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 Hanne Juul/BILLED-BLADET Wednesday evening saw Danish Queen Margrethe II host the Cour Ball, in which the members of Denmark’s government, Parliament and those who represent the country in the European Union are invited. All the members of the Danish royal family attended the gala, including the Crown Princely couple, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and Princess Benedikte, the Queen’s sister. The event was held at Christianborg Palace.
The royal women dressed glamorously, complete with sashes and tiaras. Crown Princess Mary wore the same tiara she wore when she married Crown Prince Frederik in 2004. She also wore a deep blue sleeveless dress plus her usual fur shawl.
Princess Marie wore a one shouldered pale blue gown with gold embroidery in the front, as well as a fur shawl.
To see video of the arrivals and the opening part of the dinner, click here. The royals start to arrive at about 1:19 into the video.
On Monday, royals from three countries were among the participants in the World Future Energy Summit, taking place in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Spain and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan took part in the event, which focuses on finding ways to create environmentally friendly products in an increasingly energy reliant world.
 Haider Yousuf/Getty Images Crown Prince Felipe of Spain gave a speech to open the summit. Before he went in depth on the event, he gave his condolences to the people of Haiti. “The sheer magnitude of tragic human loss and general devastation is very hard to conceive and makes for such a prompt and generous large scale multinational effort in emergency and humanitarian relief that is currently. We wish that this will be sustained in all fields to help Haitians regain hope and put their country back on its feet as soon as possible”
After paying homage to the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the Crown Prince then discussed the summit and how the world could benefit from it.
“In the energy sector, interdependence has become an even more pressing issue. Major energy sources are geographically concentrated. Transport and distribution infrastructures often require transnational agreements. Moreover, greenhouse gases, wherever their origin, affect the environmental balance all over the planet.
“Such growing interdependence explains why international cooperation and, especially, multilateralism are so important in the energy sector; hence the high value of jointly analysing the energy challenges of the future at this Summit. Although interdependence means sharing our problems, fortunately it also means working together on to solve them.
“Therefore I am very pleased to underline how the development of renewable energy is offering the international community a course of action able to reconcile the demands of future economic growth with the necessary respect of the environment,” Felipe said.
 Haider Yousuf/Getty Images Next, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark delivered his speech. He spoke out the environment and his account with climate change.
“The impact of climate change is global, but the signs are more evident in extreme climatic areas, for example, the Arctic,” he said. “Greenland holds a special place in my heart. From my first meeting with Greenland and the Greenlandic people to my 3 months expedition with dog sledges covering more than 2000 km along the northern and north-eastern coastline during spring. A grueling expedition that honored the way the Greenlandic people have always travelled and survived. Since then my visits have been regular, the last with my cousins and colleagues Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. A visit that again illustrated that Climate change is changing the way the Greenlandic people live. Hunting and Fishing are their primary sources of income and food and this is being threatened by rising temperatures. For me, this is a clear example of the necessity to adapt. How are we as a global community able to adapt in order to combat the negative impact of climate change? How can we adapt by rethinking our use and conservation of energy? Tough questions….questions that are to be addressed in the course of this Summit.”
Frederik than used his country as an example of how new forms of energy can be used.
“In Denmark the oil crisis of the ‘70s pushed us to search for alternative energy solutions. Over the last 30 years, we have had an economic growth of 78 %, but almost zero growth in energy consumption. And 28% of our electricity supply comes from renewable sources such as wind and biomass. It proves that economic prosperity and climate friendly solutions can co-exist.
“Denmark has shown that no country is too small to become a leader within green and clean technology and providing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”
The royals were then given a tour of the many vehicles, computers and other products on display.
The World Future Energy Summit ended today. The royals involved left Abu Dhabi the day the summit began.
The heir to the Danish throne is now on a five-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Crown Prince Frederik arrived in Riyadh on Friday with the intention of promoting alternative energy. Denmark hosted the Climate Change summit last month, so it seems natural for its future King to encourage eco-friendly uses.
 REUTERS/Saudi Press Agency/Handout Frederik spent his day in Saudi Arabia meeting with royals and local politicians. He took part in a conference on food security at the Saudi Food & Drug Authority, organized in collaboration with the Danish Agriculture and Food Agency. Later, he met with the Trade and Industry minister, the Riyadh Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Governor of Riyadh.
The Crown Prince then met with several members of the Saudi royal family, including Crown Prince Sultan and Interior Minister Prince Nayef. For his final appearance in the desert Kingdom, Frederik dined at the Danish Embassy with Saudi and Danish business leaders.
On Sunday, Frederik went to Qatar, where he visited Maersk Oil before meeting with Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The Crown Prince will also tour the Museum of Islamic Art and Souk Waqif.
Tomorrow, Crown Prine Frederik will participate in the World Future Energy Summit, where he would be one of the keynote speakers on the use of green technologies.
With Christmas just around the corner, royals all over the world are taking part in events related to the holiday. In Denmark, the Crown Princely family attended the Children’s Choir’s Christmas concert at Copenhagen’s Esajas Church.
 UFFE KONGSTED OF ROYAL PRESS PHOTO Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary brought along their two young children, Christian, age 4 and Isabella, 2 1/2 years old, to the concert. Christian, who is second in line to the Danish throne, showed an early display of poise as he shook hands with photographers and concert organizers as he and his family entered the church.
Once inside, the young Prince took out his toy Batman doll and gave his younger sister her My Little Pony toy as they waited for the concert to begin. Once it did, the two little royals seemed enchanted by the singing done by the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Their mother, Mary, is the Academy’s patron.
After the concert, Christian and Isabella led the way out of the church, with their parents beaming. Princess Isabella held her mother’s bouquet of flowers as they exited.
Certainly, the two royal children are showing they can well be star royals once they get older!
To see more pics of the concert, click here
The three heirs to the Scandinavian thrones were present this weekend at the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen. Together, they participated in the opening of the Bright Green Expo, where the world’s largest companies discussed eco-friendly solutions and renewable energy technologies they could use.
 Jens Nørgaard Larsen / Scanpix Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik, Swedish Crown Princess Victoria, and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway gave their thoughts and experiences on the environment, which all three said needs to be taken care of.
“Combating climate change is both a fun, exciting and long struggle. We can see that the technology is on display here today. At the same time it provides the opinion to counter climate change,” said Crown Prince Haakon.
The three royals together have gone on expeditions to the Arctic area in 2008 and 2009 to see firsthand how climate change is affecting the area. However, as the Danish Crown Prince pointed out, seeing how the natives are now living with the changes gives a glimpse on how the how world can adapt.
“They have through time adapted to the changes, and it would still make them. It gives me hope and shows that it makes sense to make a difference,” said Frederik.
The Swedish Crown Princess also talked about how her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, has long been speaking out on environmental issues.
“In the beginning he felt quite alone on the subject, but today he feels that no one listens to him because everyone is talking about climate,” she said.
Haakon, Frederik and Victoria all said that it is the parents responsibility to teach their child to take better care of the planet.
“One need not let the water run continuously while brushing teeth,” Crown Prince Frederik reminded those in attendance.
When asked if the three royals will be going on another expedition anytime soon, neither could give an answer. This is mainly because Victoria will be getting married in June 2010.
With the United Nations Climate Change Conference a few days away, the Danish capital of Copenhagen is bustling with preparations and events related to the summit. Frederik, the Crown Prince of Denmark, has been participating in these events during the past couple of days. 
On Thursday, Frederik opened the exhibition e-COLLECTION. It is organized by Design Kolding, Museum of Koldinghus and Trapholt in connection with the Conference. The exhibit includes inovative motorcycles, jewelry and other designs that are green friendly.
Friday saw the Crown Prince at the Climate Consortium and ATP’s international investor conference at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel. It was there he gave a speech on how businesses need to be environmentally conscience.
“I have personally witnessed the melting ice caps and glaciers on my travels to Greenland,” Frederik said. “I have seen how changes in water supply can drive thousands of people on the run. It is a scientific fact, that greenhouse gas emissions are pushing this process. In other words, business as usual is NOT an option – action is needed.”
“People around the world are looking to business and government for leadership on climate change. By sharing your views on climate change and demonstrating your efforts to overcome the climate challenge, you have the opportunity to show the world that through common aspirations and efforts by business and government, we can ensure a bright future for our planet.”
Crown Prince Frederik and the rest of the Danish royal family will be playing host to the heads of state and delegations from 190 countries for the summit. Furthermore, Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, will be taking part in some of the conference’s events.
Also to be in attendance are Britain’s Prince Charles and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Friday ended the royals of Denmark’s week long state visit to Vietnam. It appears they had a delightful time, especially Prince Henrik, for he got a chance to show the family his childhood home. Besides that, overall, the Danish royals seemed to have enjoyed being together in the southeastern Asian country. 
In the morning in Ho Chi Minh, Henrik and his son, Crown Prince Frederik, opened the HCMC Business Seminars, which was followed by visits to some of its seminars. The father and son duo split afterwards, as Frederik went to the Anh Phu Water Supply to view the Grundfos installation, before going to visit Scancom, a Danish garden furniture manufactuer located in Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Prince Consort took part in the “Taste a Bite” event.
While those two were doing their part representing Denmark, Queen Margrethe II and her daughter in law, Crown Princess Mary, were visiting the Phasion/Viedam Moulding Factory, before going on a visit to Maersk, another Danish company doing business in Vietnam. At Maersk, they were briefed on its helmet-wearing campaign.
In the afternoon, all four royals gathered for a press conference in Thao Dien Village. That presser brought a close to their tour of the country.
But they are not back in Denmark yet. The Queen and the Prince Consort are staying in Vietnam until Monday, while the Crown Princely couple are heading to South Korea, where Frederik will take part in the International Sailing Federation’s meetings and gala dinners this week.
Wednesday and Thursday saw the Danish royals enjoy more of the sights, sounds and even tastes of Vietnam. While Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik spent an extra day in the capital city of Hanoi, the Crown Princely couple moved on to the city of Hue.
 Hanne Juul/Billed-Bladet The Queen and the Prince visited Mascot International Ltd. for the ground-breaking ceremonies of the company’s new buildings Wednesday morning. They then took a tour of the Kiem Lien Temple, and had lunch at a charity event for homeless children at Koto Restaurant.
It was at Koto Restaurant that the Regent couple took a try at making Vietnamese cuisine. While Henrik is known for being quite a cook, his wife had to glance over at him to make sure she was making the food correctly.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary were already in Hue, south of Hanoi. There, they attended a rock concert made up of both Danish and Vietnamese bands.
The Queen and the Prince Consort rejoined Frederik and Mary in Hue Thursday morning. As a foursome, they took an early morning sailing trip, as Hue is a coastal city.
Afterward, they all visited the Minh Manh Tomb and the Citadel, before a lunch at the Duyet Thi Theatre.
 It was the trip to the Tomb that the Danish royals experienced what the locals have been dealing with for some time: torrential downpours. The rain came suddenly and the royals had to quickly get out their umbrellas and raincoats. Prince Henrik took a chance to have fun of the surprise rain by doing a rain dance.
Later Thursday, Queen Margrethe and her husband opened the new extension of the Huda Brewery.
Tomorrow, the two royal couples will move on to Ho Chi Minh City.
Tuesday was the second official day for Denmark’s royalty in Vietnam. As the Regent couple and the Crown Princely couple worked on strengthening ties between the two nations, they got a taste of Vietnamese culture and how Denmark is helping the country to grow. 
First, father and son team – Prince Henrik and Crown Prince Frederik – went to several business conferences in Hanoi. Those seminars focused were: Clean Tech Solutions, Marine Industry, Airport Products & Services, IT, and Meat Technology.
Meanwhile, just outside of Hanoi, Queen Margrethe II and her daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mary were at the Phomex/Anne Black Ceramics Factory. It was there that they got a glimpse of how Danish ceramicist Anne Black got her products made. When offered to try her hand at painting a cup, the Queen did hesitate to do so. She is an artist herself, having illustrated books and designed costumes for ballets over the years. Even Mary took a chance at some ceramic painting.
Later, both women went to the National Arts Museum to learn about cultural initiatives.
 After a lunch attended by all four royals, there was an Art Street Festival in Hanoi for the Danish guests to check out. Although Prince Henrik wasn’t there, the rest of the royals had front row seats for the festival. More than 50 dancers, musicians and singers from both Vietnam and Denmark performed near Hoan Kiem Lake in central Hanoi. As one of the Danish performers explained, the point of the street festival is to make art accessible to passer-bys.
The Queen and her family met more Danes living and working in Vietnam at a reception at the National History Museum. Prince Henrik was there this time.
He was also in attendance for a return banquet in the evening, in which the Danish royals thanked their Vietnamese guests for welcoming them to their country.
The Prince Consort might be toning down his engagements for this trip as he has been doing all year. The 75 year-old Henrik has been giving some up of his royal duties so he could go into a sort of retirement.
Although they arrived yesterday, the two royal couples of Denmark got down to business for their state visit to Vietnam today.
 REUTERS/Kham The day began with the official welcoming ceremony by President Nguyen Minh Triet and his wife, Tran Thi Kim Chi at Hanoi’s Presidential Palace. National anthems were played, and Queen Margrethe II and the President inspected the guard of honor.
Inside the Palace, the royal family posed with President Nguyen and the First Lady in front of a bust of Ho Chi Minh. They later laid a wreath at the late Vietnamese leader’s mausoleum.
Next, the royals split and made different visits around Hanoi. The Crown Princely couple, Frederik and Mary, went to the Bang & Olufson Store. Frederik then made a separate trip to the HABECO Brewery, a partner of Carlsberg, and then to the Climate Change Institute.
 Later in the day, Queen Margrethe and her daughter in law visited My Anh flag factory, where Denmark’s red and white flags are made.
In the evening, a state banquet was held in honor of the Danish royal family by President Triet. The Queen wore a simple two-piece dress, while Crown Princess Mary looked stunning in a floral blue bateau necked gown. However, unlike the Queen, Mary did not wear a tiara. The men – Prince Henrik and Frederik – wore suits and ties, instead of tuxedoes.
While Queen Margrethe and her son and heir are out of Denmark, her second son, Prince Joachim, is regent until the Queen and Frederik return.
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