King Frederik of Denmark enjoys holiday with wife Queen Mary in Italy

Newswire

Sardinia: He’s been spotted soaking up the sun and enjoying a dip in the sea in Sardinia with Queen Mary of Denmark.

But while his wife, 52, showed off her age-defying figure in a patterned swimsuit, Danish King Frederik, 56, offered a rare glimpse of the tattoos on his leg and shoulder.

When enjoying his time in the ocean at Nikki Beach in Porto Cervo this week, the father-of-four cut a casual figure in a pair of orange swimming shorts, meaning his sentimental inkings were on full display.

On his leg, there’s a shark tattoo which is the insignia of the Danish Navy’s elite frogman corps, possibly chosen as a tribute.

His arm inking, meanwhile, refers to the nickname Pingu that he was given after completing his training to become a badged Frogman.

The Frogman Corps are a unit of professional divers and commandos that are tasked with assaulting enemy ships, advanced force and maritime anti-terrorism tasks among others.

The training for the Frogman Corps is notoriously difficult with participants having to complete stages including a scuba diving course, a survival course and a combat swimmer course in nine months. Only 311 soldiers have been accepted into the unit since its creation.

Prince Frederik’s grandfather, King Frederik IX, who ruled Denmark from 1947 – 1972, also acquired tattoos during his time in the navy, having birds and dragons inked on his torso and arms.

The shark tattoo on Prince Frederik’s leg was first seen in 2005, when Frederik was still in the Danish Elite Forces.

The royal couple – who were last night spotted in Paris to celebrate the upcoming Olympics – were pictured taking a dip in the ocean on Monday, in a very different look to their usual formal regalia.

Known for her age-defying looks, Mary looked stunning in an elegant patchwork one-piece, emphasising her gorgeous figure.

She kept her brunette locks loose as she swam in the sea and opted to go without make-up, looking like the epitome of relaxation as she grabbed a drink while back on the shore.

Even while going in the sea, Mary kept her jewellery on, wearing what appeared to be her prized Cartier bracelets.