It is not every day that secret meetings from royal calendars are made public, but Denmark has made an exeption.
Crown Prince Frederik has just been involved a major briefing on important relief work. The meeting with representatives from the Danish Red Cross was not listed on the royal family’s official calendar of events. As a result, the Crown Prince was able to secretly travel to Østerbro in Copenhagen to meet with some of the organization’s leaders.
The Crown Prince attended a meeting to learn about the crucial work that is currently so vital in Turkey and Syria. Two weeks ago, Turkey and Syria experienced severe earthquakes that have so far claimed tens of thousands of lives. Several emergency relief organizations have stepped in to help, including the Danish Red Cross, which provided the Crown Prince with a briefing on the critical situation.
The Red Cross’ patron, the Crown Prince, was welcomed outside the country office in Østerbro, Copenhagen, by the Secretary General of the Red Cross, Anders Ladekarl, who provided an update on the Red Cross’ activities in the region and discussed the difficulties encountered after the earthquake. The Disaster Manager, Bjarke Skaanning, also joined in via video link from Turkey to present a status report. In addition, the Country Manager, Ravia Harribans, who had temporarily relocated from the relief efforts in Syria, also delivered a similar report.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has an important role as patron of the Danish Red Cross, and through his position has contributed to raising awareness of the organisation’s work both in Denmark and internationally. He has participated in several Red Cross events, such as the celebration of the organization’s 150th anniversary in 2013 and participation in conferences and meetings dealing with humanitarian issues.
As patron of the Red Cross, the Crown Prince has also engaged in the organisation’s work to help vulnerable and marginalized groups, and has visited several of the Red Cross’ projects both nationally and internationally. He has also been active in promoting the Red Cross’ humanitarian values and work to reduce suffering and increase respect for human dignity.
