SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

CoronavirusDenmarkEuropean Royals

Denmark gets ready to celebrate Queen Margrethe

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

When Queen Margrethe celebrates her 80th birthday tomorrow, it will be with less fanfare than originally planned, but Danish officials are offering ways to celebrate The Queen from home.

Denmark’s Foreign Ministry, which runs the Denmark.dk Twitter account, posted suggestions on ways to celebrate Queen Margrethe’s birthday, including watching special programming on the Danish Broadcasting Corporation to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ throughout the day with special guest singers to lead the choir of at-home vocalists.

The Denmark.dk account also shared a recipe for ‘lagkake,’ a traditional Danish layer cake, to make birthday cakes for Queen Margrethe at home.

“The whole month of April was intended for the celebration of The Queen’s birthday. Due to the Coronavirus, the official celebration is cancelled. However, it does not stop the Danes from celebrating their beloved Queen, and community singing has become a central element!”, the Twitter account posted on Wednesday afternoon.

Queen Margrethe cancelled her birthday celebrations as the novel Coronavirus began to spread throughout Europe, though a host of events were planned to mark her day.

They included a special exhibition, ‘The Faces of the Queen’ at Fredensborg Castle that would have displayed pictures, videos and clothes, among other items, dedicated to Queen Margrethe’s life, work and social interests.

Other events would have included a press conference, a procession in a royal coach, a gala concert performance, a reception with children from all over Denmark, a gala dinner with members of the Danish Royal Family and other European royals, and a ballet performance at Tivoli Concert Hall.

Queen Margrethe would have also, on her birthday, received the crowds from the balcony at Fredensborg Castle, then joined the rest of the Danish Royal Family on the balcony at Amalienborg Palace to receive the crowds and watch the Changing of the Guard. Then, she would have visited City Hall for a birthday reception and hosted a private dinner in the evening.

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.