King Frederik 57th birthday: Danish monarch and Queen Mary surprised by pet dog as they appear on palace balcony with their children

King Frederik X has stood proudly with his wife Queen Mary and their children on the balcony of their home in Copenhagen as the monarch celebrated his 57th birthday.

The Danish royals were greeted with loud cheers and applause as they stepped out onto the balcony of Frederik VIII’s Palace, at Amalienborg, for the occasion.

But moments later, they were upstaged by an intruder.

Watch the video above.

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Thankfully, that intruder was not a threat. Instead, it was one of the family’s border collies.

The appearance of the dog took the family by surprise and they quickly broke out into laughter as she waited for pats.

The family has two Australian border collies, Grace and Coco, and it’s not clear which of the two dogs wanted to get into the celebrations on Monday. It’s believed to be the first time the royal dogs have appeared on the palace balcony.

King Frederik was first to step out onto the balcony at noon following a changing of the guard inside the palace square.

Moments later he was joined by Queen Mary, who wore a navy dress by Soeren Le Schmidt and a gold and diamond brooch by Ole Lynggaard.

Three of their four children came next: Princess Isabella, 18, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 14.

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Crown Prince Christian was absent for the celebrations due to commitments relating to his military service, which saw him recently qualify as a Guards Hussar.

Frederik’s mother, Queen Margrethe II, was also included in the event.

The royals stood outside for several minutes before going back into the palace where they were expected to have lunch.

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Photos from the afternoon shared by the royal household included a few behind-the-scenes images from inside their family home, with one showing the King with one of his opened presents.

Another was a photo taken from behind the King and Queen as they waved to crowds outside, showing an angle rarely seen to the public.

Following the celebrations, the family was expected to return to Fredensborg Palace north of Copenhagen where they are currently in residence.

They were welcomed to the palace in early May and their two dogs, Grace and Coco, were present for that occasion too.

The then-Crown Prince family welcomed Grace into their lives when the dog was just a puppy, in July, 2017.

She is believed to have given birth to a litter of puppies in 2021, with Coco being one of them.

In 2024, during a sailing tour on board the royal yacht Dannebrog, King Frederik and Queen Mary met Coco’s father, Eagle.

The King and Queen call Frederik VIII’s Palace home during winter before they move north to Fredensborg, which is often described as Denmark’s Versailles, for the summer.

King Frederik and Queen Mary live in the Chancellery House, attached to Fredensborg Palace, which underwent a number of changes following Queen Margrethe II’s abdication in January, 2024.

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Chancellery House was the first marital home for Mary and Frederik and remained their main residence until renovations at Frederik VIII’s Palace were complete.

It is tradition for the Danish royal family to change residences throughout the year.

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