Queen Mary and King Frederik's family to be together again for Christmas

Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark's eldest child will be home for Christmas. The Danish Royal House has confirmed that the couple's son Crown Prince Christian will celebrate Christmas at Marselisborg Castle with his parents, younger siblings—Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine—and his paternal grandmother Queen Margrethe.

The family reunion follows Christian's extended stay in East Africa. The Crown Prince traveled to Africa in early September. It was announced in August that the heir to the throne was going abroad to East Africa and would be "involved in the daily operation of two farms, which will, among other things, include practical and administrative tasks and also give The Crown Prince insight into local nature protection."

At the time, the Royal House revealed that the plan was for Christian to return to Denmark in December. After the Crown Prince left home, his mother told Billed Bladet (via B.T. and translated to English), "We are looking forward to everything he will experience and learn on his journey, but at the same time we will miss him unimaginably." 

The Danish Royal House has previously noted that in the royal family "there is a long tradition that the successors to the throne go on extended stays abroad during their youth and have the opportunity to develop and experience the world." In1986, King Frederik took part in an expedition to Mongolia, and in 1989, he worked at a vineyard in California for a year. Queen Margrethe also went on longer trips to the East and South America in the 1960s.

Christian, who graduated from high school this past June, celebrated his 19th birthday last month in Africa. The Royal House commemorated the occasion with a scenic photo of the Crown Prince, which showed off his shorter hair. Alongside the image, the Royal House wrote (translated to English): "The Crown Prince is currently staying in East Africa and is therefore celebrating the day under warmer skies."