Margrethe, Henrik & Frederik @ final Grand New Year Court

Photo © Polfoto/EkstraBladet

Wednesday 5 January 2011 | Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik and Crown Prince Henrik attended the final New Year's Court at Christiansborg Palace today for the officers from Defence and Emergency Management, the First, Second and Third rank classes and invited representatives of major national organisations and each of their patronages. The Queen and Prince Henrik arrived in the golden coach escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment Horse Cortage.

The coach is pulled by six draught horses with two outriders. Following the coach is an escort of 45 guard hussars. The golden coach, also known as "King Cstian VIII's coach", was built by coach builder Henry Fife in 1840, and is plated with 24-carat gold leaf. Below the carriage waiting at Amalienborg:

Ekstra Bladet The Queen braved cold and snow for the final grand New Year court at Christiansborg Palace today for the last of the courts which dominate the first days of the New Year.

B.T. gallery

TV2 clip (3:14) - the Golden Coach leaves Amalienborg on procession to Christiansborg Palace
TV2 clip (0:54)
Berlingske Tidende clip (1:04)

Margrethe, Henrik & Frederik at New Year courts @ Amalienborg & Christiansborg

Photo © Jens Nørgaard Larsen/B.T.

Today Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik and Crown Prince Frederik attended the New Year's Court for the judges of the Supreme Court and the two Guards regiments, the Guard Hussar Regiment and the Royal Life Guards, at Christian VII's palace, Amalienborg, and then later attended the New Year's Court for the Diplomatic Corps at Christiansborg Palace. These courts are known as the 'small courts' to distinguish from the final Grand Court on January 5, although oddly it is all very grand. As with the New Year's Court and Banquet on January 1, Crown Princess Mary had sent her apologies because she is on maternity leave. Extra Bladet attempted to make a bit of a story suggesting Crown Prince Frederik didn't 'turn up'. However Frederik had been at Christian VII’s Palæ at Amalienborg at 9:50am entering from  a back entrance presumably after walking from home across the square. At Christiansborg Palace (House of Parliament) Frederik arrived right on time at 11:25am. The watch on Frederik is to gauge what is happening with Mary no doubt, so no news on that front today.


Photos © Jens Nørgaard Larsen/B.T., Hasse Ferrold/ICC, Hanne Juul/Billed Bladet. The horse on parade at Christiansborg Palace in the Guard Hussars is specially trained to tolerate noise and distractions including the drum being played.

B.T. - after a bad day in the tabloid frontline yesterday, B.T. reports that Frederik was at the New Year Courts without Mary by his side. On arrival at Christiansborg Frederik was peppered by questions by the waiting media but walked past all of them reviewing the Life Guards and then entered Hall for the Diplomatic Court. The Regent Couple did the same shortly afterward. Tomorrow the final New Year's Court takes place in which Crown Prince Frederik will also participate. Again it will be at Christiansborg Palace for the officers of the armed forces, the Danish Emergency Management Agency and representatives from all the patronages of the Queen, Prince Henrik and Frederik.

ICC gallery
Berlingske Tidende gallery
Billed Bladet gallery of the Diplomatic Corps arrival at Christiansborg
Demotix gallery



TV2 clips of Supreme Court and Royal Guards arriving at Amalienborg Palace and then the Diplomatic Corps at Christiansborg Palace.

• To see all the clips on DRFGARDEN's visit the YouTube channel here and access 279 clips on current count. The above is the whole ceremony 21:04

Thanks Jema and gudinde :)))

Royal Danish New Year Court & Banquet 2011

Photo © Hasse Ferrold / ICC

Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie have attended one of Royal Denmark's grandest occasions of the year, the New Year's Court and Banquet for the government, representatives of official Denmark and the Court in Christian VII's palace at Amalienborg. Princess Elizabeth (cousin to the Queen) was on the guest list, but we did not see her arrive. Crown Princess Mary sent her apologies some time ago due to her advanced pregnancy. One of the ways we can tell this is a grand occasion - for the uninitiated - is that the royals wear their Order of the Elephant on the chain, not on the blue ribbon.

Photos © Hasse Ferrold / ICC, Zimbio / Bauer Griffin

The guest list at Kongehuset.dk
The banquet menu at Kongehuset.dk

TV2 article - 'Skål i rosenborgvin på Amalienborg' ~ mentions Mary's absence with apologies and names some of the guests who drank some historical Rosenborg wine with the soup course. They have a single glass of what is probably the world's oldest Rhine wine which arrived in Denmark at the end of the 16th century. The wine, which has some fresher vintage added to make it palatable, is apparently not the greatest tasting wine to be had - but this is an interesting Danish historical tradition.

Photo © Berlingske Tidende - Riddersalen (Knight's Hall) where the court banquet is held in Christian VII Palace, Amalienborg. This is last January 1, 2010 as the Queen enters.

Berlingske Tidende gallery
B.T. gallery
Billed Bladet's gallery - scroll down

TV2 clip (01:37)
TV2 clip (00:55)

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, all the 'news' saying the twins will arrive any moment is getting a bit tiresome - but of course, as time goes on, inevitably the news will be right!
Sunrise/Seven Network news clip (4:00)
The Sydney Morning Herald - 'Princess Mary strikes a pose for coochie couture coup'

With thanks to Hasse Ferrold :))

Queen Margrethe's New Year's speech 2010

Photo © Keld Navntoft/Berlingske Tidende

Queen Margrethe delivered her New Year's speech in her inimitable style this year, warning it is important for Danes to emerge from the economic crisis with dignity and good social values intact. The Queen expressed an eloquent idea by saying "We have achieved a freedom to shape our own life which previous generations have never experienced, but we should also remember that no one can fend for themselves alone. Therefore, we must also take care that the society which we know as a safe environment for personal development is also where we keep our eyes and ears and hearts open to our fellow man."

In looking over the past year the Queen spoke warmly of the good wishes she received for her 70th birthday. She said although Danes may have things to be happy about individually, it has nevertheless been a year marked by the global economic crisis, which has also affected Denmark. While the consequences have been serious and difficult, Denmark is one of the countries which has suffered least, said the Queen, because of it's historical wealth and strong sense of community. She said community is even more important in difficult times and asks whether Danes have become more selfish and mistrustful of each other as a result of the crisis. She warned that while the crisis can be measured in economic terms, the real danger is in the assault on the community and its values. The Queen emphasised that while the modern state has taken over many tasks which were once those of small village communities long ago, it doesn't mean deserting individual and community responsibilities in the present. The Queen expressed her usual greetings to the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Danes living and working abroad, and spoke about the high price of the Danish effort in Afghanistan and the soldiers who have returned home badly hurt or psychologically damaged by their experiences. She had met some soldiers at University Hospital in Copenhagen during their rehabilitation and was impressed with their optimism and spirit to overcome their handicaps, which left her with enormous admiration for them.

The Queen also mentioned that for her family and herself, 2010 was a good year with many pleasures. She said that now they look forward to the new year with great anticipation, not least for the growing family which is expected in January and says it warms and sustains them all to feel the warm interest which meets the Royal Family from all sides wherever they go.

Kongehuset.dk - the speech in Danish at the royal website

The Queen's New Year speech on DR.dk (10:17)

Read a machine translation here.

The Copenhagen Post - Queen warns against crisis of values

B.T. - B.T. takes the angle of examining the tupilaks on the Queen's desk and provides a small photo gallery of said tupilaks over the years.

Happy New Year for MMXI!!

Photo © Reuters

Let's crank this blog up again. Things are happening. As I write the Sydney fireworks are 'going off' (the place where this 'connection' began) and in four hours Queen Margrethe will give her traditional New Year's speech to the nation. There is other stuff happening too!

See the Queen's speech live here - it will be broadcast at 6.00pm | 18.00 in Denmark. See the World Clock here to calculate the time.

From DR.dk - 'DR giver udlandet adgang til Dronningens nytårstale'

Normally Danish expatriates and others overseas cannot access DR TV directly via the net (as is the case for most countries). Since DR sees considerable interest in the Queen's New Year speech, an exception is being made so all IP addresses can watch the direct transmission from Amalienborg. The speech will also be available afterward.

DR broadcast the first New Year's speech by the Regent in 1941, firstly on the radio and then from 1958 also on television.

DR's website has old New Year's speeches archived (on DR.dk/Bonanza with the search word 'nytårstale'). For the historically interested it is possible to hear King Frederik IX's talks from 1948 to 1958, and King Christian X's speeches from the first ever transmitted New Year speech from 1941.

Meanwhile, happy New Year to readers. I'll be back :)

New Year Courts @ Amalienborg & Christiansborg

Photo © Hanne Juul/Billed Bladet (and various below)

On January 5 the Regent Couple and the Crown Prince Couple received the Supreme Court, the Royal Lifeguards Officer Corps and Guard Hussar Regiment's Officer Corps in Christian VII Palace at Amalienborg, and then later in the morning, they attended the New Year's Court for the Diplomatic Corps serving in Denmark at Christiansborg Palace. This year there is a new senior ambassador who delivered the New Year greeting on behalf of the diplomats in Denmark, Juan Carlos Kreckler of Argentina. The longest serving diplomat traditionally assumes this role on behalf of all the diplomats present. Queen Margrethe gave a short New Year speech for the diplomats in both French and English and then invited everyone to have champagne, canapés and cake to formally bring in the New Year. It is quite a stunning cultural display on this grand occasion, since diplomats wear national dress, where appropriate, and demonstrate in full the cultural diversity and good spirit of the family of nations. Queen Margrethe delivered her speech, first in French (the diplomatic language), and then in English. "I, like many others, look forward to the climate summit to be held in Copenhagen in the autumn and I hope it will forge pathways leading to solutions which are so important for our planet. Apart from that, I wish for progress for your countries, in spite of the financial crisis, which is currently making its mark around the world." Annelise Weimann from Billed Bladet reported that both the Queen and Frederik were suffering colds during the New Year period after catching them at Christmas time at Marselisborg Palace. The Queen had cancelled going to a ball which Prince Henrik went to alone, and Frederik was visibly ill-looking at the court for the Diplomatic Corps, with Mary looking at him with concern a few times.


Berlingske Tidende 'Nytårskur til den store guldmedalje'
DR.dk '788 til nytårskur på Christiansborg Slot'
Jyllands Posten 'Nytårskur for diplomater'

TV2 photo gallery
Berlingske Tidende gallery
Billed Bladet gallery
msn.dk starlounge gallery
Søren Steffen's gallery

TV2 news clip (00:42)
TV2 news clip (00:28)