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.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4] The restoration was completed in 1999. The couple was divorced in 2005, whereupon Countess Alexandra moved with their two sons to Copenhagen.[5][6] 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.[7] Joachim, Marie and their children moved from the castle to Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen, but still holiday at the castle.[8] In 2023, they sold their home at Klampenborg and purchased a home at Vedbaek.[9]
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.
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.[11] Prince Joachim graduated on 26 June 2020, being the first Danish Officer to complete the two-part special education.[citation needed]
As general officer and Denmark's military attaché to France
Earlier in June 2020, Minister of DefenceTrine Bramsen 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,[12] 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.[13] He was discharged from hospital in early August.[14]
Denmark's military attaché 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 would be taking up the role of defense industry attaché at the Danish Embassy from September 2023.[15]
The couple announced their separation on 16 September 2004; their divorce was final on 8 April 2005. The couple shared custody of their sons until they came of age. Alexandra received the title of Countess of Frederiksborg, and was permitted to retain the courtesy title of princess pending remarriage. She subsequently remarried and forfeited the royal title, but retained the title of countess. She continues to live in Denmark.
None of Joachim's four children have been styled as Royal Highnesses but simply as Highnesses per the Danish court. From 1 January 2023 all four of his children are known as His or Her Excellency Count/Countess of Monpezat. They no longer hold a princely title.[17] The prince expressed his sadness at his mother's decision to make that change.[18]
In 2019, Joachim presented the documentary series Prins Joachim fortæller for Danmarks Radio. In the six-part series that he also co-produced, Joachim investigates the ideas and events that shaped Denmark's history.[19]
The Dansk Rugby Union (DRU) website names Prince Joachim as the patron of the DRU.[26] He participated in a classic-car race, part of the GTC-TC championship: he drove a BMW 2002, sharing the ride with Derek Bell.[27]
Bramsen, Bo (1992). Huset Glücksborg. Europas svigerfader og hans efterslægt [The House of Glücksburg. The Father-in-law of Europe and his descendants] (in Danish) (2nd ed.). Copenhagen: Forlaget Forum. ISBN87-553-1843-6.
1 Also prince of Norway 2 Also prince of Greece 3 Also prince of Iceland 4 Also prince of the United Kingdom 5 Not Danish prince by birth, but created prince of Denmark Princes that lost their title are shown in italics
