Princess Marie of Denmark Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Princess Marie
Countess of Monpezat
Marie in 2013
Born	Marie Agathe Odile Cavallier (1976-02-06) 6 February 1976 (age 49) Paris, France
Spouse	Prince Joachim of Denmark (m. 2008)
Issue	Count Henrik Countess Athena
Father	Alain Cavallier
Mother	Françoise Grassiot

Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, was born Marie Agathe Odile Cavallier on February 6, 1976. She is a member of the Danish royal family. Princess Marie is married to Prince Joachim of Denmark. Prince Joachim is the younger brother of the current King of Denmark, King Frederik X of Denmark.

Early Life and Family Background
Education and Early Career
Meeting Prince Joachim and Marriage
Public Duties and Activities
- Official Engagements and Trips
- Supporting Important Causes
Hobbies and Personal Interests
Titles and Royal Honors
- Titles and How She is Addressed
- Awards and Decorations
  - Honors from Denmark
  - Honors from Other Countries
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Family Background

Marie Cavallier was born in Paris, France. She is the only child of Alain Cavallier and Françoise Grassiot. Her father worked in advertising. Her mother owns a large country house called the Château de la Vernède, near Avignon, France.

After her parents divorced, Marie moved to Geneva, Switzerland, with her mother.

Education and Early Career

After her parents separated, Marie attended a boarding school in Switzerland called Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil. She then studied international business and economics for a short time at Babson College in the US. Later, she continued her economics studies in Geneva.

Marie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marymount Manhattan College. While she was in college, she gained work experience. She worked for Estée Lauder as an assistant in public relations in 1994. She also worked as an assistant for ING Numismatic Group SA in Geneva.

After finishing her studies, Marie worked for an international advertising agency called DoubleClick Inc. She was an international marketing coordinator in New York. She later returned to France and worked for another advertising agency, Media Marketing. Before her engagement, she also worked for Reuters financial news agency Radianz in Switzerland. She also held positions with REInvest in Geneva and as an executive secretary for ING Numismatic Group SA.

Meeting Prince Joachim and Marriage

Marie first became known to the public in August 2005. She was photographed with Prince Joachim during a private holiday in Avignon, France. In January 2007, Marie joined Prince Joachim and his children on a ski trip in Switzerland.

Later that year, Marie spent Easter with the royal family at Marselisborg Palace. This was where she met Prince Joachim's mother, Queen Margrethe II, for the first time. Marie started visiting Denmark more often from Geneva in 2007.

On October 3, 2007, it was officially announced that Marie Cavallier and Prince Joachim were engaged. Their wedding took place on May 24, 2008, at Møgeltønder Church. When she married Prince Joachim, Marie became "Her Royal Highness Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat."

Before her marriage, Marie was a French citizen and a member of the Roman Catholic Church. After marrying Joachim, she became a Danish citizen. She also converted to the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Denmark. Princess Marie's wedding dress was designed by the Spanish-Italian fashion house Arasa Morelli. It was sewn by a Danish woman who worked for the company.

Princess Marie and Prince Joachim have two children together. Their son, Henrik, was born on May 4, 2009. Their daughter, Athena, was born on January 24, 2012. Princess Marie is also a stepmother to Prince Joachim's two sons from his previous marriage, Nikolai and Felix.

Public Duties and Activities

Official Engagements and Trips

Princess Marie's first official trip abroad was to Morocco on October 28, 2008. There, she gave Lego toys to children in an orphanage in Rabat. After this, she went with Prince Joachim to Russia.

In November 2009, Princess Marie made her third official trip abroad. She visited Hong Kong and China with Prince Joachim. In March 2010, she went on her fourth official visit abroad to Mexico City with Prince Joachim. In April 2010, Princess Marie visited the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. She was there as a patron for the organization.

Supporting Important Causes

Princess Marie took on her first patronage shortly after her son Henrik was born. She became a patron of the Tønder Festival. This is an international folk music festival located near her home, Schackenborg Manor.

Soon after, Princess Marie took over one of her husband's duties. She became the patron of the Annual Literature Prize. This prize is given each year for French-language literature in Copenhagen. In September 2009, Marie also became a patron of Syddansk Universitet (University of Southern Denmark). In January 2010, the Danish Ski Federation named Princess Marie as their official patron. On November 17, 2009, Princess Marie was also announced as the patron of "The Danish National Commission for UNESCO".

Additionally, Princess Marie supports several other important causes. She is a patron of the Danish Epilepsy Association and Kattegatcentret. She also supports the AIDS Foundation, Autism Denmark, and the Stop Wasting Food movement (Stop Spild Af Mad).

Hobbies and Personal Interests

Princess Marie enjoys being active. She likes bike-riding, running, and skiing. She also shares a love for car racing with Prince Joachim.

Titles and Royal Honors

Monogram of Princess Marie

Titles and How She is Addressed

Since her marriage, Marie has been known as "Her Royal Highness Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat".

Awards and Decorations

Coat of arms of Princess Marie of Denmark.

Princess Marie has received several honors from Denmark and other countries.

Honors from Denmark

Knight of the Order of the Elephant
Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of Queen Margrethe II
Recipient of the Commemorative 75th Birthday Medal of His Royal Highness The Prince Consort (June 11, 2009)
Recipient of the Commemorative 70th Birthday Medal of Her Majesty The Queen (April 16, 2010)
Recipient of the Commemorative Ruby Jubilee Medal of Her Majesty The Queen (January 14, 2012)
Recipient of the Commemorative 75th Birthday Medal of Her Majesty The Queen (April 16, 2015)
Recipient of the Golden Anniversary Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik (June 10, 2017)
Recipient of the Prince Henrik's Commemorative Medal (June 11, 2018)
Recipient of the Commemorative 80th Birthday Medal of Her Majesty The Queen (April 16, 2020)
Recipient of the Commemorative Golden Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II (January 14, 2022)