QAANAAQ, Greenland — He survived weeks in total darkness, days as cold as 53 below, the isolation and deprivation of six months above the Arctic Circle, and the ultimate indignity of a visit from Mom and Dad bearing cakes and comfort.
But what Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark faces upon returning home from his dog-sledding adventure in northern Greenland may prove a trial beyond his now-proven mettle: the expectations of the Danish citizenry that he will settle down and prepare himself to become king.
Rather than capitulating to the routine of royal life in Copenhagen, however, the 32-year-old heir to the Amalienborg Palace plans a trip to Australia for the Summer Olympics and a fresh stint in the Danish military.
"It's going to feel very strange to be back in Copenhagen," Frederik acknowledged as he and his five companions on the Arctic journey packed their gear for the flight home Wednesday. "I haven't decided yet how long I will stay there."
The one thing he knows for sure is that his next undertaking, after his visit to Australia, will be a return to the armed forces, this time with the Danish air force, to earn a pilot's license to add to his navy credentials.
"I'm not thinking about 'Top Gun' fighter pilots or anything like that, just small planes, single engines," Frederik said in an interview here with The Times in which he sought to dispel the image of an itinerant adventurer that he has acquired in his homeland.
Danes Want to See Frederik Settle Down
Danish media have long speculated openly about when the bachelor prince, the most popular man in the country, will marry and produce an heir. Although most Danes admire Frederik's exploits, such as his 1986 trek through Mongolia, they also tell researchers and pollsters that they would like to see their future king settle down.
Frederik admits, however, that the fraternity of his recent journey was a life-altering experience that may have further whetted his appetite.
"I've always been drawn to the outdoors and physical challenges," he said. "My military training helped me in this. It wasn't so difficult to make the adjustment from sea to ice."
The crown prince and his five partners on the Sirius 2000 expedition--as the nearly four-month, 1,746-mile Arctic adventure that skirted the top of Greenland was known--say they set out with a mission to commemorate 50 years of military patrols in the vast territory. But the experience also engendered newfound respect in Frederik and the others for the breathtaking landscape of Greenland and the endangered lifestyle of its indigenous Inuit people.
