Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark have announced they’re sending their two eldest children to new schools in the wake of a damaging bullying scandal.
The Danish royal household issued a statement on Sunday confirming Prince Christian, 16, and Princess Isabella, 15, will start at separate schools this week.
The decision was made after “the Crown Prince’s family’s deliberations during the summer”, the palace said.
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The family has recently returned to Copenhagen after their summer break at Gråsten Palace.
Prince Christian, who is heir to the Danish throne after his father, will start at the Ordrup Gymnasium (Ordrup High School) in Gentofte, north of Copenhagen.
Princess Isabella will start at Ingrid Jespersens Gymnasieskole (Ingrid Jespersen’s High School) in Copenhagen.
Last month, Princess Mary and Prince Frederik pulled Prince Christian out of the Herlufsholm Boarding School after claims of bullying were brought to light.
They also confirmed Princess Isabella would not be attending the prestigious school as planned.
The Crown Prince couple issued a statement saying they would decide on new schools for their children after allegations emerged of a violent culture filled with abuse and bullying at Herlufsholm.
Students have also accused the school and its staff of covering up their stories of abuse.
“The question about our son Christian’s and our daughter Isabella’s choice of school has been very important for us, and the unfortunate matter has brought many and strong opinions into play in the public,” Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary said in a joint statement on June 25.
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“That is completely understandable when it deals with the well-being of children and young people. At the same time, it has been important to stand by our basic idea that major decisions must be made on an informed basis. We now have that basis.” .”
Their message came after the release of a preliminary decision from Denmark’s National Agency for Education and Quality that “directs a particularly harsh critique” of Herlufsholm.
“It has been a difficult process for us as a family, but, based on the overall picture and our special position as Crown Prince Couple, we have chosen that Prince Christian will stop at Herlufsholm and that Princess Isabella will not start in ninth class at the school after the summer holiday.
“With thoughts about the many students who will continue at Herlufsholm, it is our hope that the school now gets more peace to ensure the necessary changes and succeeds in creating a culture in which all thrive and feel safe.”
In May, at documentary on TV2 included claims from a student who described being sexually abused by another, another student spoke of corporal punishment and a third described being assaulted during a party at the school.
In November last year, four students were expelled after being accused of taking part in the abuse and filming a number of incidents.
Some students have claimed staff turned a blind eye to their claims.
When the allegations came to light, Princess Mary and her husband issued a swift response expressing their shock and disappointment.
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“As parents of a child who goes to Herlufsholm, we are deeply shaken by the testimonies that have emerged in the current documentary about the school,” the Crown Prince couple said on May 4.
“It is heart-breaking to hear about systematic bullying and about the culture of abuse and violence that many have been a part of.
“That is completely unacceptable. As parents, we expect the school to effectively ensure a culture where everyone is safe and part of the community, and we will in the coming time follow the changes that are obviously necessary.”
Prince Christian16, is not connected to the allegations in any way.
In August, 2021, he posed with his mum and dad at Herlufsholm as he began his time at the boarding school.
Herlufsholm was founded in 1565 for Danish nobility and is located 80km outside of Copenhagen in Næstved.
Prince Christian was the first future king to attend the school, although several of his alumni are artists and politicians, including two former prime ministers.
Christian’s cousin Prince Nikolai, who is the eldest son of Prince Joachimis a former student of Herlufsholm and graduated in 2018.
The Danish royal household announced that Prince Christian would start at the school in August last year having finished his education at Tranegårdskolen in Gentofte.
Christian had been at that school from grade one to grade nine.
Around 600 students are enrolled at the school with approximately 275 living on campus.
They follow a 10-day program with lessons on Saturdays followed by a three-day weekend.
The allegations about Herlufsholm follow earlier claims about tough disciplinary practices at the institution.
Herlufsholm School responded to the documentary’s claims in a statement issued on May 3.
The school’s rector Mikkel Kjellberg said many of the allegations contained within the television program were “very old cases have been used from another time – where the culture at Herlufsholm was different”.
He said the bullying and violence were “not part of the culture at Herlufsholm”.
Crown Princess Mary and her family begin summer holiday