On 16 April, Queen Margrethe celebrated her 79th birthday at Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus. The Queen always makes a balcony appearance with the Royal Family to celebrate her birthday with the Danish people each year. She usually marks the occasion at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, but when Easter Sunday falls on the same week as her birthday, she celebrates at Marselisborg Palace as this is where she spends Easter each year.
The last time the Queen’s birthday was celebrated at Marselisborg Palace was in 2017 so this year’s birthday was the first one she marked in Aarhus since Prince Henrik’s death in 2018. For the occasion, she was joined by Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary and their children, Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine. Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and their children were absent, but the Court hasn’t commented on the reason why. Last year, Crown Prince Frederik missed the celebrations as he was travelling privately to Greenland.
When they appeared on the balcony at noon, Queen Margrethe and the Crown Prince Family greeted the Danish people who were waiting in the gardens. At one point, Princess Isabella and Princess Josephine spotted a little girl holding flowers in the crowd and asked permission from their mother and grandmother to go get the flowers. Prince Christian and Prince Vincent joined the two Princesses, and together they greeted the girl and brought her flowers to Queen Margrethe. The Music Corps played music during the short balcony appearance, and they noticeably played Prince Henrik’s March.
Queen Margrethe started her stay at Marselisborg Palace on 12 April, and she will leave on 23 April as she will start her stay at Fredensborg Palace where she will receive Fredensborg city’s torchlight, a tradition that began in 1988 and that she honours every time she stays in Fredensborg Palace.
