The royal ship Dannebrog has been floating in Danish waters for 90 years. The ship, which serves as a maritime residence and means of transport for the Danish royal family, celebrates its 90th anniversary. For the occasion, Queen Margrethe II had invited members of her family to have lunch on board.
Margrethe II and her family celebrate the 90th anniversary of KDM Dannebrog
The KDM Dannebrog was launched in 1931 and welcomed the royal family for the first time on board in 1932. This ship has served as a means of transport and residence for 90 years, having known three generations of sovereigns: Christian X, Frédéric IX and Margrethe II. It was built to replace its steam-powered predecessor, which bore the same name. The steam powered large wheels on the sides of the boat. This old ship was in service from 1879 to 1932.
Each year, it is traditional for the sovereign to board the boat for the first time during a small ceremony. In 2022, this ceremony took place at the beginning of May, in the presence of Queen Margrethe II. This official embarkation marks the start of the cruise season and the commissioning of the ship which bears the same name as the Danish flag.
Lunch cruise in the Øresund Strait
Queen Margrethe II had already attended the anniversary festivities last February, visiting an exhibition dedicated to this ship at the M/S Maritime Museum in Elsinore. In nine decades, the Dannebrog has traveled more than 800,000 nautical miles.
It is with this 78.43 meter long boat that the Queen and her family travel in summer to their vacation spots or on official visits to towns in the country that have access to a port. It is also the Dannebrog which is used to reach Greenland or the Faroe Islands, the two other nations of the Kingdom of Denmark.
This Wednesday, May 25, 2022, Queen Margrethe II had organized a birthday lunch aboard the Dannebrog. Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary and Princess Benedikte responded to the invitation and shared a meal with the captain, former staff at the ship’s command and former members of the court. During lunch, the boat was sailing in the strait of Øresund, which separates Denmark from Sweden, with Copenhagen on one side and Malmö on the other.
