Not only Queen Elizabeth II has cause for big parties this year. A milestone of the monarchy is also honored in Denmark. The incumbent is close to the people.
Queen Margrethe II celebrated half a century on the Danish throne with a ride on an old roller coaster. Together with the head of the Copenhagen amusement park Tivoli, Susanne Mørch Koch, and other guests, the monarch shot through the curves at high speed.
Before that, she had been greeted with flags and balloons – and the young Tivoli Guards, who played a march specially composed for the occasion.
In the amusement park’s pantomime theater, the Queen first viewed an exhibition of costumes, sketches and scenography that the enthusiastic artist herself designed during her long association with Tivoli. “The Queen has contributed to the artistic development of the ballet performances for 20 years as part of the ballet team at Tivoli,” said Tivoli boss Mørch Koch. The exhibition in small pavilions can also be seen after the festival until June 5th.
After the visit, the 82-year-old plants an exotic handkerchief tree in the garden of the amusement park, which over time will have large white flowers. She then inspects several jubilee cakes, some in Danish colours, which Tivoli visitors can then dig into.
cake and fireworks
After a short break, the Queen will return to the Tivoli in the evening with her family for a ballet gala with international ensembles, to which Hamburg’s ballet director John Neumeier has contributed five choreographies. Dancers from the Hamburg Ballet, the Royal Ballet London, the Paris Opera Ballet and the New York City Ballet are scheduled to take part in the performance. As the grand finale of the festive day, a fireworks display is planned shortly before midnight.
Queen Margrethe II inherited the Danish throne after the death of her father, King Frederik IX. boarded on January 14, 1972. Abroad, the regent is best known as an artist and chain smoker. She is very popular with the Danes – and her New Year’s speech on television is an integral part of the New Year’s Eve tradition of her compatriots.
The monarch had actually wanted to celebrate her jubilee on the January deadline, but had to postpone most of the celebrations due to the corona pandemic. After the folk festival in Tivoli, further official celebrations take place in September. Then, among other things, a carriage ride, a gala dinner, a festival service and a gala performance in honor of the Queen in the Royal Theater in Copenhagen are planned.
Margrethe II is the second longest reigning monarch in Europe. Only Queen Elizabeth II sits longer on her throne – the British Queen will even celebrate her 70th birthday in 2022.
