January
Queen Margrethe began the New Year with a poignant speech, urging us all to “Not lose heart” over the ongoing pandemic.
As the Danish Royal Family is renowned for their New Year’s and New Year’s Eve events, the team here at Royal Central looked back at the New Year’s fashions of Queen Margrethe, Crown Princess Mary, and Princess Marie. We also looked back on past New Year’s Galas, as 2021’s was cancelled due to the pandemic. So instead, Queen Margrethe received dignitaries for smaller audiences to mark the new year.
Queen Margrethe became one of the first European royals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine celebrated their 10th birthdays (new photos snapped by Crown Princess Mary were released) and received their own royal monograms to mark the milestone.
Later in the month, Princess Athena celebrated her ninth birthday, and a photo of her frolicking in the Parisian snow was released. Crown Prince Frederik visited Copenhagen’s emergency services providers and sportsmanship between Sweden and Denmark—in the form of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Victoria wishing each others’ national handball teams well in the Men’s World Championships Final—closed out the month.
February
Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine took centre stage in the announcement of the 2021 Royal Run dates; Crown Princess Mary took over the Danish Royal Family’s Instagram account to share a message about the COVID-19 vaccine (“What I took with me from the briefing was that even though there is still a long way to go, there is reason to be optimistic – infection rates are falling in several places, we are constantly building up new important knowledge… and then we now have the vaccine. I can feel in myself and others around me that it feels heavy right now and that our patience is being put to the test. Therefore, it is good to hear that we can be hopeful – it can give us energy to persevere and hold on.”).
Crown Princess Mary also met with young people to hear about the effects of the pandemic on their social lives and how they’ve navigated the feelings of loneliness throughout the past couple of years and attended meetings at the World Health Organisation.
And finally, Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, the ex-wife of Prince Joachim, announced that she would be moving into a new apartment in Copenhagen.
March
This year, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway marked 30 years on the Norwegian throne, and Queen Margrethe was among their chief well-wishers. As she was on vacation at the beginning of March, Queen Margrethe shared well-wishes for spring from the Jagtejendommen nature reserve in Trend.
Crown Princess Mary celebrated the installation of a defibrillator outside Amalienborg; Prince Felix’s military education plans were revealed; and Crown Princess Mary attended a roundtable discussion to mark International Women’s Day; shared a photo of herself and Princess Josephine on social media; and said that we must continue to be ambitious.
Meanwhile, Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik conducted their first-ever digital Council of State meeting; and Queen Margrethe attended a scaled-down military parade. The Queen’s Easter plans were revealed: she decided to spend the holiday at Marselisborg.
Queen Margrethe appointed a new Lord Chamberlain; Crown Princess Mary wrote a foreword for a book about maternal mental health, and the details of Prince Christian’s confirmation were released.
Speaking of Prince Christian, we profiled the teenagers who will someday become monarchs. The 15-year-old is second-in-line after his father.
April
The Danish Royal Family shared family snaps of their Easter holiday, and we shared our picks for Denmark’s best diamond tiaras. We also profiled the grandchildren of Queen Margrethe.
Queen Margrethe commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Bornholm and later sent her condolences to Queen Elizabeth II upon the death of the Duke of Edinburgh on 9 April. Queen Margrethe would later order the flags at Amalienborg to be flown at half-mast in Prince Philip’s honour.
For the second year in a row, Queen Margrethe marked her birthday with scaled-down celebrations. This year, it was a private event with a surprise concert. In a birthday interview, she also revealed that she doesn’t use email, text, or Facebook.
In other news, three members of the Danish Royal Guard were caught on duty while under the influence of cocaine; Prince Christian’s fall school plans were revealed (he started attending the Herlufsholm Gymnasium in Næstved in September, and Crown Princess Mary spoke about his decision to the press), and the Crown Prince Family moved to Fredensborg Palace.
Queen Margrethe made plans to exhibit all of her lockdown needlework creations, and Princess Isabella celebrated her 14th birthday. Prince Christian began preparing for his confirmation with guidance from his grandmother, and Queen Margrethe announced her destinations for the summer tour aboard the Royal Yacht Dannebrog.
May
Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (daughter of Princess Benedikte) opened the Camping Museum at Egeskov Castle in Denmark, and new photos of Prince Henrik were released for his 12th birthday.
Queen Margrethe began the royal sailing season and unveiled a statue commemorating Jewish escape. At the Womenomics Nordic Business Conference, Crown Princess Mary gave a speech championing gender equality.
As Prince Christian’s confirmation drew nearer, it was revealed that there would not be foreign guests in attendance due to the ongoing pandemic. On 15 May, we covered Prince Christian’s confirmation with a photo gallery. An unexpected twist to the confirmation? Princess Isabella’s remarks to her mother—“Did you not say I should go with Grandma? Are you completely confused?”—went viral.
Crown Prince Frederik received his first vaccine; then, he and Queen Margrethe met with the US Secretary of State. He continued his high profile meetings at a leadership conference while Princess Benedikte unveiled a portrait of herself and Crown Princess Mary launched a green social media campaign.
As Prince Joachim and Princess Marie celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary, we looked back on their wedding day. We also looked at how the Scandinavian royals are related to each other, covered Queen Margrethe’s attendance at the 50th-anniversary celebrations for the Danish Army Priests’ Department, and wrote about how the gardens at Fredensborg Palace won a prestigious award.
Meanwhile, Prince Joachim got candid about his royal role in an interview with Point de Vue, saying: “The Crown Prince simply has to follow the course of events. However, nothing is defined for the second-born son and the person’s wife, neither in writing nor in speech. My father became acquainted with the same dissatisfaction and never managed to get his place in the royal family pinned down.”
June
Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik, and Prince Christian celebrated 100 years of reunification between Denmark and South Jutland (we explained the history of the carriage used by the royals), and Crown Princess Mary showed off her football skills ahead of Euro 2020.
Princess Marie used her platform to advocate against food waste at a virtual conference in Beijing; Crown Princess Mary opened a new hospital in Herlev, and the Crown Prince Couple hosted a dinner to celebrate the friendship between the Baltic nations.
Crown Prince Frederik presented Invictus Games medals on the same day that Lady Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor was born (her father, Prince Harry, is the creator of the Invictus Games); and Princess Benedikte opened a new passport facility.
Before the Tokyo Olympics began, Crown Prince Frederik announced his intention to resign as a member of the International Olympic Committee, which ended up sparking abdication rumours that later proved unfounded. Crown Prince Frederik closed out the month by presenting the Danish Olympic Flag to the team and announcing the flagbearers.
We looked back at the wedding of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik in 1967; Crown Princess Mary spoke at the UN World Goals Conference, and Crown Prince Frederik thanked those who rushed to help Danish footballer Christian Eriksen following his medical emergency on the field at a Euro 2020 opening game.
A Danish woman was arrested for threats against the Royal Family; Crown Prince Frederik continued to champion the Danish football team, and Crown Princess Mary opened a youth hospice. Crown Prince Frederik also laid the foundation stone for a new air force base.
As Denmark continued to advance in Euro 2020, so too did Danish royal attendance at the matches. Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Christian, Prince Nicolai and Prince Felix all turned up at a match in Copenhagen; Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian later attended the Denmark vs Russia match.
Queen Margrethe designed sets and costumes for a ballet in Tivoli, and she attended its premiere before taking up summer residence at Gråsten Palace. Her sisters, Queen Anne Marie and Princess Benedikte, joined her for a holiday; and Prince Felix graduated from secondary school.
July
The Danish Royal House announced that Queen Margrethe’s public audiences would resume in September, the first time since the pandemic began.
The members of the Danish Royal Family celebrated Denmark’s continued success at Euro 2020, but alas, when Denmark was defeated by England at Wembley—with the Crown Prince Couple and Prince Christian in attendance—they released another, sober statement thanking the team for their push.
Ahead of Queen Margrethe’s summer tour of the Faroe Islands, we looked at the history of the relationship between the Faroe Islands and the Danish royals. We covered her visit here and here. Sadly, her tour of Greenland was postponed due to the pandemic.
August
As the Tokyo Olympics began, we looked back at Olympic love stories, including one of the most famous: how Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary met at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. We also looked at the Scandinavian Olympians and reported on Princess Natalie (Princess Benedikte’s daughter)’s potential return to equestrianism.
Crown Prince Frederik took to social media to congratulate Denmark’s Olympians, and Prince Christian left for school. We covered his official school photos here. Prince Joachim competed in his first car race since brain surgery, and at a reception for Danish Olympians later in the month, Crown Prince Frederik said: “We have roared, cried, smiled and fought with you.”
Prince Joachim and his family spent part of August in Denmark, enjoying a night out at the theatre, and Crown Prince Frederik prepared for the Royal Run. He also took time to pose with young royal fans dressed up in Royal Guards’ uniforms and shared the photos on social media.
As Queen Margrethe’s summer vacation ended, we reported that Princess Marie hadn’t joined the family because she was carrying out her own engagements in Denmark. We noticed that she hadn’t been credited as the photographer of new images of her family. Another Danish royal who got into the photography game in August? Prince Vincent. He snapped a picture of his parents prepping for the Royal Run.
At a Human Rights Conference that also celebrated World Pride, Copenhagen 2021, and the Euro Games, Crown Princess Mary delivered a speech celebrating diversity. The Crown Prince Couple later hosted the President of Iceland during a visit to Denmark, and Princess Marie celebrated the appointment of a new director for AIDS Denmark.
Crown Princess Mary presented research prizes while her husband swam with the fishes in the name of marine research and announced his intention to take a security policy course.
August ended with the news that Queen Margrethe has never drunk whiskey before in her life. File away that information for royal trivia games…
September
Queen Margrethe joined the Netflix game…by creating the scenography and costumes for an upcoming fantasy epic film. And she marked the end of the summer sailing season by sharing a photo of all the flowers she’d received on tour.
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary celebrated Flag Day, and the Danish Royal House announced that New Year’s events would return in 2022!
Crown Princess Mary paid a two-day visit to Milan for Design Week; Queen Margrethe attended a movie premiere, and the Danish Royal House announced that The Queen would visit Greenland after all.
The Crown Prince Family took part in the Royal Run; Crown Princess Mary gave a speech at the World Health Organisation’s 71st session, and Princess Benedikte announced that the Queen Ingrid’s Honorary Scholarship programme would end in 2022.
Crown Prince Frederik celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Fifth Thule Expedition; Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik announced a State Visit to Germany, and Crown Princess Mary went back to university…to open a new facility.
The Crown Prince Couple also presented their foundation’s awards, and Queen Margrethe and Crown Princess Mary hosted a military dinner. Crown Princess Mary presented educational prizes to teachers, and Princess Marie helped out at her son’s school. Speaking of Princess Marie, she celebrated ten years as Patron of DanChurchAid.
And to close out the month, Queen Margrethe hosted a Gala State Council Dinner with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary.
October
As October began, Prince Felix announced that he would give up his military training. Princess Marie received a new role as well: Special Cultural Representative in the Department of Culture at the Danish Embassy in Paris.
Crown Princess Mary paid a visit to Lithuania on a diplomatic trip, and later, the Danish Royal Family attended the Opening of Parliament.
The biggest news in October? Plans for Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee in January 2021 were announced! We also covered the royal jewels that will be on display next winter. We also wondered who might attend the Jubilee celebrations from the foreign royal families.
Crown Princess Mary met with a Danish footballer to discuss the link between the sport and mental health support; Crown Prince Frederik attended a military parade, and the Sami People of Norway asked Queen Margrethe to return an artefact (King Harald of Norway later commented on the letter from the Sami People).
Queen Margrethe undertook her royal visit to Greenland (covered here, too); the Crown Prince Couple visited Haslev to mark its 150th anniversary, and Crown Prince Frederik visited Iceland.
As Prince Christian celebrated his 16th birthday, we took a look back at his royal year and his increase in royal duties.
King Philippe of Belgium paid an official visit to Denmark and met with Queen Margrethe, and Prince Joachim and Princess Marie flew in from France to help the Danish Royal Family celebrate the Danish film industry.
Queen Margrethe posed for a portrait using a camera dating back to the 1800s, and Crown Princess Mary continued a beloved tradition of unveiling the Christmas stamp.
Before November, and its bevvy of state visits, began, we broke down all of the itineraries in this helpful post.
November
We reported Crown Princess Mary’s visit to Burkina Faso, Princess Benedikte’s visit to Frankfurt for a Danish opera, and the 2021 Christmas stamp.
Queen Margrethe and Prince Joachim attended the funeral of former Danish Court Marshal Søren Haslund-Christensen; Crown Prince Frederik hosted a King’s Hunt, and Queen Margrethe saw the rehearsals for an upcoming ballet she’s creating scenes and costumes for (and later gave a press conference for the show).
As Christmas approached, Queen Margrethe and the Danish royals announced their holiday plans. Then, Queen Margrethe welcomed the leaders of Nordic nations to Denmark. Princess Marie launched a Christmas calendar for a cause close to her heart, then she and Prince Joachim visited a Christmas market in Paris, and Crown Princess Mary attended the Hubertus Hunt.
Ahead of the Danish State Visit to Germany, we looked at past State Visits to the country. We covered her jewels on display here (as well as the chaos when part of her brooch broke off); and her engagements here.
Back in Copenhagen, Queen Margrethe attended a military parade. Princess Benedikte attended the Swedish Christmas Fair in Copenhagen and accepted the patronage of a charity that works to support young, homeless, and vulnerable people.
And finally, Queen Margrethe’s official Golden Jubilee portrait was unveiled.
December
We covered the latest news on plans for Crown Princess Mary’s 50th birthday celebrations in February 2022, and Princess Marie starred in a documentary about food waste. The Danish Royal House also launched a new look for their website.
Queen Margrethe makes an annual trip to London every December, but sadly she was forced to cancel due to the pandemic. The Danish Royal Family was on hand to see the premiere of The Snow Queen, for which Queen Margrethe designed costumes and scenes.
A baby elephant jointly owned by Queen Margrethe and King Carl XVI Gustaf died; Princess Benedikte revealed her Christmas plans, and we looked forward to all the festivities planned for Denmark in 2022.
Queen Margrethe shared childhood photos of herself celebrating the St. Lucia Day festivities (her Swedish mother, Queen Ingrid, brought the tradition to Denmark); Crown Prince Frederik hosted a hunt; and sadly, due to the ongoing pandemic, Queen Margrethe was forced to cancel New Year’s Day festivities once again.
Unfortunately, Crown Princess Mary tested positive for COVID-19 (she later made a recovery and joined the royals for Christmas festivities); and her eponymous foundation gave a donation to a women’s charity in Burkina Faso. As we headed into the holidays, we looked back at how the Danish Royal Family celebrates Christmas.
