Prince Christian shares snaps from his time in East Africa

Prince Christian of Denmark has revealed his plans for the future as his three months in East Africa come to a close and he prepares to return home. 

The Danish royal, 19, took to Instagram on Thursday where he revealed he had taken part in an adventure he would 'never forget' - but admitted he was looking forward to returning home to spend Christmas with family and to his next venture in the new year.   

Christian, who is the heir to the Danish throne, revealed that he will be joining the military as an officer for the Guardhouse regiment in Slagelse in February. 

The Danish teenager is currently embarking on an 'extended stay' in East Africa, after graduating from high school earlier this year. 

In his latest update from the continent, Christian revealed he had enjoyed a varied and culturally rich experience so far, having worked with wildlife, built new houses and even managed to fit in football with the locals.

The prince said while the experience was 'completely different', it would be one he never forget - but admitted he was looking forward to spending the festive season alongside his family.

In a post made earlier today, Christian told his one million followers: 'I have been in East Africa for almost three months. Everyday life down here is something completely different than at home. 

'The food, the culture, the climate, the wildlife, the tasks and the people make it an experience I will never forget.

'In recent weeks I've been working with nature preservation. I'm both supervising and registering animals in the bush and taking care of the office on the farm. As the video shows, I get really close to the wild animals when they have their GPS collars replaced during anaesthesia.

'Learning a lot about life down here and have helped build new houses for the employees. And then I played some good football matches with the locals.

'But I am also starting to look forward to returning home to the family in Denmark and celebrating Christmas in a few weeks. 

'And now I'm looking forward to a new challenge in February. I'll start working as a military officer at the Guardhouse regiment in Slagelse.

Christian said farewell to his parents Queen Mary and King Frederik back in September and will make his return for the festive period.

When the heir left for East Africa in September, Mary and Frederik posted a sweet snap of their son, who beamed in a beige khaki shirt as he stood behind a gorgeous sunset lit back drop.

Christian's travel plans were announced in a statement released by the Danish royal family via Instagram earlier this year. They revealed the Prince would be under taking a busy four months in the continent. 

They wrote: 'On 4 September, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will set out for an extended stay in East Africa,’ the statement read.

‘There, the Crown Prince will 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.

‘The plan is for The Crown Prince to return to Denmark in December.’

It comes after the Danes revealed their plans for Christmas, sharing that they would not be spending the festive season with Prince Joachim and Princess Marie. 

It comes as no surprise since the couple have a strained relationship with the pair since Her Majesty Queen Margrethe removed their children Count Nikolai, Count Felix Count Henrik and Countess Athena's royal titles in 2022.

The royals will spend the festivities at Marselisborg Castle this year.

Following his father’s succession, Prince Christian is now first in line to the Danish throne after his grandmother Queen Margrethe ended her historic 52-year reign in January.

After Christian left for East Africa, his doting mother admitted she would struggle not having her son around for the next few months.

At a ceremony in Copenhagen prior to his leaving, she said: 'We are going to miss him unimaginably... very, very much.'

She added that both she and King Frederik are excited for him, however, and 'look forward' to hearing about his travels upon his return. 

Prince Christian’s trip to East Africa follows of a ‘long tradition’ in the royal family, whose heirs are sent abroad ‘during their youth’ to learn more about themselves and ‘experience the world’, the message continued.

The statement highlighted King Frederik’s 1986 ‘expedition to Mongolia…focused on the nomads’ as well as a year-long stint working ‘at a vineyard in California’.

His mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe similarly ‘went on longer trips to East and South America’ in the Sixties.

‘It is the hope of The King and Queen and The Crown Prince that there will be an understanding that the stay abroad remains a private matter from beginning to end,’ the family urged a respect for Christian’s privacy for the duration of his travels.

‘For this reason, no additional details about the stay will be made public,’ the statement concluded.

Fans of the royal family wished the Crown Prince a ‘productive, private, and enjoyable experience’ in the comment section.