King Frederik and Queen Mary enjoy art and nature as they start epic summer tour

King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark have begun their annual summer tour through the country. And the Queen of Denmark showed a sense of humour as she ran into an unexpected although increasingly common issue for her.

As they arrived at Sæby Harbour for their day in Frederikshavn Municipality, the Danish queen was chased by a wasp. It was an echo of a walkabout last month in which Queen Mary had to retreat indoors after she was stung. As the latest insect closed in on her, Mary said ”I need to stay away from that one, something bad happened last time”.

Church service for Danish royals

Following a welcoming ceremony after they dock at the harbour, the royal couple attended an official service at Sæby Church.

The church, which dates back to the 15th century, is one of the most beautiful in Denmark. It’s the only remaining part of a Carmelite monastery which was founded in 1470.

It’s actually called the Church of St. Mary and among its treasures are chalk frescoes dating from the early 1500s including one of the Virgin Mary which is believed to have been created in around 1520. King Frederik and Queen Mary also saw the 16th century pulpit of the church and its beautiful altar piece.

As their time in Sæby continued, they met municipality officials before heading to Sæby Glass Blowing Mill, where they’ll saw a demonstration and learned more about the glass blowing history of the town.

A visit to the old town

From there, they took a walk through the Old Town beginning at the city hall and stopping at Adda Ravnkilde’s house. This was a particularly resonant visit for Queen Mary as Adda Ravnkilde was one of the first women to champion women’s rights in Denmark. It’s an area that Queen Mary has spoken of passionately many times in the past.

Adda Ravnkilde also campaigned for women to have the right to be educated, a topic she spoke of frequently in her short life. Adda was born in 1862 and as a teenager, she joined the Modern Breakthrough Movement in literature which emphasised full rights for women as well as realism.

Her works include Judith Furste and En Pyrrhussejr, novels focussed on the struggles of young women with freedom as well as love. Adda Ravnkilde died by suicide in 1883 after a broken relationship sent her into a depression. Her life and work, much of it published posthumously, is well known in Denmark.

The royal visit ended at the Clasens Have, a garden renowned amongst the artist community.

Spotlight on nature

After a busy start to the first day of a week long tour around Denmark, it was time for a well earned lunch. King Frederik and Queen Mary were entertained at the Forest House in Bangsboskoven before visiting the junior rangers at Råbjerg Mile, where they learned about their activities and take part in a nature walk.

The next stop on this packed royal tour was Anchers Hus in Skagen which was once the centre of one of Denmark’s most famous artistic gatherings. The beautiful red painted house belonged to renowned artists, Michael and Anna Ancher, and became a focal point for a movement of artists.

Then it was off to the northernmost tip of Denmark, Grenen, which is just past Skagen. They enjoyed some stunning views at the place where the North Sea and Kattegat, part of the Baltic sea, meet. Grenen is a protected nature reserve and is a favourite with bird watchers.

In the evening, King Frederik and Queen Mary hosted a reception aboard the Danneborg.