Princess Isabella of Denmark’s 18th birthday photo with mobile phone surprises royal fans

In the days following her 18th birthday, the Danish royal family has shared a new photo of Princess Isabella with an unexpected twist.

To mark her birthday on April 21, official portraits of Queen Mary and King Frederik X’s eldest daughter were released to the family’s website and social media channels.

In them, the princess posed for formal photos inside the Knight’s Hall of Frederick VIII’s Palace in Amalienborg.

But a day later, the family has posted another, candid photo taken during the same photoshoot – the kind we rarely see from an official royal shoot.

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Instead of a regal pose and a formal expression, the 18-year-old princess smiles wide and holds an iPhone in her hand.

The photo, captured by her mother Queen Mary, appears to have been taken candidly as Isabella checked her phone while dressed to the nines in her royal regalia.

While it’s a no-brainer that Isabella, a Gen Z princess, would have a phone, it’s jarring to see the electronic device in such an official-looking royal photo – the kind we’ve seen from royals for centuries that are typically entrenched in old-timely traditions.

Despite the unexpected inclusion of her phone, the photo still features the pomp and pageantry you would expect from this kind of royal photo.

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The new series of birthday portraits mark the first time the teenage princess has worn a tiara.

The turquoise daisy bandeau tiara she wears was gifted to Princess Isabella by her grandma, the former Danish monarch Queen Margrethe II.

She paired the tiara with a pair of matching turquoise drop earrings which belong to her mother Queen Mary.

The princess also wore her Order of the Elephant sash, which she has only been permitted to wear since she turned 18, and a miniature Order portrait of her father, King Frederik X.

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All the royal regalia was paired with a spectacular orange satin gown by Danish designer, Carina Grønning.

“Thank you so much to everyone who helped me celebrate my 18th birthday,” Princess Isabella wrote in the caption of the new candid photo.

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“It has been really nice that so many people have spent their time, thought and effort to make my day so special. This means a lot to me.”

Her message marks the first time a social media post on the family’s official account has been signed off personally as, “H.K.K Prinsesse Isabella”.

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