Princess Marie of Denmark’s deliberate timing for family upheaval with two kids revealed

Princess Marie of Denmark has been living in the United States with her husband, Prince Joachim, and their two children, Count Henrik, 16, and Countess Athena, 14, of Monpezat, but the family has shared that they are set to move back to their homeland.

In an interview with the Danish magazine BILLED-BLADET earlier this week, Princess Marie, 50, who was born in Paris, confirmed the family’s upheaval, revealing: “I’m looking forward to getting back to my work and my patronages. And getting back to Denmark. And what happens after that, time will tell. We are really looking forward to it. It has been really exciting to be out of the country and be able to support Denmark abroad.”

Princess Marie’s reasoning behind move to Denmark

The princess also revealed that the family of four would be making the move in August 2027 – and for a particular reason. She explained that she wants Count Henrik to finish high school before leaving the States, and hopes Countess Athena will complete her schooling back in Denmark.

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The Danish royals’ tenure in the US is not the first time they have lived away from Denmark, where Prince Joachim is fifth in line to the throne. They lived in Marie’s native Paris from 2020 to 2023 while the prince served as the Military Attaché at the Royal Danish Embassy in Paris. 

Princess Marie and Prince Joachim’s life abroad

He has held a similar position during his time in the United States, working as the defence industry attaché at the Danish Embassy in Washington. In 2025, it was announced that they were extending their time in America with a public statement.

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It read: “The Ministry of Defense announced this morning that HRH Prince Joachim will be extended in his position as Defense Industry Attaché and Deputy Defense Attaché in Washington DC until the end of August 2027. HRH Prince Joachim, together with HRH Princess Marie and their two children, HRH Count Henrik and HRH Countess Athena, will therefore remain living in Washington DC, where the children also attend their daily schooling.”

Extending their US tenure

The couple chose to extend their time in the US despite having admitted to having a desire to return to Denmark sooner. Speaking to TV2 in June 2025, Joachim said: “We have a desire to come home. But we also do not rule out the possibility of staying abroad. Now we have to see. For now, it is on our radar. When the post here stops, we will return home.”

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The prince continued by adding that the reason for their desire to return to his native Denmark came down to homesickness. “Overall, we can all feel it, and we can also feel it in the children, that it is at home in Denmark that we have our largest social base,” he admitted. “We can’t travel back and forth, after all, there is a six-hour time difference and an entire ocean in between. We take our time when we are home and enjoy it to the fullest. Perhaps that is the band-aid for being far away from home.”

Inside their Washington home

In January 2025, the Danish royal family shared an insight into the interior of the family’s Washington home on the official royal Instagram. Countess Athena featured in a photograph to mark her 13th birthday, where she stood in what appeared to be a living room with a white shelving unit built into the wall. 

On the shelves were an array of books, as well as a picture of Princess Marie holding one of her children as a baby.