The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester took part in commemorations in Copenhagen to mark 80 years since the Liberation of Denmark at the end of World War Two.
The Duchess, who was born and raised in Denmark, sat with the country’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, during a church service to honour the liberation and all those who sacrificed so much for it to happen.
King Frederik and Queen Mary led the congregation at the service which took place at the Church of Our Lady in the heart of Copenhagen.
Queen Margrethe, who was five when Denmark was liberated, and her sister, Princess Beneditke, who was just one at the time, joined them for the ceremony which included reflections, prayers and music.
The Danish royal family also travelled to the country’s Memorial Park, just outside the capital, to lay wreaths at the national memorial to all those lost in war and were joined there by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The King and Queen of Denmark placed the first wreath at the memorial where over 200 people who fought for the freedom of Denmark lay buried.
The moving ceremony took place in gentle rain as evening began to fall, with candles and lanterns sparking into light around the memorial garden as commemorations continued.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester stopped to bow their heads for several moments after laying their own wreath.
The news of the liberation of Denmark came through on the evening of May 4 1945 and took effect on May 5 1945. Since then, it has been traditional for all Danes to place candles in their windows on the evening of May 4 in remembrance. As the 80th anniversary came to a close, King Frederik and Queen Mary did just that and placed little lights in the windows of the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.
