Count Nikolai of Denmark prepares for huge Australia move with his girlfriend – details

Count Nikolai of Denmark is preparing to move to Australia with his girlfriend Benedikte Thoustrup.

The 23-year-old student will study at the University of Technology (UTS) in Sydney for one semester from 1 August until 30 November.

The couple's Australia move was confirmed to Danish publication B.T. by press advisor Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen.

Count Nikolai is the seventh in line to the Danish throne. He is the eldest son of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, as well as Queen Margrethe's oldest grandchild.

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Aside from Nikolai, Prince Joachim and Countess Alexandra are also doting parents to 20-year-old Count Felix of Monpezat.

It's been a turbulent year for the Danish royal family. Back in January, Queen Margrethe stripped her grandchildren of their royal titles in a bid to reduce the size of the monarchy. The former princes and princesses are now styled as Counts and Countesses and referred to as Their Excellencies.

At the time, Queen Margrethe said: "It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time, and I think it will be good for them in their future. That is the reason."

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While the surprise move didn't alter the lineage of succession, it sent shockwaves through the Danish royal family. Speaking to Ekstrabladet, Prince Nikolai said: "My whole family and I are of course very sad. We are, as my parents have also stated, in shock at this decision and at how quickly it has actually gone. I don't understand why it had to happen this way."

Prince Joachim – Queen Margrethe's youngest son – was similarly taken aback by the monarch's unexpected move. Breaking his silence, he revealed: "We are all very sad. It's never fun to see your children being mistreated like that. They themselves find themselves in a situation they do not understand."

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The royal house had previously stated that Joachim had been informed of the decision in May – but he contested that.

"I was given five days' notice," he stated. "In May, I was presented with a plan, which basically stated that when the children each turned 25, it would happen. Athena turns 11 in January."

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In March, Count Nikolai appeared to bolster his modelling career by setting up a new Instagram account. The 23-year-old is certainly no stranger to the catwalk, however. His modelling career kicked off in 2018 after he joined Scoop Models – a top agency based in Copenhagen.

Nikolai put on a brave face as he walked in Burberry's fall/winter 2018 presentation on February 17, just four days after his grandfather Prince Henrik's death. Whilst in 2019 and 2020, the Danish royal graced the runway for Dior Homme.

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Despite the unconventional nature of his blossoming career path, Nikolai has the support of his royal family. In 2017, Prince Joachim told Billed Bladet: "He should not be forced into something. Nikolai's future shall be conducted entirely by his own plan."

Prince Joachim, his wife, Princess Marie and their children, Count Henrik, 14, and Countess Athena, 11 are also set for a big move to Washington DC in the US this summer. The prince will take up a new role under the Ministry of Defense as defense industry attaché at the Danish Embassy in Washington DC.