Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
King Frederik and Queen Mary kicked off their summer tour aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog Monday, sailing into Bornholm’s Regional Municipality for a day of engagements ashore.
This, their first summer tour as the reigning king and queen, kicked off at Honnørkajen in Rønne Harbour with an official welcome by the town’s mayor and a musical welcome from the Royal Life Guards.
Afterwards, King Frederik and Queen Mary processed by carriage to the Rønne Theatre, led by the Guardhusar Regiment’s Horse Squadron. At the theatre, they enjoyed an official welcome reception with members of Bornholm’s council.
After the reception, the couple travelled to Grønbechs Gård, a space for handicrafts in Bornholm. There, they toured exhibitions dedicated to Bornholm’s recognition as one of the world’s leading craft spaces; and to Queen Margrethe and her well-documented love of and mastery of arts and crafts.
According to the Danish Royal Court, Grønbechs Gård artists focus on ceramics, glass, textiles, wood and metal crafts.
From there, King Frederik and Queen Mary took a hike from Ekkodalen to Hareløkkerne, a two-kilometre valley through the municipality. For lunch, they joined a campfire at Hareløkkerne and met with representatives from Food Bornholm, a farming initiative that grows greens for sustainable eating and sustainable food production.
King Frederik told local news reporters: “You cannot avoid Bornholm in many ways, and of course Bornholm comes back to us. And we come back to Bornholm.”
Queen Mary added: “Bornholm shows its best side, and we have been greeted with great warmth. We have experienced nature, art and culture.”
King Frederik and Queen Mary then traveled to Østerlars Church to meet with the parish and listen to a performance by the Children’s Choir. According to the Danish Royal Court, Østerlars Church is the oldest and largest round church in Bornholm, and the couple took a tour of the facility and saw its frescoes on display.
In their final engagement in Bornholm, the royal couple visited the Old Power Station in Rønne. They heard about plans to make Bornholm a leading energy hub while also being an educational space for young people.
Finally, King Frederik and Queen Mary hosted a reception aboard the Dannebrog in the harbour at Rønne Havn. The guest list included municipal leaders and those from the business, arts, medical and nature sectors.
Speaking to Danish tabloid Billed Bladet, Queen Mary said: “It has been a fantastic day. Bornholm shows itself in the best way, and we have had a great experience from the start. The fantastic reception on the quay and carriage ride with people throughout. So art, culture and nature and now sustainability, which is an important point.”
The King and Queen continue their summer tour this week with stops in Ærø Municipality, Assens Municipality, and Vejle Municipality.