Off the wire
• Tbilisi Fashion Week kicks off in Georgia  • Swiss authorities crackdown on illegal injection of fresh cells from sheep placentae  • Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 16  • Japanese naval vessels visit Vietnam  • U.S. stocks trade slightly lower on Greece concerns  • Macao's Tourist Price Index growth in Q1 hits 6 years' low  • 2nd Ld-Writethru-Xinhua Insight: China struggles to control water pollution  • Two former Chinese officials stand trial for huge briberies  • Central China expo boosts regional opening-up  • Interview: Nobel Prize winner Yunus suggests China introduce more social business to balance economic development  
You are here: 　 Home

Denmark celebrates 75th birthday of Queen Margrethe II

Xinhua, April 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

The celebration of the 75th birthday of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark culminated Thursday in a grand ceremony held here with a public appearance of the royal family and a carriage parade in the town center.

Tens of thousands of enthusiastic Danes as well as foreign tourists swarmed into Amalienborg Palace square, the winter home of the Danish royal family, and nearby streets on Thursday morning, waiting to see the much-respected monarch.

At noon, the Queen, accompanied by royal family members including Crown Prince Frederik and family, appeared on the balcony of Amalienborg to greet the public, who were waving national flags and chanting birthday songs. The Queen's husband, Prince Consort Henrik, did not attend this year's celebration festivities because of the flu.

Escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment's horse-mounted squadron, the Queen and the Crown Prince Couple then took a horse-drawn carriage from Amalienborg and proceeded through the streets in downtown Copenhagen to the City Hall, where an official greeting and lunch reception were hosted by Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen with participation by representatives from government, visiting royal guests and the royal family.

Ditte Boysen, a young mother from Denmark's western Jutland peninsula, said she travelled over 400 km from her home to see the Queen.

"I took my son here some years ago when he was eight. Now my daughter is six and I think it is time to show her too as this has already become a tradition with significant meaning to the Danish people. We love our country and we love the Queen so much," Boysen said.

Queen Margrethe II ascended to the throne on Jan. 14, 1972, becoming the second female monarch in Danish history. Well-educated and noted for her superior level in literature and art, she has been held in high esteem among her people over the decades.

A new opinion poll released on Wednesday showed that the Queen is still largely beloved by Danes and that they are in no hurry to see her step down, even though they also express a readiness to see Crown Prince Frederik ascend the throne.

The Queen's birthday was celebrated with a number of public and private events and activities in March and April.

The royal family travelled to Aarhus on April 8, the country's second largest city, where a similar coach tour and a balcony greeting were organized.

Besides, the Museum of National History opened an exhibition on March 25 to display dresses and spectacular robes of the Queen to mark her birthday. Endit