Just four and a half months after newlyweds William and Kate made the journey from the UK to visit Denmark, Will's dad, the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, is also making the trip across the North Sea.
Together with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, the couple are paying an official visit to Scandinavia this coming week, visiting Norway and Sweden before arriving in Denmark.
While here, the prince and the duchess will be the guests of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik. Prince Charles was last in Denmark in 2009, but the Scandinavian trip will be the first official visit for the duchess.
According to the British ambassador Nick Archer, the visit will serve a number of purposes, not least to strengthen the ties between the two countries.
“The visit is about celebrating and acknowledging the relationship between UK and Denmark,” Archer told The Copenhagen Post. “I am genuinely happy to play a part in the relationship, which I think will only get stronger after the prince’s visit.”
Archer added that the year for the visit was fortuitous, for 2012 is the year that Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe celebrate their respective diamond and ruby jubilees.
The visit is also an opportunity for Danish businesses with interests in the UK to meet British government representatives, while Prince Charles will get an opportunity to visit areas of Denmark that are of particular interest to him.
Prince Charles has for many years had a strong interest in environmental causes, and while in Denmark he will be visiting a low-carbon power plant, sustainable and organic farms, as well as Via University in Horsens to see developments in green energy technology.
Other stops on the royal couple’s itinerary include attending a workshop held by the Royal Shakespeare Company and meeting Danish war veterans from the campaign in Afghanistan that the UK is also participating in.
The Duchess of Cornwall is reportedly an avid fan of the Danish TV show 'The Killing' that last year took the UK by storm. But according to Archer, the UK is becoming aware of Denmark for more reasons that simply its television drama.
“The two Baltic summits that the British government held earlier this year show a real interest on their part to learn from Nordic societies,” Archer said. “Danish design is also becoming more fashionable in the UK, while Denmark having the best restaurant with Noma, and the world’s best chef at Geranium, have definitely put the country on the map.”
According to Archer, the best chances of catching a glimpse of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be on Sunday morning as they arrive and leave St Albans, the Anglican Church in Copenhagen, or when they visit Via University College in Horsens on Tuesday March 27.
