Queen Margrethe of Denmark spoke of her country’s progress in her live annual New Year’s Eve address this evening.
The Queen began by stating, “When the clock strikes twelve at midnight, the old year comes to an end. At that very moment, we toast the new year and wish each other “Happy New Year”.
“On New Year’s Morning, we wake up to embrace new days. They lie ahead of us, waiting for us, but the time that has passed lies behind us.
“And yet – all the things that happen to us leave an impact and provide us with experience, good and not so good. We must carry that experience with us further in life.”
She then went on to discuss the Danish progress including the economy saying that Denmark is getting richer but questioned if the people were getting any wealthier. Queen Margrethe said too many people are focused on the hustle and bustle of daily life and are forgetting about reflection and consideration which the Queen fears “may be pushed back and forgotten.”
Technology was another point with Her Majesty giving credit to its positive contributions – like being able to FaceTime family across the globe – as well as warning against its negative aspects. With that, she directly spoke to the younger generation watching her speech saying, “The important thing is not how you look or what you have achieved. But who you are and how you behave towards others – your friends and schoolmates; if you are so busy achieving what is best for yourself all the time, you fail to see how others are doing.
“You need to take the time to notice if a friend is unhappy. There must be time to understand if you have said something that hurts a friend, or you have teased someone too much. It is important to patch things up again then.”
Her Majesty made sure to acknowledge emergency service personnel, as well.
The Queen touched on several topics over the past year including her son, Crown Prince Frederik’s 50th birthday and the celebrations – specifically mentioning the Royal Run to which the Queen said made her “very proud” to see Frederik’s joy and gratefulness on the day.
The Queen’s remarks also addressed her late husband, Prince Henrik’s death in February 2018:
“I cannot look back at the year that has passed without mentioning the death of Prince Henrik. We spent 50 years together, we had two sons, and eight grandchildren have been added to the family – we were given all that, and much more. The warm sympathy shown us, and the understanding of Prince Henrik’s contribution which was so beautifully expressed by everybody in Denmark upon his demise have warmed the hearts of us all, including his family in France. Once again, I wish to express my deep-felt gratitude.”
Queen Margrethe told the Danish people that the Royal Family have much to be thankful for over the past year, “The Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie and my eight wonderful grandchildren together with me have so much to say thanks for. We all feel the warm support which we encounter everywhere, on special occasions, as well as in day-to-day life.”
She concluded her speech saying, “Life brings us both sorrows and joys.
“Let us welcome the new year with reflection and consideration. Let us carry our experience – good and not so good – into the new year and let us embrace the year in a spirit of hope and confidence.
“I wish you all a happy New Year!
“God Bless Denmark!”
Her Majesty’s full speech can be read in English here.
