News: King Frederik presents the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog to Queen Mary
On Sunday, Queen Mary received the highest rank of the Order of the Dannebrog from King Frederik. The occasion was the king’s 56th birthday, where he chose to award his wife, Queen Mary, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog. The royal house announced this on Instagram. Grand Cross is the highest rank of the Order of the Dannebrog, and this honor can only be given to royal persons, the royal house writes. The cross that Queen Mary received on Sunday is of historical significance. It was previously worn by Prince Henrik, but it has now been restored and adorned with the king’s monogram, in order for King Frederik to present it to his wife. With Queen Mary’s new order, there are now seven holders of the Grand Cross. In addition to the king and queen, Queen Margrethe, Prince Joachim, and Princess Benedicte also hold the order. Furthermore, the Norwegian and Swedish kings are also Grand Cross holders. Before 1951, when the Order of the Dannebrog was opened to women, it was customary for queens to receive the Grand Cross as a special gesture. According to the royal house, this first occurred in 1840 when Queen Marie Sophie Frederikke received the cross from Christian VIII. King Frederik’s 56th birthday marks the first one he can celebrate as a reigning monarch following the succession in January. At 12 o’clock, the king, Queen Mary, and the royal couple’s children appeared for a birthday celebration at Amalienborg. They waved to the attendees from the balcony of Frederik VII’s Palace, while the Royal Life Guards played the birthday song for the king.