Danish outlet Se og Hør reports that Christian had been spending time in the lead-up to the school year with Holger, the son of Mary and Frederik’s friends Jorgen and Malou Skeel, and he’s already at Herlufsholm.
The publication also reports that Holger, who was one of the few guests able to attend Christian’s confirmation, has been introducing his royal friend to his new classmates in effort to help the future king fit in.
Other familiar faces at the school also include the children of Frederik’s long-time pal Baron Otto Reedtz-Thott and Mary’s friend Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg.
“A lot of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary’s friends have also decided to send their children to the upper class’s favourite school at Næstved,” Se og Hør reported. “Some have already started at Herlufsholm, while others start at the same time as Prince Christian, who can have good friends by his side from day one and embark on a new life as a high school student.”
Any nerves Christian may have been suffering on his first day were also no doubt calmed by Nikolai, who graduated in 2018, with the two princes spending quality time together during the summer holidays.
However, Christian’s choice of school has raised a few eyebrows among royal experts. Previously he was at the public Tranegård School, while a semester at the international Lemania-Verbier in Switzerland, with his siblings, was cut short due to the pandemic.
Herlufsholm has quite the reputation as a particularly tough environment, despite being known as an elite school for wealthy Danes, with physical punishment and bullying among students said to be particularly rife.
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“The old Danish boarding schools are known to be quite rough, and there have been rumours of students being tough on each other. It has a reputation for being a strict school – the young people must behave, and that can cause trouble, and also rebellion, among some of them,” a Danish source told Woman’s Day.
The school is also renowned for being very demanding and a number of students have left the school after a short time, describing the expectations and environment as being too demanding. Former student Kasper Hansen told Danish media that he had never seen so many unhappy students as he did in his school days.
Herlufsholm was founded by King Frederik II in 1565 and has about 600 students enrolled. Students follow a 10-day study schedule with lessons on Saturdays, followed by three-day weekends. They are also expected to volunteer and participate at least one other leisure activity in addition to their studies.
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