Royal Profile: Princess Athena of Denmark, Countess of Monzepat

Princess Athena Marguerite Françoise Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat was born 24 January 2012 as the fourth child and first daughter of Prince Joachim and second child and only daughter of Princess Marie {Source}. She has two older paternal half brothers and an older brother{Source}:

• Prince Nikolai of Denmark, Count of Monpezat (1999)
• Prince Felix of Denmark, Count of Monpezat (2002)
• Prince Henrik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat (2009)

Due to the 2008 Succession Act, which made Denmark's monarchy an absolute primogeniture monarchy (absolute primogeniture=boys and girls have equal rights to the throne and younger brothers do not displace older sisters), she is in line for the Danish throne and will not be displaced by any possible younger brothers.


She was christened in May 2012{Source}, with the following as her godparents:

• Gregory Grandet (maternal uncle)
• Edouard Cavallier (maternal uncle)
• Carina Axelsson (her father's cousin's girlfriend)
• Julie Mirabaud(friend of her parents)
• Diego de Lavandeyra (friend of her parents)
• Henriette Steenstrup(friend of her parents)

She began attending classes at St Joseph’s Sisters School in August 2017{Source}. Her elder brother, Prince Henrik, started at the same school two years earlier. In the summer of 2019, her family moved to France while her father attended a high-ranking military training with the École Militaire in Paris and consists of two parts, one by the Centre des Hautes Études Militaires (CHEM) [Center for Advanced Military Studies] and one by the Institut des Hautes Études de la Défense Nationale (IHEDN) [Institute for Higher National Defense Studies]{Source}.

The young princess has already made several appearances in Denmark. In 2012, she attended her own christening  In 2013, it was family photo-call year: for her grandmother's 73rd birthday, the annual summer call, and a winter call in Switzerland. In 2014, she was present for family photocalls in winter and summer, and her grandfather's 80th birthday. In 2015, she missed the summer photo op, but attended her grandmother's 75th birthday celebrations and a winter photocall. In 2016, no family photo ops, except her grandmother's 76th birthday. In 2017, she made several appearances-appearing at her eldest brother's confirmation ceremony and 18th birthday celebrations, her grandmother's 77th birthday celebrations, and joined her mother and older brother for the World AIDS Day celebrations. In 2018, she attended her grandfather's funeral and her grandmother's birthday celebrations. In 2019, she attended her father's 50th birthday celebrations.