Celebrating his seventh birthday this week little Prince Nikolai of Denmark had the best gift a child can have - the sight of both parents at his side to mark the special day. As the royal youngster and his four-year-old brother Felix chased each other up and down the street, their mother Princess Alexandra was snapped greeting her former husband Joachim with a warm kiss.
Their cordial relationship is the result of hard work on both sides. Since the couple split in 2004 they have been careful to maintain a united front as parents. On a number of occasions, such as the children's first day of school, Alexandra and Joachim have turned up together.
The Hong Kong-born princess is also a regular fixture at official events staged by the Danish royal family. At the christening of the boys' cousin Christian, who is second in the line to the throne after Joachim's brother Frederik, it was Alexandra who escorted her sons into the cathedral before settling them close to their father. This careful effort seems to have paid dividends as the boys never fail to look relaxed and happy in public.