Inside the Danish royal family, including Kate Middleton’s ‘close bond’
The Duchess of Cambridge is spending two days in Copenhagen as part of her work for the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood.
As part of the engagement, the 40-year-old received an official welcome from Queen Margrethe of Denmark and will also join Crown Princess Mary for an engagement.
Announcing the trip on Twitter earlier this month, a post on Kensington Royal’s Twitter account read: “Looking forward to learning from experts, parents and practitioners about Denmark’s approach to early childhood later this month.
“Denmark is a model of good practice in its approach to early childhood, with a culture that prioritizes the best start in life.
(Image: Getty)
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So, before the visit, here is everything you need to know about the Danish royal family…
A Who’s Who of the Danish Royal Family
Her Majesty Queen Margrethe, 81, is the reigning monarch of Denmark and recently celebrated 50 years on the throne.
She was married to Prince Henrik for 51 years before his death in 2018.
The couple have two sons – Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Getty Images)
Heir to the throne, Crown Prince Frederik is married to Crown Princess Mary and they share four children, Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine.
Meanwhile, Prince Joachim is sixth in line to the throne and spends his time working in the military as well as in the agricultural industry.
He is currently married to Princess Marie and they have two children, Henrik and Athena.
Joachim was previously married and has two sons, Nikolai and Felix, from his previous relationship.
A very quirky queen
Despite her accession to the throne, Margrethe is an accomplished artist and has curated numerous art exhibitions over the years.
Under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer, she illustrated books, including the Danish edition of Tolkiens’ Lord of the Rings, and also designed postage stamps.
(Image: Getty Images)
In 2009, the talented royal designed costumes for Peter Flinth’s film The Wild Swans, as well as the Royal Danish Ballet’s production of A Folk Tale.
Away from the art world, Margrethe speaks several languages including Danish, French, English, Swedish and German.
Margrethe’s close friendship with Queen Elizabeth II
When it comes to family ties, Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark are third cousins and share a close friendship with each other.
Speaking to the BBC in 2012Margrethe said: “I really want to congratulate her and I want to congratulate her nation for the fantastic years she has served.
(Image: Getty Images)
“She was always someone I looked up to. I also happen to know her very well, or rather well anyway.
Margrethe is also a distant relative of the late Duke of Edinburgh and to mark his funeral she ordered the royal flag at Amalienborg Castle to be flown at half mast.
With the Danish monarch’s close ties to British royalty, Margrethe has attended various UK engagements over the years and even attended the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011.
And Kate also has a close friendship with the Danish royal family.
(Image: Getty)
But they’re not the only royals with close ties – Kate Middleton and Crown Princess Mary have similar interests working to improve the lives of women and children.
In fact, as part of Kate’s visit to Copenhagen, she is set to join Crown Princess Mary, 50, on a visit to a project that aims to protect vulnerable children and women from domestic violence.
Outside of their royal duties, the stylish women share a similar fashion sense and are often spotted among sporty designers, including Emilia Wickstead and Jenny Packham.
Like Margrethe, Mary and her husband Prince Frederik attended Kate and William’s wedding and were also spotted at Royal Ascot in 2016 with the couple.
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