Today is the start of another new series for Blogmas 2022! As most readers will know, royal history is a very common topic here on An Historian About Town. And my royal Christmas cards post has quickly become a favourite. I thought that I would delve into royal Christmas celebrations this year, and look at how the royals spend their holiday seasons. Obviously, celebrations change over time but they each have their own standing traditions. This week we are starting with one of the Scandinavian royal families, the House of Glücksburg aka Denmark. Let’s join Queen Margrethe II for royal Christmas in Denmark!
Who are the Danish royals?
A quick primer on the Danish royal family if you are not familiar with them. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has been on the throne since 1972, and is known to friends as Daisy. She was married to Prince Henrik until his death in 2018. She has two sons, Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim. Frederick is married and has four children with his wife, Mary. Prince Joachim has two sons from his first marriage, and a son and daughter from his second and current marriage to Marie. Joachim, Marie, and their two children live in France currently. (You may have heard about them recently, as Margrethe announced in October that she would be stripping their status’ and titles in January.)
St. Lucia’s Day
St. Lucia’s Day, or St. Lucy’s Day, is on 13 December and is a central part of the Scandinavian royal Christmas. For modern-day Lucia traditions, a young girl wears a wreath of lights (traditionally they were candles but now are battery-operated lights) and a white robe to deliver coffee and baked goods to those in need. The Danish royals take part in this tradition, and Margrethe herself was Sanka Lucia (the Danish name for St. Lucy) in 1946. The Norwegian and Swedish royal families also celebrate St. Lucia’s Day, though those celebrations look slightly different for them.
Danish Christmas Seal
Each year, the charity Julemærkefonden releases a Christmas seal (stamp) to raise funds for children and teenagers in need. The group first released a stamp in 1904 with an immediate royal connection: the stamp featured Queen Louise, King Christian IX’s consort. Originally the funds raised were to aid sick children, and Julemærkefonden opened its first sanitorium in 1911.
Queen Margrethe has used her extensive artistic talents to design the seal three times: in 1970, 2013, and finally in 2015. Crown Princess Mary is currently Patron of Julemærkefonden and in addition to attending the unveiling ceremony, each year has appeared on the stamps, as well. The group now raises funds to provide support to children and teens suffering from bullying and mental health issues.
If you are so interested, you can order the seal/stamp online, even internationally!
Christmas at Marselisborg Palace
The Danish royal family spends the holidays at Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus. Interestingly, the Danish royal family puts out a press release each year clarifying what the family will be doing for the holidays. While we do not have as many little tidbits about holiday celebrations as we do with the Windsors, the Danes always let you know their basic holiday plans. In 2022, Queen Margrethe will be spending 21-30 December at Marselisborg Palace with her sister, Princess Benedikte. On 31 December, she will be giving her annual televised address from Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.
This year, the Crown Princess and Princess and their family will not be joining The Queen, but instead will be going to Australia to visit with Crown Princess Mary’s family.
What stands out to you for royal Christmas in Denmark?
Cheers,
The Historian
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