtures are the royal family, who will both cheer and participate in one or more of the runs around the country.

Crown Prince Frederik participated in the Copenhagen Marathon for the first time in 1992 and has since run five marathons.

Copenhagen Marathon has been a tradition since 1980, returning year after year, and the race will take runners around Copenhagen's many neighbourhoods with more than 100,000 spectators cheering.

Both the start and finishing line will be at the communal park Fælledparken, Copenhagen Ø. The course is traffic-free and spectator-friendly and offers numerous sights and landmarks on the way. You can also be a part of the race on May 24, 2024.

See info on Copenhagen Marathon here.

In 2013, the future king completed Ironman Copenhagen, making him the world's first royal to complete an ironman. He finished as number 650 out of 2600 participants.

This year’s Ironman Copenhagen will take place on August 18. The day starts off with a swim in the lagoon by Amager Beach.

The bike ride will take you from Langebro past Amalienborg Palace and on Strandvejen while following the northern coastline. The race ends with a run through the landmarks and historical sights of Copenhagen and finishes at Christiansborg Palace.

See info on Ironman Copenhagen here.

On several occasions, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have said how they prefer to take their children to school in a cargo bike.

In 2022, Crown Prince Frederik also arrived at the annual Royal Run in Copenhagen on a Danish cargo bike with his two sons, Prince Christian and Prince Vincent in the bike.

An arrival that emphasizes Copenhagen as a bicycle-friendly capital and the modernness and down-to-earth Royal Family. In fact, one in four families in Copenhagen with two kids own a cargo bike.

Explore the bicycle culture of Copenhagen here.

The cathedral of Copenhagen is located in the public square Frue Plads. The present-day version of the church was designed by the architect Christian Frederik Hansen (1756–1845) in the Neoclassical style and was completed in 1829.

This is where the wedding of Frederik and Mary took place on May 14, 2004.

See info on how to visit Church of our Lady here.

Christiansborg is a working palace today: Queen Margrethe and the Crown Prince and his family spend time greeting dignitaries, hosting receptions, and working right here.

Stroll the beautiful hallways and marvel at the art; enjoy the history of Denmark as told in Bjørn Nørgaard’s multicoloured tapestries. If, on your visit, you find some rooms are cordoned off or unavailable to visitors, it may well be because they are being used for official royal business.

See info on how to visit the royal Christiansborg here.

Free tours

You can also visit the political Christiansborg, a place where great affairs of state have been decided by parliaments for hundreds of years. Have dinner or lunch in the ‘Meyers i Tårnet’ tower restaurant, which is part of Christiansborg and offers fantastic views of the city.

There are free tours of the Danish Parliament, which takes 45 minutes, and you can book your visit here.

Rosenborg Castle was built by one of the most famous Danish kings, Christian IV, in the 17th century. In the basement, you will find the Danish crown jewels and royal crowns. Right next to Rosenborg, are the Rosenborg Barracks, which is one of the two compounds of The Royal Life Guards, which houses the guards on duty at Amalienborg Palace, Rosenborg Castle and Christiansborg Castle.

Crown prince Frederik was also a recruit at The Royal Danish Life Guards back in 1986, and he has completed extensive military studies and training in all three military services in Denmark – the navy, army and air force.

In 1995, The Crown Prince completed training as a frogman in the naval elite special operations forces Frømandskorpset, one of the world's hardest and most physically demanding military educations.

See info on how to visit Rosenborg Castle and to see the Danish crown jewels here.

30 kilometres north of Copenhagen, you will find Fredensborg Palace.

Fredensborg Palace is accessible by train, and it is the most used residence of the Danish royal family and a site of important state and diplomatic visits to Denmark.

The Chancellery House in Fredensborg Castle was made available to The Crown Prince Couple around the time of their wedding in May 2004 by The Queen. The Chancellery House functioned as the family’s main residence until 2010 when Frederik VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg stood ready after an extensive renovation and now functions as the summer residence of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.

While the interior of the palace is inaccessible, large parts of the castle grounds are open to the public. Right in the palace’s backyard, you’ll find Lake Esrum, one of Denmark’s largest lakes.

The area’s relative seclusion, combined with the royal family’s need for privacy, means nature here remains unspoiled.

See info on how to visit Fredensborg Palace here.