On the picture HM The Queen of Denmark.
By Martin Kammandel and Duke Michael of Mecklenburg.
EU Member State, the Kingdom of Denmark, is on a festive mood as its monarch, Queen Margrethe II (b. 16 April 1940) celebrated her 75th birthday.
Margrethe II serves as Denmark’s Head of State. The Queen’s main duties are to represent the Danish Realm abroad, and to serve as an unifying figurehead at home. She receives ambassadors and awards honours. Constitutionally, Her Majesty remains also the Head of Government, however, in praxis he simply presides over the Council of State, where the acts of legislation which have been passed by parliament are signed into law by her. Moreover her royal prerogatives are de facto exercised by the Council of State, and by convention she must act upon ministerial advice on almost all political matters.
Her reign’s motto is “Guds hjælp, folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke”, or in English “God’s help, the people’s love, Denmark’s strength”.
She belongs to Dano-German House Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Glücksborg (in German: Schleswig-Holstein-Sondenburg-Glücksbug), or simply “Glücksborg”, currently headed patrilineally since 1980 by His Highness Duke Christoph zu Schleswig-Holstein-Sondenburg-Glücksburg, who heads the foundation owning Glücksburg Castle located in the German Bundesland of Schleswig-Holstein.
Amongst all the festivities Her Majesty hosted a gala dinner on 15 April 2015 for “Official Denmark”; wherein she was accompanied by all adult members of the Royal House including her cousin HH Princess Elisabeth who is due to fête her 80th birthday on 8 May 2015. She was joined by the royal couples of Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, HM The King of Norway, HRH The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Iceland’s presidential couple, Mr Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson and Mrs Dorrit Moussaieff. Likewise present was her youngest sister, HM the former Queen of the Hellenes, Anna Maria and spouse King Konstantinos II, her first cousin HE Count Ingolf af Rosenborg and spouse Countess Sussie af Rosenborg. Count Ingolf also celebrated his 75th anniversary on 17 February 2015.
Her Majesty’s Government headed by Prime Minister (statsminister) Helle Thorning-Schmidt was fully represented, and so were the autonomous governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands by their respective premiers, Kim Kielsen and Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen.
The doyenne of the corps diplomatique accredited to Denmark attended the dinner at Christiansborg Palace, Benin’s Ambassador Arlette Dagnon Vignikin as were the ambassadors of France, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway and Iceland. The incumbent ambassador of Portugal to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Senhor Dom José de Bouza Serrano, served as ambassador to the Danish Court from 2005 to 2008.
Several missions based in The Hague, including the embassies of Qatar led by HE Ambassador Khalid bin Fahad Al Khater, or New Zealand headed by HE Ambassador Janet Lowe are accredited also to Denmark. In Brussels, the Laotian mission to the Benelux countries is likewise accredited to Denmark with HE Ambassador Manorom Phonseya.
For more information:
Denmark’s National Museum; unveiling of “At skabe billede af billede” (“To create pictures from pictures”): http://natmus.dk/presse-og-nyheder#/pressreleases/h-m-dronningen-afsloerer-portraet-med-direkte-linje-til-harald-blaatand-1142579
Full programme for the festivities: http://kongehuset.dk/english/Menu/news/events-in-connection-with-her-majesty-the-queens-75th-birthday
Guest list for gala dinner hosted at Christiansborg Palace: http://kongehuset.dk/english/Menu/news/guest-list-for-gala-dinner-at-christiansborg-palace
The Queen’s allocution: http://kongehuset.dk/Menu/foto–video/video-hm-dronningens-tale-ved-gallataffel
Interview (in Danish) with Queen Margrethe II for Berlingske: www.b.dk/personlig-udvikling/eksklusivt-interview-med-dronningen-vi-skal-ikke-lade-os-kyse
Embassy of Qatar to The Netherlands and Denmark: www.embassyofqatar.nl/live/
Embassy of New Zealand to The Netherlands and Denmark: www.nzembassy.com/netherlands
Embassy of Laos to the Benelux countries, Denmark: www.ambalao.be
