Princess Isabella of Denmark, the second daughter of King Frederik and Queen Mary, just graduated. She completed her studies from the same prestigious school her father and older brother attended: Øregård Gymnasium in Hellerup. After completing three years of upper secondary education, the Danish princess is looking ahead, and the celebrations are still going strong.
Last week, Princess Isabella marked the milestone with a family lunch joined by her paternal grandmother, Queen Margrethe. This weekend, it was time for the big party with her classmates, a thoroughly Danish graduation ritual that signals the official start of adult life.
The Danish graduation celebration is a national rite of passage marking the end of gymnasium (upper secondary school). It takes place every year at the end of June, when students receive their studenterhue, the traditional white-trimmed cap that symbolizes the completion of this stage of their education.
© @kongehusetOnce the caps are handed out, the real fun begins: students pile onto a decorated truck that wind through the city, stopping at their classmates’ homes, with family members greeting them and celebrating with music and flags. They also douse them with buckets of water.
Like most of her classmates, Princess Isabella wore a swimsuit with a pair of denim cut-offs. The tradition represents the start of summer and the start of a new chapter. For the daughter of the King and Queen of Denmark, it’s also a chance to be a part of the same rituals that thousands of young Danes go through every year.
Isabella, ready to serve her country
© @kongehusetUnlike the heir to the throne, her brother the Crown Prince Christian, Isabella won’t be taking a gap year now that school is behind her. There’ll be no extended period of personal growth and discovery like her brother had when he traveled to Tanzania and spent several months working on farms across the African continent. This is due to Danish law. As of 2025, all citizens are required to take on a greater commitment to the armed forces. After the summer, Isabella will report for military service in Slagelse.
The news have officially been confirmed. Isabella will spend eleven months with the Guard Hussar Regiment starting this August.
“I’ve really enjoyed these three years, and I’m very happy with how things went,” she said last week, speaking to the Danish press alongside her parents and siblings, reflecting on the academic chapter now coming to a close. Denmark’s second-in-line to the throne shared that she planned to spend the summer enjoying herself to the fullest, making the most of her free time by traveling to different locations and attending music festivals, a passion she shares with her older brother.
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