Royal Dog Steals the Show—and Makes History—in Adorable First Balcony Appearance

Princess Isabella of Denmark, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Frederik X of Denmark, Prince Vincent of Denmark, Princess Josephine of Denmark, Queen Mary of Denmark and their dog on the balcony for Frederik#039;s birthday — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Royal dogs have been having quite a moment this year. Queen Camilla and King Charles both welcomed new puppies after The Queen's beloved Jack Russell terrier died, and last week, Prince William and Princess Kate's cocker spaniel, Orla, gave birth to four puppies. But on Monday, May 26, a European dog stepped into the spotlight when the Danish royal family celebrated King Frederik's birthday with a special balcony appearance.

Queen Mary and King Frederik—along with their twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 14, eldest daughter Princess Isabella, 18, and Frederik's mother, Queen Margrethe—appeared on the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace to mark the occasion. Crown Prince Christian is currently undergoing military training and was unable to attend—but another family member happily filled in for the 19-year-old heir to the throne.

One of Mary and Frederik's lookalike border collies trotted out on the balcony, much to the delight of the royal family. Princess Isabella and Prince Vincent are both seen bending down to pet the dog in the sweet photos from the event, while in one shot, Vincent gets the pup to shake hands. This is the first time one of the royal dogs has ever made a balcony appearance.

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Queen Mary and King Frederik#039;s border collies in a field of leaves — Grace and Coco are seen in a photo taken by Queen Mary last autumn.

While it's unclear which dog it was who joined them, the family owns two female border collies named Grace and Coco. The Danish royals welcomed Grace—who is related to their late dog, Ziggy—into their family in 2017, and she gave birth to two puppies in 2021.

Coco, meanwhile, is Grace's daughter, and Queen Mary noted that it was hard to tell them apart. After meeting Coco's father on a royal engagement last August, she wrote on Instagram, "Last week I met Coco's father Eagle during our visit to Assens. It was a lovely surprise and great to notice how much father and daughter resemble each other."

She added, "In the second picture, Grace is in the front and a curious Coco is seen behind. It can be difficult for some to tell the difference 🤔."

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.