Denmark’s Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, the 15-year-old twins and youngest children of King Frederik and Queen Mary, were confirmed in a ceremony at Fredensborg Palace Church on Saturday. In Christianity, in both Catholicism and Protestant denominations, confirmation is considered a formal rite of passage from childhood into adolescence, carrying symbolic weight beyond its religious significance.
The confirmation was officiated by royal confessor Bishop Henrik Wigh-Poulsen and was attended by the full Danish royal family, including their grandmother, Queen Margrethe, who herself was confirmed at the same church in 1955. The Danish royal family has held confirmation ceremonies at Fredensborg Palace Church for more than a century. King Frederik was confirmed there in 1981, as were the twins’ elder siblings Crown Prince Christian in 2021 and Princess Isabella in 2022.
The Danish royals belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, also known as “Folkekirken” in Danish or the Church of Denmark. According to the Danish Constitution, the monarch must be a member of the Church of Denmark. King Frederik is currently the supreme secular authority of the Church of Denmark, largely a ceremonial role.
The Church of Denmark does not prescribe a fixed number of godparents as some other Christian denominations do, though godparents traditionally play a significant role in the confirmation ceremony. Among the most notable guests was King Felipe of Spain, who serves as one of Prince Vincent’s godparents. Vincent’s other godparents in attendance included his maternal uncle, John Stuart Donaldson; Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg; Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille; Baroness Helle Reedtz-Thott; and Caroline Heering.
Princess Marie, who is married to Frederik’s younger brother, Prince Joachim, and serves as one of Princess Josephine’s godparents, was also present, along with their cousins Count Henrik and Countess Athena. Athena is scheduled to be confirmed herself in two weeks, though her ceremony will take place in the United States, where the family has been living in Washington D.C. since 2023.
Below, the best photos from the meaningful day:
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The Danish royal family is seen arriving at the Fredensborg Palace for the event.
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The King and Queen held hands as they walked with their family to the church.
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Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine pose for photographers. The princess wore a custom floral embroidered ivory midi dress by Copenhagen-based designer Birgit Hallstein, paired with pearl drop earrings, and beige slingback pumps.
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The Princess also wore a pearl necklace with a cross pendant from Danish jewelry designer Julie Sandlau.
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The twins took on their first press conference ever on Saturday. “I couldn’t imagine a celebration without him. It wouldn’t be nearly as special,” Princess Josephine said about her brother, per The Copenhagen Post. “It’s always so nice to have the support of someone you know you can truly count on.”
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Dressed all in navy, Queen Mary paired the Danish Flood Sapphire Brooch with her Chloé suit and Gianvito Rossi pumps.
According to the Danish Royal House, the jewel dates back to 1840 and originally belonged to Queen Marie Sophie Frederikke, wife of King Frederik VI. It passed to their daughter, Duchess Wilhelmine of Glücksborg, who donated it in 1872 to a relief collection established after a major flood that inundated parts of the Danish islands of Lolland and Falster, leaving many residents homeless. It was later repurchased by Queen Louise, the wife of Christian IX, who reigned from 1863 to 1906. After being passed down the family line, it later found its way to the Danish Royal Property Trust.
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Though he is Prince Vincent’s godfather, King Felipe’s appearance was still said to be something of a surprise. He later returned to Spain for the Copa del Rey final between Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad in Seville that evening.
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The twins’ confirmation came not long after the death of Queen Mary’s father, Professor John Dalgleish Donaldson. The Queen made her first public appearance since the announcement on Thursday and looked in good spirits for her children on Saturday.
King Felipe was said to have offered his personal condolences in person to Queen Mary, according to Danish entertainment publication Billed-Bladet.
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Queen Margrethe was in attendance for her grandchildren’s special day.
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The twins are seen exiting the church after their confirmation.
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Princess Isabella (on the far right) wore Queen Alexandrine’s Pink Pearl Drop Brooch pinned to the top of her forest green pantsuit. Per The Royal Watcher, the bauble’s exact origins are unknown, but it was likely a wedding gift to the brooch’s namesake at the turn of the 20th century. Queen Alexandrine, who served as queen consort of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, gave the brooch in 1940 to her granddaughter, now Queen Margrethe.
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King Frederik, Queen Margrethe, Princess Josephine, Crown Prince Christian, Prince Vincent, Queen Mary, and Princess Isabella pose for a family photo at the confirmation ceremony.
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