Happy birthday Prince Joachim!

Today is the 38th birthday of Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian born 7 June 1969, so it is a flag flying day in Denmark.







Doing one of his favourite things, racing historic cars:



With Nikolai and Felix:




With girlfriend of two years, Marie Cavallier:






1) Margrethe and Henrik made an official visit to Australia in February 1987 to coincide with Joachim's year in Wagga Wagga as a jackaroo (Jens Dresling/POLFOTO) 2) on a visit to Africa to highlight Danish aid 3, 4 & 5) Joachim's first appearance after the announcement of his divorce to inaugurate a wetlands renewal project near Schackenborg 6) a trip in the outdoors in Canada to promote Danish culture, 7) Schackenborg's agricultural business - in this case potatoes as a member of the Danish Potato Association 8) on the estate at Schackenborg (Steen Brogaard).

The Copenhagen Post 'Prince Joachim speaks about divorce'
The Copenhagen Post 'Royal Cavallier'

And the latest news on Prince Joachim, which seems to be a bit of a surprise so therefore a nice birthday present, news from Berlinske Tidende's finance section, 6 June 2007 – Prince Joachim doubles the surplus

The food-company “De 5 Gaarde – The 5 Farms” – of which Prince Joachim is co-owner, had a good 2006.

New products are maintaining the progress.

The accounts from the food company De 5 Gaarde show a doubling of the bottom line for 2006 compared to 2005.

De 5 Gaarde have thus earned 800.000 DKK last year, writes Børsen (Danish financial newspaper).

The exciting thing about De 5 Gaarde is that Prince Joachim is to be found among the owners. Apart from Prince Joachim’s Schackenborg (his estate company, rather than he himself?), the company is owned by Count Bendt Wedell’s east Jutlandic Frijsenborg and Wedellsborg on Funen and also the founder of the fashion company Bestseller, Troels Holch Povlsen.

“Even though the surplus naturally is in the low end of the scale, it is very positive that we can actually make money, at the same time as there is a continuing development of new products and the considerable progress we have had in regards to our brand,” says sale and marketing manager Erik Jensen to Børsen,

The progress is first and foremost to be ensured with fresh bread with the logo of De 5 Gaarde baked into the crust and a special schnapps with an oak-rod from a tree in one of Prince Joachim’s woods near Schackenborg. (written by Jonas Schrøder and translated by Muhler - thanks!)

Added: It appears to be six of one and half a dozen of the other as Prince Joachim has borrowed money for the Schakenborg business too. It was also reported by Landbrugsavisen that Prince Joachim has taken out a loan of 6.100.000 DKK from Danske Bank's Realkredit Danmark as the principal of the Schackenborg Estate's Møgeltønder business. The money will be used to buy new machines, to build a repair shop and a garage for tractors.

Quoting Ekstra Bladet, there is speculation about whether some of the money will also go to a wedding with the prince’s French sweetheart Marie Cavallier. But the manager of the estate Søren Frederiksen denies that, “I don’t know whether the prince is going to marry. But I do know that the 6.00.000 DKK is to be invested in the estate,” he says. (thanks Muhler!)