Prince Joachim and his family frolic with penguins on trip to aquarium
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark all looked good yesterday as they took their children – Count Henrik and Countess Athena – to an aquarium.
The family paid a visit to the Kattegatcentret aquarium in Grenå, Denmark, on Tuesday to mark the attraction’s 30th anniversary.
The European royal family seemed excited to spend some family time in their home country ahead of their move to Washington DC later this year.
Prince Joachim, 53, will be the defense industry attaché at the Embassy of Denmark in the US city, marking a new chapter for the family following Queen Margrethe’s decision to strip his four children of their prince and princess titles.
During their trip to the aquarium, Princess Marie, 47, looked effortlessly elegant for a day out, opting for a chic black turtleneck and a sage green trouser suit with tapered trousers.
The mother-of-two wore her auburn locks in loose waves and sported a natural make-up look, with a subtle smokey eye and dusty pink lipstick.
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark were all smiles as they took their children – Count Henrik and Countess Athena – to spend the day with penguins and other marine life at the Kattegatcentret aquarium in Grenå, Denmark
The family was greeted by dozens of well-wishers who waved the Danish flag as they took their time observing the sea creatures in huge tanks, and were even pictured feeding some penguins.
In another photo, they put on aprons and gloves to poke and prod what looked like a squid.
Prince Joachim, 53, looked relaxed dressed in a simple black suit worn over a plaid shirt. His son Henrik, 13, channeled his dad with an equally laid-back look as he wore red pants, a blue jumper and a button-down collar.
Meanwhile, his little sister looked cute and ready for adventure in khaki cargos, Converse keds and a beige turtleneck.
When it was time to play with the penguins, the whole family swapped their chic jackets for blue puffers and their dress shoes for white boots.
Joachim and Marie chuckled as they watched their children excitedly feed their fish to the animals.
And it was time for another outfit change, as the family also enjoyed putting on some lab gear while the aquarium staff presented them with a close-up of marine life.
The family was visiting the aquarium Kattegatcentret in Grenå, Denmark, which was celebrating its 30th anniversary
In another shot, the family donned aprons and gloves to poke and prod what appeared to be a squid
European royalty looked delighted to observe creatures in huge tanks and were even pictured feeding penguins
The family enjoyed a jam-packed day of activities when they visited the aquarium for its 30th birthday
It comes as Denmark’s royal family put up a united front for Queen Margrethe’s 83rd birthday last month.
Queen Margrethe – who underwent back surgery in March – was all smiles as she waved to throngs of well-wishers from a balcony in Copenhagen’s Amalienborg Palace.
The mother-of-two looked elegant in a matching powder blue midi skirt, high-neck top and jacket.
The Danish queen — whose half-century reign makes her Europe’s longest-serving monarch — swept her hair back in her trademark bun and wore a set of blue diamond earrings.
She added a splash of color to her outfit with some vibrant red nail polish, but otherwise wore minimal makeup.
When it was time to play with the penguins, the whole family swapped their chic jackets for blue puffers and their dress shoes for white boots
Joachim and Marie chuckled as they watched their children excitedly feed their fish to the animals
Joachim, Marie and their children were excited to join the penguin feeding time at the aquarium
The royals were scooping fish out of a bucket when the penguins approached them while visiting the aquarium
Stepping out onto the balcony, Margrethe was pictured without a cane – she had previously been spotted with a cane at Fredensborg Castle.
The monarch was also joined by her son Frederik, Crown Prince and his wife Princess Mary and their four children – Prince Christian, 17, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 12.
However, Joachim and his children were also present – later in the afternoon the whole family appeared on the balcony.
It’s been a tumultuous autumn for the Danish royal family after the monarch stripped her youngest son Joachim’s four children of their prince and princess titles – a shocking move he publicly spoke out against.
She has said the decision was intended to allow Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20 – born of Joachim’s first marriage – and Henrik and Athena to live normal lives without royal obligations.
The aquarium staff took the family to a lab to teach them all about marine life and showed the group what appeared to be a dissection of a squid
Joachim and Marie helped their kids put on their aprons as they sat down for an educational lab session
The family looked both fascinated and shocked when the aquarium staff showed them the body of a squid
Instead of being princes and princesses, they are earls and countess and are referred to as their excellencies – a change now reflected on the household’s website.
At the time, Joachim publicly spoke out against his mother’s decision – claiming that his children had been ‘harmed’ in the process.
Later this year, the 53-year-old royal, who is sixth in line to the Danish throne, will move with his family to Washington DC to become a defense industry attache at the Embassy of Denmark.
In 2022, a rift arose between Joachim and the Danish royal family when Queen Margrethe decided that his four children should lose their titles as prince and princess.
Denmark’s popular, long-serving monarch later apologized for upsetting members of her family with the decision – with Joachim publicly expressing his frustration, but she refused to change her mind.
The official reason was to help the children live more normal lives, and follows similar moves by other royal families in Europe, including the Windsors, to slim down their monarchies, the palace said.
But Countess Alexandra van Frederiksborg, Joachim’s first wife and mother of his two older children, said at the time: ‘We are all confused by the decision.
“We are saddened and in shock. This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel left out.
“They can’t understand why their identity is being taken from them.”
And Joachim himself added in an interview with the Danish news outlet Ekstra Bladet: ‘We are all very sad. It is never fun to see your children harmed. They’ve been put in a situation they don’t understand.’