Princes Nikolai, Felix, Henrik & Princess Athena, News Part 2: July 2018 - 2022


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iceflower

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Welcome to Part 2 of the thread for news and current events of
Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena!

The old thread can be found here!



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:flowers: Happy Posting! :flowers:​
 
Felix is looking more and more like Joachim these days.

Happy Birthday!
 
it's fascinating to see the brothers together. Felix looks so much like his father, but Nikolai inherited the Eurasian looks from their mother. Both beautiful young men!
 
I hope that both lads become self-supporting and do not live off the State. Apparently, the older dude has done some fashion modelling already. So, that's a step in the right direction towards working for one's living.
 
Susan D said:
I hope that both lads become self-supporting and do not live off the State. Apparently, the older dude has done some fashion modelling already. So, that's a step in the right direction towards working for one's living.
Click to expand...
The Royal Family announced a few years ago that once the children of Frederik and Joachim are adults only Prince Christian will get financial support from the State.
 
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Those were lovely photos of Nikolai and Felix for Felix's birthday. He is turning quite handsome like his older brother, too. Joachim's children seem to all have good genes.
Sweet photos of the children in Cayx too - nice to hear that they're holidaying in France.
 
I have just seen the photo of Prince Nikolai on the runway and the young man looks Wow. I didn't recognize him at first. I wish him every success in the modelling world and whatever else he tries in the future.
 
:previous: Thanks Eya & Polyesco :flowers:

When you are still somewhat undecided about what specific education to take, as the article points out, a leadership education like the one Nikolai is starting, isn't a bad thing IMO.
 
Muhler said:
:previous: Thanks Eya & Polyesco :flowers:

When you are still somewhat undecided about what specific education to take, as the article points out, a leadership education like the one Nikolai is starting, isn't a bad thing IMO.
Click to expand...


For in case of emergencies happening, most people will look up at the Viking prince, so he better is prepared. Didn't princesses Alexandra, Mary and Marie went through such a "leader" course as well?
 
Alexandra didn't.

Mary went through, what we can safely say was a crash course as NCO and later lieutenant in the Home Guard. - Though with next to no practical experience to speak of, certainly too little for her to have an active command, even in an excersize.
So Mary is de facto "lieutenant a la suite" = without a command. As all officers in Home Guard from captain and up are regulars, I think that is about as far as Mary will advance.

Our Marie is also the equivalent to a lieutenant but in the Civil Defense. Also without any practical experience to speak of and as such also unable to assume a command. She is however officially "korpsmester = civil defense lieutenant) a la suite".

However, Nikolai will assume a practical command as a part of his education. First as a squad leader as an NCO and later as a platoon leader as a lieutenant aspirant. In both cases being responsible for caring for, training and overseeing newly drafted conscripts.
He will also during his training take command of more experienced conscripts and lead them during exersizes in the field. (Often to the wry dispair and/or amusement of the conscripts!) Often being matched against other conscripts or Home Guard units.

Once Nikolai is a lieutenant, he will be placed in the reserves, eligable for call ups for deployments abroad. Which is actually very likely to happen. Because Nikolai is so far down the Line of Succession that there really is no reason to exempt him from deployment, as there was with Joachim.
He can then be deployed after a few months to a years additional special training.
He also is expected to attend courses and exersizes in the future, slowly being promoted until he eventually may become a full colonel of the reserves as his father. That will however require that he attends and passes a staff-officer course before he can be promoted to major and above.

BTW congratulations with your (almost) 2.000 first posts. :flowers:
 
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Muhler said:
Alexandra didn't.

Mary went through, what we can safely say was a crash course as NCO and later lieutenant in the Home Guard. - Though with next to no practical experience to speak of, certainly too little for her to have an active command, even in an excersize.
So Mary is "lieutenant a la suite" = without a command. As all officers in Home Guard from captain and up are regulars, I think that is about as far as Mary will advance.

Our Marie is also the equivalent to a lieutenant but in the Civil Defense. Also without any practical experience to speak of and as such also unable to assume a command.

However, Nikolai will assume a practical command as a part of his education. First as a squad leader as an NCO and later as a platoon leader as a lieutenant aspirant. In both cases being responsible for for caring for, training and overseeing newly drafted conscripts.
He will also during his training take command of more experienced conscripts and lead them during exersizes in the field. (Often to the wry dispair and/or amusement of the conscripts!) Often being matched against other conscripts or Home Guard units.

Once Nikolai is a lieutenant, he will be placed in the reserves, eligable for call ups for deployments abroad. Which is actually very likely to happen. Because Nikolai is so far down the Line of Succession that there really is no reason to exempt him from deployment, as there was with Joachim.
He can then be deployed after a few months to a years additional special training.
He also is expected to attend courses and exersizes in the future, slowly being promoted until he eventually may become a full colonel of the reserves as his father. That will however require that he attends and passes a staff-officer course before he can be promoted to major and above.

BTW congratulations with your (almost) 2.000 first posts. :flowers:
Click to expand...


I'll celebrate that with a reply to you, dearest!:flowers:


I must confess that I quite like it that the two M's at least got some basic training. The rest comes from being the boss of their own household and kids (husband?):D. But does that mean Nicolai chose a career as a soldier? Here in Germany after passing the exams at gymnasium, you can subscribe to the army as a cadet. Then you do a basic course, study on military money and then do a 2-4 year service till you are retired into the reserve and can use your degree to work in the private sector. But I don't think Nicolai needs to do that? Surely the RF/his Dad have enough money to allow for a short stint in the army and then attending university? What does the Danish media comment about that?
 
:lol: Indeed, being an experienced housewife and mother would in many cases make you excellent modern NCO for a squad of conscripts. ?

Well, Nikolai "was persuaded" to join the army, that was very much a dear wish of his father. But apart from that, it won't harm him. It will mature him and give him excellent tools in a future career, especially if he is to lead something in the future. Officers of the reserves are very much sought after by businesses.

The officers training in DK is pretty rigid. You start in bootcamp as a recruit. Then Nikolai will undergo NCO training. (Conscripts would either be send home or undergo further specialist training.)
After having received his sergeant chevrons he will assume command over his own squad of of newly drafted conscripts. That will last three months (bootcamp).
Then he will undergo a crash course in what it means to be an officer and on his level, it's commanding, directing and overseeing rather than taking the lead in specific situations, like securing a house. That's for NCOs. He will also be responsible for the training and excersize schedule for a platoon of conscripts and also take part in evaluating and assessing them. As well as planning and implementing tactical situations on a platoon level. - All that under the command of a first lieutenant (an officer of the line) and again under the overall command of his company leader, a captain.
During that process he will also learn about staff work in an HQ on a tactical/field level.

Officers of the line however go through all this, and complete a degree that is equivalent to a university degree, but at a military academy. And they will finish as first lieutenants. Frederik went that way.
And when he graduated, he took command of a recce platoon in the Guards Hussars as a first lieutenant.

Economically, Nikolai is on a contract, which means he will recieve a regular monthly salary for the these two years. - An ordinary student at a school/university would usually only get SU = money from the state, because you study. A considerably more modest sum.

There is no Danish equivalent to doing military service in exchange for a (subsidized) higher education. Your service and education in the military earn you very valuable credits or merits for a later education, say as a blacksmith or at the university. Or you can get a specialized education witin the military, say as a mechanic, or in Nikolai's case a leadership education with particular emphasis on organization.

And there is nothing to hinder Nikolai in signing up for additional training at the officers academy, but that means a contract and a career as an officer of the line.
 
Thank you for your detailed explanations Muhler - most of what I've learnt about Danish life and culture has come mostly from you, so I appreciate that a lot! ?
It did seem quite rigid from what I saw on Instagram, but it seems that Nikolai genuinely wants to join the military, so hopefully he will benefit from the experience and will be prepared for joining "for real".
 
I seem to remember that Alexandra felt the need to stress in the interview that it was his own decision to join (after he explained that he was encouraged to do it) which to me suggests the opposite; it was kind of a 'forced' choice (I assume he could have refused but that wouodn't have been appreciated). So, I am not so sure about him genuinely wanting to join the military. I just hope he will enjoy his time either way and that it will be a great learning experience.
 
Summary of article in Billed Bladet #32, 2018.
Written by Trine Larsen.

As you know Nikolai has just started at the NCO school. He was allowed on weekend leave last weekend, as they have used the first day to settle in and find their gear.
Nikolai is serving in the fourth of five platoons. 145 students in total.
Back in 1987 His dad and farbror (paternal uncle) attended the NCO school at Varde and his dad, Joachim graduated 30 years ago this year.
In fact Joachim will visit the school on 15th August and be taken on a tour of the school. - I guess we will see more next week.
The officer in charge of the education is major Henrik Frick Kirkegaard, who tells us about the school.
Fourth platoon consists of 35 students, of which two are women.
"We have a policy of inclusion in the military, that means there will be no considerations taken in regards to gender. These differences are removed, because here you are a soldier. (*)
That's why the two female soldiers in the platoon bunk with their male soldier-colleagues, just as everyone share shower facilities, dressing rooms and so on and they don't bunk in the same hall as Prince Nikolai. But that's a coincidence, they (females) had run out when those who bunk in the Prince's hall was allocated".
Nikolai will bunk with 11 other soldiers for the next many months.

He won't have time to be bored: "It's a leadership-education that Prince Nikolai has started and before long he and the other will face big challenges. They will be put under pressure but they will also learn a lot about themselves and the group-dynamics they are a part of. It's an education where they quickly must absorb a lot of knowledge."
In fact they will go on their first field excersize later this month.
"That will happen about once a month. They must basically learn how to survive in the nature. And because the Prince hasn't been a conscript many things will be new, but that applies to any of them, as only half of the platoon have been conscripts (3 months boot camp, before signing up for NCO school). That so to speak is a part of the education, where there whole thing happens in a fast pace, is more intense and many way very hard indeed. But I'm full of confidence.
Once the basic training after six month is over and they are promoted to sergeants they will spend one month practical service at one of the army's basic training units (boot camp for conscripts). And that depends on where there is a need for leaders. That may be at Oksbøl, in Næstved or the Royal Lifeguard. Here they will function as platoon leaders for conscripts and will have responsibility for educating and leading a larger group of soldiers for carrying out land-military operations."

Nikolai will be paid according to the terms laid down between the Ministry of Defense and the unions representing the soldiers. That amounts to 21.600 DKK a month = 2.600 £ = 2.900 € = 3.300 $ in basic salary.

While in Copenhagen this weekend for the Historic Grand Prix, Nikolai told a reporter that things are going alright at the NCO school.

Here is this weeks issue of BB: https://app.box.com/s/h8hoa6qi8oxi31jf4th7gtk349tkuvd0

And for good measure, the past two weeks as well.

Week #31: https://app.box.com/s/yl46hjlmqlg6xt54nrqxp5lm8ldabsrf

Week #30: https://app.box.com/s/clnfnki6segq5z4f913ber5yw543r66i

(*) That's not entirely correct. Certain obstacles on the obstacle course are not for women. For safety reasons. It's only in the special forces that women also have to go through all the obstacles.
 
:previous: thanks Muhler.
I bet it will be great for Joachim to go back to where he graduated 30 years ago and now see his son enrolled.
 
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It seems like he still has longish hair.
 
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Mbruno said:
It seems like he still has longish hair.
Click to expand...

When he has crawled through mud a few times and he has realized he only has a limited time for showering and washing his hair, he and his comrades may soon be tempted to go for the easy option - cropped hair. Five mm. :D
 
The article does say that he's already had it cut a bit.
 
:previous: That photo of Nikolai is priceless! :lol:
He looks very handsome in his uniform. I hope he's enjoying his time at the training camp even if the photo above wouldn't suggest he was enjoying that particular moment, haha.
 
A very handsome photo of Nikolai! I wonder if his family visited him at the military camp or if he was allowed to have his birthday back at home.
 
Nikolai celebrated his 19th birthday recently with mud in his hair and crawling through a forest somewhere. The birthday food consisted of field rations. (the field rations are not bad BTW! And when you are 19 and hungry, even gnawing on a tree tastes delicious!)

https://www.bt.dk/royale/prins-niko...feltrationer-paa-sin-foedselsdag-han-var-i-et

His CO, major Henrik Frick Kirkegaard explains: "He was on the first exercise where they learn to look after themselves in the forest. They set up their bivouac, sleep in sleeping bags, eat field rations and generally learn how it is to be a unit out in the forest, and then there is a lot of education besides 24/7.
I was out saying hello to him in the morning and it turned out it was his birthday. He was in a great mood and others sang the birthday song to him out in the forest. They have good social camaraderie in the platoon, so they are fine."

The exercise lasted three days and for the first time mother Alexandra couldn't call her son in his birthday.
Major Kirkegaard: "If they have a good reason they carry their mobile, but otherwise we focus on what we are doing in the forest and then we are not on facebook or use mobiles."

But Nikolai has not asked for permission to bring his phone. (*)

Alexandra had actually tried to phone her son. Her secretary explains: "Prince Nikolai was on an exercise and couldn't get in touch with his mother and she hadn't tried that before, so that sure was a little special. But she know the circumstances and he has been at home during the weekend, so they have seen each other since."

(*) And it's most doubtful he would! There is absolutely nothing as humiliating for a young recruit lying in a ditch somewhere in uniform and paint in his face, whispering: "I'm fine, ma. - I love you too. - Kiss, kiss." While his mates are biting their rifle-butts trying desperately not to scream with laughter. ?????

This calls for a song:
 
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