Crown Prince Christian stepped in for his grandmother Saturday, opening the Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge in her honour.
The future king announced that he would attend the ceremony on behalf of Queen Margrethe following her medical issues in May.
The Queen Margrethe II Bridge connects Zealand and Falster via Masnedø, and crosses the Storstrømmen.
To commemorate the event, Crown Prince Christian drove the last car over the Storstrøm Bridge before it closed to make way for Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge. He paused as he drove past the 102-metre high pylon, which has Queen Margrethe’s monogram engraved on it.
Queen Margrethe had been due to open the bridge herself before she had to cancel her attendance due to ongoing medical issues.
In May, the ailing queen was hospitalised in the Rigshopitalet for heart issues and received a balloon angioplasty of a coronary artery, according to the Danish Royal Court; and was again admitted for a blood clot in her hip after a fall. She was released to Fredensborg Palace on 29 May.
During the bridge opening ceremony, Crown Prince Christian was presented with the blueprints of the Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge to present to his grandmother by its project manager, Barbara MacAuley. MacAuley said, “I hope that Your Royal Highness will take it north and deliver it to Queen Margrethe. We hope that she will enjoy it and will send her bridge a thought every now and then in the future.”
Crown Prince Christian also attended a bridge party on Masnedø island, welcomed by the Minister of Urban Affairs, Land and Transport, and other Danish road officials.
King Christian X opened the Storstrøm Bridge in September 1937 and was, along with his son and daughter-in-law (later King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid) the first to cross the bridge by train.
The second vehicle to cross the bridge was a Chevrolet car, which was on hand at Saturday’s bridge opening ceremony, as the second-to-last car to travel it before it closed permanently.
This is Crown Prince Christian’s first official solo engagement, and it comes just as he’s appointed Second Lieutenant with the Guards Hussar Regiment next week. King Frederik and Queen Mary will attend the ceremony.
From August, Crown Prince Christian will serve as a Platoon Commander with the Royal Life Guards.
