A trio of Danish royals began a state visit to Russia Tuesday, as a way of tightening bilateral ties between the countries. Queen Margrethe II, Prince Henrik and Crown Prince Frederik traveled to Moscow to begin their four official days in Russia, with three days set aside for a private visit.
Click here for images of Day 1 at Daylife.com
Upon landing in Moscow, the royals were welcomed by Transport Minister Igor Levitin. Queen Margrethe inspected the honor guard before she, her husband and son were taken to the Kremlin, where they met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
It was at the Kremlin that the official welcoming ceremony took place. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave a speech where he talked about Danish-Russian ties.
Later, the Queen and Prince Henrik were given a tour of the Pushkin museum by First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva. This marked the inauguration of the Danish Golden Age exhibition and Thorvaldsen exhibition at the museum.
Crown Prince Frederik also took the time to meet with officials of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be held in the Russian town of Sochi. Frederik is a member of the International Olympic Committee.
In the evening, there was a state banquet in honor of the Danish royals and their delegation.
On Wednesday, Her Majesty and Their Royal Highnesses performed the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Minutes later, Queen Margrethe attended a meeting with the chairman of the Duma, or Parliament. She also met with the President of Federation Council.
Click here for images of Day 2
In the afternoon, after attending business meetings, seeing a photography exhibit and opening factories, the Danish royal trio met with Vladimir Putin for a little while.
After that, Crown Prince Frederik went to the Skolkovo School of Management, while his parents went to the children’s ward at the Endocrinology Research Center.
Tomorrow, the Queen, Henrik and Frederik will travel north to former capital of Russia – during its imperial days – St. Petersburg. There, they will continue to promote Danish-Russian ties by signing business agreements, tour a factory, a brewery and a shipbuilding yard. They will also visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral to lay a wreath at the tomb of Empress Maria Feodorovna, the Danish princess who became the wife of Tsar Alexander III.
On Saturday, the royals will hold a press conference, discussing their time in Russia.
There is no official word on why Crown Princess Mary did not accompany her husband and in-laws to this state visit.
On a rainy Monday in Copenhagen, many of the adult members of the Danish royal family turned up at the Citadel for the unveiling of a monument dedicated to Danes who died while serving abroad for international efforts. 100,000 of Denmark’s soldiers have participated in peacekeeping and fighting efforts since 1949. Some returned home, others didn’t.
Click here for more photos at SN.dk
Queen Margrethe II gave a speech during the inauguration of the monument: “The monument stands in its simplicity as a symbol of the efforts of Danish men and women for many years has made around the world. Here are the names of the many who paid the highest prince who gave their lives. Here we will remember them and remember that Denmark’s efforts have costs that are not made up in dollars and cents,” she said.
Afterward, the Queen laid a wreath underneath the inscription that read: “A Time, A Place, A Human Being”.
The rest of the royals in attendance – Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie – followed Her Majesty in a tour around the octagon shaped memorial. It is divided into three parts: an outer section to be used for future ceremonies, an inner part that lists the places where Danish forces were placed, and a more inner part has the list of the 107 soldiers who died while serving Denmark since 1949.
There is also an eternal flame in honor of those who fell.
This monument was unveiled on Denmark’s Flag Day.
Sadly, another name will be added to the 107 names already listed. A 22 year old soldier was killed by an explosive device in Afghanistan over the weekend.
Sources: Billed Bladet, The Royal Forums, Billed Serie
Monday was time for the annual photocall for the Danish royal family at Gråsten Slot Castle where they were spending their summer vacation. This year’s session was more exciting since it allowed the world to see just how big Frederik and Mary’s twins have gotten.
Click here for more images at Daylife.com!
And boy haven’t they! Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine have developed round, chubby cheeks and were the darlings of the photo session, and of the royal family.
Their elder siblings, Prince Christian 5 1/2, and Princess Isabella, age 4, doted them as did their grandparents Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. Isabella and Josephine wore matching blue and white dresses. Perhaps that is a hint of things to come in future photo sessions?
Although the twins were the stars, one must not forget the other members, including Prince Joachim, who was there with his wife, Princess Marie, and all three of his sons – Nikolai, almost 12, Felix, age 9 and 2 year old Henrik.
The Queen’s sister, Princess Benedikte, was at Gråsten Slot along with her son, Prince Gustav, and his girlfriend, Carina Axelsson.
Vacationing at the castle brings Frederik and Mary some time to relax before they head for a busy autumn. They will do official visits to the United States, Russia and the Crown Princess’ native Australia.
As a sign of solidarity with their fellow Scandinavians, the people of Denmark officially remembered Wednesday the victims of the dual attacks in Norway. A memorial service was held at Copenhagen Cathedral in which Queen Margrethe II, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary were in attendance. Originally, the plan was to hold the service at a Norwegian Seaman’s Church, but that was too small for the many people who wanted to come.
View gallery of the memorial service here
None of the royals spoke during the mass, but Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen did. He said: “At one moment it can feel as though everything we know, being torn away below us. Our faith in the good in people. Our hope for a life of joy, optimism and love for our family and loved ones. Our ideal of an open, secure and democratic society. The attacks on 22 July in Norway was such a moment. My heart froze to ice.
“Norway is in mourning. And today we take care with Norway.”
Rasmussen went on to talk about how the Danes show compassion towards Norway, their “brother country” as the Prime Minister put it. “We see the attack as an attack on our brothers and sisters – as an attack on ourselves,” he explained.
During the service, Frederik and Mary got teary-eyed. Even the Norwegian ambassador to Denmark got emotional.
Today’s mass came just as news of a Danish woman, Hanne Anette Balch Fjalestad, was confirmed as one of the victims of the Utøya shootings. Her daughter was also on the island, but survived.
The total of deaths from the dual attacks by a far-right fanatic stands now at 76.
On Wednesday, the President and First Lady of South Korea arrived Denmark to begin a two day state visit to the country. Lee Myung-bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok were welcomed at Copenhagen Airport by Queen Margrethe II and the rest of the Danish royal family – minus Crown Princess Mary for unknown reasons.
Click here for more pics of the state dinner
After inspecting the honor guard, the South Korean first couple and the royals headed to the palace to begin the state visit. It included a laying of wreaths at the Monument Jutlandia and the official opening of the Global Green Growth Institute by both President Lee and Crown Prince Frederik.
In the evening, the Danish royals gathered for a state dinner at Fredensborg Palace. This time, Crown Princess Mary was present. The event included speeches by the Queen and the President. Both praised each other’s countries and the relations between the two.
It was also during her speech that Her Majesty revealed that Frederik and Mary will go on an official visit to South Korea in 2012. The exact time is not known.
Thursday saw more of President Lee learning more about Denmark’s eco-friendly industries, such as the inauguration of the Korean-Danish Green Growth Alliance and seeing Danish electrical cars.
In the evening, the President and First Lady Kim Yoon-OK held an honorary dinner for their Danish hosts. Later on, they returned to their country.
Yesterday, it was revealed that the Queen of Denmark had made a surprise trip to Afghanistan on Wednesday. Queen Margrethe II went to Helmand province to the Danish troops in a carefully conducted visit, due to security reasons.
Together with Defense Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech, Her Majesty went to Patrol Base Line Camp Price and Camp Bastion.
“Over the past year I kept up with our soldiers in Afghanistan. It is in this context I had been delighted that their efforts have been praised and appreciated by both national and international,” said the Queen on the defense ministry’s website.
“Now, I myself had the opportunity to see and experience the Danish soldiers in Afghanistan. I am both impressed and proud of the work they do. Their drive, their determination and their good humor have made a big impression on me.”
“It’s a great experience coming here,” Margrethe said in an interview. “I’ve heard so much about it and read about it. I feel that now I have not just been here, but now I can put my own pictures to what I hear and read about.”
Currently, there are 750 Danish soldiers in Afghanistan.
In the past, Crown Prince Frederik made two trips to Afghanistan – 2008 and in 2010 – and in December 2009, his wife Crown Princess Mary made a similar visit.
Sources: Billed Bladet, MSNDK Starlounge
Below is a Danish video of Queen Margrethe II’s Afghan trip:
In an exclusive interview with Billed Bladet, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark spoke about the recent addition to her family – the twins born to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary in January.
Hanne Juul/Billed Bladet
The interview took place while the Queen was skiing Norway, around the time of the World Skiing Championships.
One question Her Majesty was asked was having the new prince and princess any different from the rest of her grandchildren.
“Not for me. But I can see how much it means to the family that it hits, if I may say so. There’s twice as much all the time, it is very strenuous. I have the impression that it is sleep, eat, breastfeed. Sleeping, eating, breastfeeding.”
The Queen also insisted that the older children of Frederik and Mary – Prince Christian, age 5, and Princess Isabella, age 3 – are not jealous of their new siblings.
“They think it’s exciting for the little boy and little girl. They are very proud of them and their parents are very good to show children that they do not come in second place, just because there are twins.”
Another question was how often the Queen sees the Crown Princely family.
“Yes, but we don’t see every other day. I think it’s pretty tiring to have twins and one should not be there all the time.”
Margrethe also talked about how Isabella has begun dance lessons and how Christian is growing up nicely.
The names of the twins will be revealed next April during their baptisms.
As the wedding of the year draws closer, more information is coming out about the nuptials between Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Most especially, information about who is invited is being revealed with some surprising news.
Danny Lawson - WPA Pool/Getty Images
First off, Denmark’s Crown Princely couple are not invited. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will be staying at home April 29th while Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik will go. This may be because the Queen is good friends with Queen Elizabeth II, William’s grandmother.
“There will be two Danish representatives, but the English monarchy has always been a bit special when it comes to who gets invited and who is not invited,” Danish royal expert Lars Sorensen said.
Also receiving invitations are neighbors from Catherine’s hometown of Bucklebury. Indian-born Chan Shingadia and wife Hash, who run the convenience store in which Catherine would stop by whenever she was in town. Also going to her wedding is Ms. Middleton’s family’s local butcher Martin Fidler and the village postman Ryan Naylor.
Additionally, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her partner Tim Mathison have been invited. This may be a surprise because Gillard has said she would like to see the monarchy be done away in Australia once Queen Elizabeth passes away.
Another surprise possibility is who might be representing Japan for the wedding. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are invited, but it is widely rumored that Crown Prince Naruhito will go, along with wife Crown Princess Masako. Masako has not traveled abroad in many years due to her stress-induced illness. In fact, the last royal wedding she attended was Belgian Crown Prince Philippe’s 1999 wedding. If Masako does go, it would be an excitement for royal fans everywhere.
Thursday morning saw Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa al Khalifa welcome Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband, Prince Henrik, for a state visit to the tiny Gulf Kingdom in hopes of tightening bilateral links.
Hanne Juul/Billed Bladet
During the welcoming ceremony outside the royal palace in Manama, the band playing the national anthems were shaky with the Danish anthem, but were able to play it in such a way that the regent couple could recognize it.
Afterward, the King, the Queen and the Prince went indoors for some coffee. The Bahraini King and the Danish Queen then held talks. It was then King Hamad praised Denmark’s ties with Bahrain.
“Your Majesty’s landmark visit reflects the importance of building strong relations, based on mutual respect and historic ties,” he told her.
Medals were then exchanged. His Majesty bestowed the King Hamad First Class Medal for Development in recognition of Queen Margrethe’s efforts to promote bilateral relations. A Bahrain First Class Medal was conferred on Prince Henrik.
Queen Margrethe then gave the Grand Cross of Dannebrog to King Hamad.
Margrethe and Henrik were then introduced to members of Bahraini parliament.
Following that, the royals lunched with King Hamad in a dining room decorated floor to ceiling with gold.
In the afternoon, Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik received a tour of two museums which were designed by Danish architects.
Just one day after they were born, Denmark’s royal twins have been receiving two very important visitors – their older brother and sister, Prince Christian and Princess Isabella. It was not known when those two would see their new siblings because Christian, age 5, reportedly had a cold.
ROYAL PRESS PHOTO OG COLOURPRESS/FILE
But he was obviously well enough to meet his newborn brother and sister. He and Isabella, age 3 1/2, were sneaked into Copenhagen University Hospital to avoid the press, which have been staked in the main lobby to get any news of the twins.
“They’ve been there and they thought it was really exciting to see their new siblings,” says the royal family’s press officer Lene Balleby to tv2.dk.
It is not known how Christian and Isabella reacted to them.
Last night, Queen Margrethe II, Prince Consort Henrik and John Donaldson – Crown Princess Mary’s father – stopped by the hospital to meet their new grandchildren. The Queen beamed with happiness as she left the hospital.
But for now, there will be no more visits for Mary, who has to rest after delivering her twins.
It is not known yet when she will be released from the hospital.
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