The Queen of Denmark has told her people that coronavirus has created a frightening situation and a new reality for many. But in a live TV address, Margrethe II added that everyone had the power to break the chain of illness created by Covid-19 and ”create new hope in a difficult time”.
Queen Margrethe gave her address on March 17th 2020, just days after Denmark closed its borders to try and stop the spread of the virus. She described the current situation as serious but added it was a burden shared with people across the world. She had high praise for those working to stop the coronavirus and help those affected by it and she emphasised the power of communal efforts, saying that by following rules to keep social contact to a minimum, they had the ability to halt the damage Covid-19 can bring.
Margrethe spoke to Denmark from her home at Fredensborg Castle, dressed in deep red, a sombre nod to the main colour on her country’s national flag. She also wore a ruby brooch in the shape of a horseshoe that was given to her by her father, King Frederik IX. It is a symbol of her reign as she received it following a referendum that confirmed her right to become heir to the throne and she wore it on the day she was proclaimed Queen of Denmark. It was a powerful and poignant gesture.
The Danish Queen’s speech was also peppered with references to family and friends. She spoke of the virus spreading ”like rings in the water” and said that even if someone had it without feeling unwell, they could pass it through a long chain of people and one of them might end up very ill. She also reminded them that each loss from Covid-19 was personal, saying ”a child can lose his grandmother, a daughter his father, a wife her husband. Friends suddenly won’t be there anymore”.
Margrethe II ended by offering her sympathies to those affected by the virus and those left to mourn the people who have died from it. She praised the health workers, emergency services and police and defence forces for their work and thanked the governement and local authorities at all level for their work in ensuring the virus doesn’t spread.
There were also wo’rds of reflection from Margrethe as she told her listeners that ”It is natural that we are concerned, but together we can create new hope in a difficult time”.
You can see the Queen of Denmark’s full speech here.
