Who is Prince Christian and is he single? Meet the half-Australian prince who is next on the Danish throne and romantically linked to a beautiful Italian princess

Prince Christian, the son of Queen Mary of Denmark, is the handsome jet-setting teen who has a “close friendship” with a beautiful Italian princess.

Crown Prince Christian is now next in line to the Danish throne after his father, King Frederick X, replaced Queen Magrethe II following the royal grandmother's shocking abdication.

And just months after his 18th birthday, he's already been romantically linked to European royals, including Princess Maria Chiara di Borbone-Due Sicilies, 19.

The pair were recently photographed together by high society magazine Tatler, sparking a wave of speculation that a royal wedding was in the offing.

The princess – whose family has their ancestral roots in Naples in northern Italy – took to social media to tone down the wedding gossip three weeks later.

She admitted: “Prince Christian and I share a close friendship.”

Prince Christian (pictured with Hobart-born mother Queen Mary and father King Frederick

Just months after his 18th birthday, he has already been romantically linked to European royals, including Princess Maria Chiara di Borbone-Due Sicilies, 19 (pictured)

But the princess – who posts on social media as Chiara de Bourbon – said rumor mill stories of a budding romance were spiraling out of control.

“When important events happen in my life, I will be happy to share them with you,” she said.

'Although we all like to dream of fairy tales, reality is all that really matters.'

She added: “I would like to set the record straight regarding the unfounded rumor circulating about me.

'Incorrect information has been spread. At first this situation made me smile.

“However, over time, this rumor has crossed the boundaries of common sense and spiraled into conflict with reality.

“I believe now is the time to put an end to this rumor.”

The pair also appeared together on social media and attended the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, but the princess is keen to pour cold water on any marital talk.

While the prince prepared for his father's official coronation on Sunday, the princess was 10,000 kilometers away enjoying a family holiday in Mauritius.

The young prince was a pioneer for the Danish royal family and was the first to be educated at a state public school, where he attended Tranegårdskolen in an upscale Copenhagen suburb.

During the Covid lockdowns he moved to the private boarding school Herlufsholm – founded in the 16th century, 80km outside Copenhagen – but that stint was cut short after he was reportedly bullied by some other students.

Instead, he completed his education at a public 'gymnasium' school to take his final exams and qualify for university.

His 18th coming of age party was a lavish affair, hosted by his grandmother so that he could enter the royal stage in a blaze of glory.

Crown Prince Christian is now next in line for the Danish throne after his father, King Frederick X, replaced Queen Magrethe II following the royal grandmother's shocking abdication

Crown Prince Christian is the eldest of the four children of Queen Marty and King Frederick

(Left) Prince Christian's 18th coming of age celebration was a lavish affair, hosted by his grandmother so he could take to the royal stage in a blaze of glory. But while the prince was preparing for his father's official coronation on Sunday, Princess Maria Chiara di Borbone-Due Sicilies (right) was 10,000km away enjoying a family holiday in Mauritius

In addition to his own extended family, the elite guest list also included an array of Euro blue bloods, including members of the Belgian, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian and Swedish royal families.

The official Danish royal Instagram page posted a photo the next day of a single sparkling shoe believed to have been left at the royal Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

The photo was captioned: “Is it Cinderella who forgot her shoe last night?”

It is not yet known whether Princess Maria Chiara di Borbone-Due Sicilies is missing shoes.