The destinations which the Danish Queen will visit on her royal yacht this season have been revealed. It will be a varied summer tour with the ship due to travel a long distance. It was not possible for the Danish Royal Family to use the ship in 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation. When Her Majesty the Queen officially goes aboard the Royal Danish Ship Dannebrog on 4 May at it will be the beginning of a sailing season that takes the Queen to a Reunion Celebration in Southern Jutland, a trip to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and on a summer trip to the municipalities of Thisted, Esbjerg and Fanø.
The first highlight of this year’s sailing season will be Sunday 13 June, when The Queen will take part in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Reunification of Denmark and Southern Jutland. Last year, the Royal House’s planned reunification activities were cancelled in July. This year, it is planned that the Queen will participate in the postponed celebration with a programme inspired by the event that took place in 1920. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Christian will also participate in parts of the celebration.
One month later, the Royal Yacht heads north on a Commonwealth cruise. The Queen’s visit to the Faroe Islands is scheduled to take place in mid-July, and along the way the Queen will visit towns and villages. The visit to Greenland begins at the end of July and continues into August. The final dates for the visits to the Faroe Islands and Greenland will be announced soon. At the end of the summer, The Queen is set to visit Thisted on 30 August, Esbjerg on 31 August and Fanø on 1 September. The individual municipalities are the hosts for the visits, and on the summer cruises, the Queen will, among other things, visit a number of companies and cultural institutions.
The Danish royal yacht is one of the world’s two remaining royal yachts. The other is the Norwegian royal yacht, Norge. The British royal yacht, Britannia was decommissioned in 1997. The Dannebrog yacht was built from 1931-1932 as a replacement for a former royal vessel, the paddle steamer Dannebrog, from 1879. The ship serves as an official and private residence for The Queen and the Royal Family during summer cruises of Denmark or on official overseas visits.
When not occupied by the royals, the Dannebrog takes part in surveillance and sea operations. The Dannebrog plays an important role in the visibility of the monarchy across the country by allowing The Queen and the Royal Family to visit numerous Danish port towns and stay connected to all parts of the kingdom through direct contact with the local population. The only ever interruption of the annual tour was during the German occupation of 1940-45 when the ship was docked in Copenhagen Harbour.
