Princess Marie of Denmark concluded her five-day humanitarian trip to Cambodia as Patron of DanChurchAid, which is celebrating its centenary in 2022 and who celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Princess’s role in 2021.
On her first day in the Asian country, Her Royal Highness was focused on celebrating Cambodia’s history and resilience with a visit to the Killing Fields, which is the memorial put together to commemorate the victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide. While there, she also met with some after-school students who, through DanChurchAid, managed to get access to the organisation’s youth services.
The second day was focused on Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, where DanChurchAid has its offices, in which the Princess spoke with employees about their work in the country. Subsequently, Princess Marie went out to once again visit Mith Samlanh, a partner to DanChurchAid who helps vulnerable people in the poorest area of the city with education and job training. The first visit was during her first trip to Cambodia in 2012, so the reunion was a happy moment. At the facility, the Princess played tennis table and a match of tug-of-war before attending a reception, complete with a Cambodian ballet performance, during which the Princess offered a few words.
Day three began with a blessing by a Buddhist monk, a tradition in the country. The Princess then moved to Kampong Chhang province, in central Cambodia, where she planted the first 100 trees on a new farm that works with one of DanChurchAid’s partners; the trees will symbolise the organisation’s centenary. The firm is called Farmer and Future Net, and it works with the Danish organisation in testing new climate change-resistant crops, as well as finding new markets for their produce.
The fourth day consisted of a visit to Takeo province in southern Cambodia. There, Her Royal Highness was focused on food production and visited another of DanChurchAid’s partners who breeds grasshoppers, the “superfood of the future.” Insects are considered an efficient source of nutrition, and what makes them even more valuable is that the production and breeding do not take much space, allowing small plots of land to produce a lot of food.
The Princess wrote in a post on Facebook: “I have to admit that I just had to get used to the idea of putting my teeth into a grasshopper… but they actually taste incredibly good. Especially if they are fried and seasoned with chilli and lemongrass.”
The fifth and final day of the visit was centred around human rights. Princess Marie visited Voices for Gender Equality, a centre for promoting gender equality and the protection of members of the LGBTQ+ community and victims of violence. Before her flight back to Paris, Her Royal Highness also met with a group of journalists in training in Phnom Penh and sent a greeting to all listeners in Cambodia.
The trip was an opportunity for Princess Marie to reminisce on her ten years as patron of DanChurchAid, as well as a trip down memory lane, with Cambodia being the first country she visited in her new role ten years ago. The visit was focused on many topics that the Princess is passionate about, including more sustainable food industry and women’s rights.
With DanChurchAid, she has travelled to many countries, including Ethiopia, Myanmar and Uganda. Cambodia was the first trip she made after taking on her new role in 2012, which made it all the more special for the country to be selected to mark the anniversary. The Princess also documented her trip by penning five Facebook posts on the Royal House’s page (Det Danske Kongehus).
