Margrethe & Henrik in Mexico City

Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik have been welcomed in Mexico City and have begun their extensive visit to four states and many Danish enterprises operating in México. They can also add the Order of the Aztec Eagle to their many existing foreign orders (the Queen with collar rank and Prince Henrik sash rank).


Photos: © Tarqiq Mikkel Khan, POLFOTO, Scanpix, Århus Stifstidende, Jyllands Posten, Berlingske Tidende

Politiken 'Dronningen på tur i myldrende Mexico By' - The Queen on tour in swarming Mexico City
Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik have encountered the huge mass of people in Mexico City. During the next five days the Regent Couple will travel in every direction around the country.
Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik were thrown into a massed crowd of cars, buses and human beings in their first day in Mexico City.
After a short drive from the city's most distinguished hotel they were received in the National Palace, which is located in a central square in the city, zocalo'en .
Here President Felipe Calderón waited for the Danish visitors with an honour guard, while they will visits many sights during the next few days in Mexico City and in three states of Mexico.
North tomorrow
With its 25 million inhabitants Mexico City is one of the world's largest cities.
And just as it is on most other days, the pollution hung like a yellow pall over the city, because the high surrounding mountains prevent exhausts from cars and industry escaping.
Tomorrow the regent couple will fly north to the state San Luis Potosi and later on in the week [it will be] west to Michoacán.
It's the first time a Danish regent has visited Mexico. (Ritzau)

Politiken 'Dronningen og prinsen gæster Mexico' - The queen and the prince visit Mexico
Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik have attended a State banquet in Mexico. Both the Queen and the President recalled two Danish monks.
In her speech for president Felipe Calderón queen Margrethe spoke about the Danish monk Broder Jacob* and the adventurer Frans Blom both of whom fought for the rights of the indigenous Indian population in Mexico.
The President also spoke about the old Danes, but also about his visit to Denmark last summer, and that it is no wonder, he observed, that the Danes belong among the most happy people in the world.
"Lots of culture"
"You have a lot to be happy about: lots of culture and low unemployment. And then, you have a queen," he said.
In morning the regent couple continue the visit with a flight to the state of San Luis Potosi, where they will visit Danish companies. (Ritzau)

* Broder Joacob was a 16th century Franciscan monk (therefore before the Lutheran Reformation in Denmark) and a member of the Danish Royal Family. Unfortunately most sources about this story are Danish.

Same Ritzau agency reports in other Danish online media: B.T., Jyllands Posten, Berlingske Tidende.

Århus Stiftstidende photo gallery

President Calderón's official welcome (English)
President Calderón's speech at the State Banquet (English)
The President's photo gallery:



DR news update (00:32)