Queen Margrethe and the Faroe Islands

Later this week, Queen Margrethe will visit the Faroe Islands aboard the Royal Yacht Dannebrog in her role as queen of the North Atlantic islands. Ahead of her visit, let’s take a look at Queen Margrethe’s history with the Faroe Islands.

It was officially confirmed in April that Queen Margrethe would visit the Faroe Islands and that the visit would afford her the “opportunity to experience the Faroese culture, nature and gastronomy in a number of towns and villages.”

The Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic about halfway between Norway and Iceland, is an archipelago that falls under the kingdom of Denmark, though the Islands have been self-governing since 1948. As of September 2020, the Faroe Islands have a population of 52,703 people.

Though Denmark maintains a presence there, and Queen Margrethe is its head of state, the Faroe Islands supports its own military defence, justice and policing, currency and foreign affairs policies.

Queen Margrethe regularly visits the Faroe Islands, with her last visit in 2016. The Danish Royal Family also visits, with the Crown Prince Couple and their four children visiting recently.

Queen Margrethe usually features the Faroe Islands in major celebrations for the family, including last year’s Royal Advent Calendar, which saw a cartoon elf girl fly around Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands to learn more about the respective countries’ Christmas traditions.

Crown Prince Frederik’s Royal Run, which was launched as a marathon for his 50^th birthday and plans to continue after the pandemic is over, also runs in the Faroe Islands as a means of uniting the Danish kingdom in sport.

In her Christmas address last year, Queen Margrethe spoke of her excitement for an upcoming visit to the Faroe Islands, reminiscing about the “wonderful islands and the proud people in the North Atlantic. I look forward to witnessing the rapid development which Faroese society has experienced since my latest visit in 2016.”

Planned stops along Queen Margrethe’s visit to the Faroe Islands include the capital city of Tórshavn, where she will visit the parliament (Tinganes), the legislature (Lagting). She will also visit the Klaksvík Municipality, the Fuglafjørdur Municipality, the Vestmanna Municipality, the Kvívík Municipality, the Miðvágur Municipality, and the Sjóvar Municipality.

Royal Central will bring you complete updates on Queen Margrethe’s visit to the Faroe Islands this week!