In a moment that perfectly captures the clash of tradition and TikTok, Princess Isabella of Denmark has marked her 18th birthday with a totally relatable official portrait featuring a familiar device.
Casting off royal regalia like orbs and scepters, Isabella instead opted to hold her smartphone, casually reminding everyone that Gen-Z royalty comes with a lock screen, and highlighting a royal household confronting generational change while still honoring tradition.
Wearing an elegant orange gown, Isabella was pictured in the Knight’s Hall of the royal palace of her father, King Frederik VIII.
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She also wore something old: a golden tiara steeped in history that was gifted to her by former Queen Margrethe II, who abdicated last year, after 52 years on the throne, part of a tumultuous period for the Danish royals. In 2022, Queen Margrethe made headlines when she stripped four of her grandchildren—her younger son Prince Joachim’s children—of their royal titles in a move to modernize the monarchy.
Tensions within the family spilled beyond palace walls when Joachim expressed his hurt and dismay at the move.
Then Frederik found himself at the center of a speculative storm after being photographed during an outing in Madrid with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova (as opposed to his wife, the now-Queen Mary). Rumors of an affair gained traction and both parties were forced to deny any romantic involvement.
The family has sought to rebrand itself since as young and dynamic, and the image of the princess with phone in hand will certainly do that.
It has, unsurprisingly perhaps, been widely circulated on social media.
In a caption posted alongside the images, Isabella wrote, “Thank you so much to everyone who helped me celebrate my 18th birthday. It has been really nice that so many people have spent their time, thought and effort to make my day so special. This means a lot to me.”
