King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will visit Denmark on a state visit from the 28th to the 30th of March. They accepted the invitation for the tour, which was announced on 14 February, from Queen Margrethe of Denmark.
King Philippe only assumed the throne in the summer of 2013, after his father, King Albert, abdicated. This means that this visit will be the first state visit the new Belgian royals will have taken to Denmark.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will be accompanied by seven ministers alongside a business delegation of over 30 Belgian companies to the Scandanavian country.
The royal bonds between Denmark and Belgium can be dated as far back as 1863, with the two royal families both descending from the House of Glücksborg. These relationships continue today with Queen Mathilde acting as the godmother of Princess Isabella of Denmark. Princess Isabella is the second child of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. The King and Queen of the Belgians participated in the celebrations for Queen Margrethe’s 75th birthday in 2015, as well.
The visit will focus mainly on growing the connection between the two countries with a strong emphasis on business and culture. The King and Queen, alongside the 37 Belgian companies, will focus on topics such as sustainable development, renewable energy and smart city solutions, among other things.
The visit has a clear focus on future technology and green technology and shows the path the two countries are trying to create for themselves.
King Philippe will visit Copenhagen City Hall, the Confederation of Danish Industry, and alongside Queen Mathilde, the Cinematheque in Copenhagen.
Relations between Denmark and Belgium are important for both countries. Belgium served as the 14th largest export market for Denmark and offers a lot of potential with Danish companies who serve in the climate, energy and logistic sectors.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde travelled to the Netherlands and Japan last year for state visits.
