Christmas is approaching for Europe’s royal families, and all of us. Earlier this week, Queen Margrethe of Denmark visited the ballet where she has designed set and costumes. During the following press conference, Her Majesty was asked where she would celebrate her Christmas and she took her time in sharing her plans.
At the very end of the press session, the Danish weekly magazine “HER&NU” referred to the fact that it is a Christmas show and asked Queen Margrethe what thoughts she had around Christmas and what Christmas traditions she is most looking forward to do.
The Queen replied: “That does not have much to do with the ballet, does it? So other than, yes, we have a Christmas tree in the ballet, because we imagine that the time when we are introduced to Gerda and her grandmother and Kay happens right at Christmas Eve, and she is about to decorate the Christmas tree. That way, we have drawn Christmas into the ballet. And then it takes place in the winter context, so that way it also gets a connection with Christmas. I expect to celebrate Christmas at Marselisborg Castle this year”.
It is a firm tradition that the Queen enjoys her Christmas Eve at Marselisborg Castle, which also happened last year. Here she had both Prince Joachim and Princess Marie as well as, Prince Henrik, Princess Athena, Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix around her. The queen arrived in Aarhus last year on Monday 21 December and stayed in the city until Wednesday 30 December, after which she changed residence to Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen.
Marselisborg Castle was built south of Aarhus in the years 1899 to 1902 in connection with the later King Christian X’s engagement to Princess Alexandrine and given to the couple as a gift from the Danish people. It has since been inherited within the family.
