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Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik Comes Out of Shoulder Surgery Following Ski Accident

2020 has been a tough winter on the royal slopes.

Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik recently a “minor injury” this week in a ski accident, which required surgery. The injury to his left shoulder occurred while the 51-year-old royal and his family were skiing in Switzerland, according to the palace.

“The Crown Prince was examined [on Monday] and treated at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen,” according to a statement. “Treatment consisted of a simple, operation without complication, which went according to plan. This shoulder injury does not affect the Crown Prince’s official program.”

The skiing accident happened while Prince Frederik and wife Princess Mary were vacationing at a Alpine chalet they own in Verbier. In January, the couple’s four children — Prince Christian, 14, Princess Isabella, 12, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 9 — began a three-month school term at Switzerland’s Lemania-Verbier International School.

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The Crown Prince is expected to resume his official schedule on Thursday, traveling to Aabenraa in the Denmark’s south Jutland Peninsula to inaugurate a hospital.

Prince Frederik
Prince Frederik

The news comes shortly after Princess Estelle of Sweden, 7, fractured her leg during a skiing accident while the royal family was enjoying a holiday in the Alps. The Royal Court’s Head of Information Margareta Thorgren said that Estelle, who is second in line to the throne, was brought to the hospital for X-rays and placed in a cast. She was walking on crutches and “otherwise well.”

A new video shared by the Swedish royal family shows that Princess Estelle is up and walking again. She and mom Crown Princess Victoria visited the Grand Church in Stockholm, where the little royal got to play the three-story organ.

Despite the risk of injury, many royals are enjoying ski vacations this winter. Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon recently shared a snowy selfie — complete with a sweet kiss on the forehead.

Meanwhile, bride-to-be Princess Beatrice just met President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi while visiting the country for a heli-skiing adventure, which is off-trail, downhill skiing — with the peak reached by helicopter rather than a traditional ski lift.

Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon | Princess Mette-Marit/ Instagram
Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon | Princess Mette-Marit/ Instagram
Princess Beatrice | President of Pakistan/Twitter
Princess Beatrice | President of Pakistan/Twitter

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Kate Middleton and Prince William are also experienced on the slopes and may opt to take their kids on a ski vacation during their school break this week. Around this time in 2016, the couple released adorable photos from a winter getaway to the French Alps, featuring the then-foursome bundled up in puffy jackets as the snow fell. Perhaps George and Charlotte are now old enough to hit the bunny slope themselves!