Queen Margrethe in Berlin: Royal visit from Denmark

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Queen Margrethe II in Bellevue Park in Berlin: The visit had been postponed due to the pandemic.

Photo: FILIP SINGER / EPA

Royal guests in Berlin: The Danish Queen Margrethe II and her son Crown Prince Frederik are on a state visit in Germany.

At the beginning of her four-day stay, she was greeted with military honors in the Bellevue Palace Park on Wednesday by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD).

The national anthems of both countries were played, then the heads of state stepped down from the armed forces.

There are many program items for the stay in Berlin: After the start in Bellevue Palace, Queen Margrethe visited the Berlin Charité;

she wanted to find out about the history and new projects of the hospital.

Then she met the Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and walked through the Brandenburg Gate, as is customary on state visits.

The Queen and the Crown Prince laid a wreath in front of the Neue Wache, the memorial for the victims of war and tyranny.

Business and cultural events are also planned for Thursday.

Queen Margrethe is then supposed to visit the Pierre Boulez Concert Hall and the House of Literature, for example.

In the early afternoon, the Queen wants to visit Steinmeier's documentation center on flight, expulsion and reconciliation.

Steinmeier and Queen Margrethe last saw each other in Denmark in June to celebrate the peaceful demarcation of the border between Denmark and Germany in 1920.

Political relations between Germany and Denmark are considered to be problem-free.

However, reports in May of last year that Denmark should have supported the US secret service NSA in wiretapping German and European politicians, including Angela Merkel and Steinmeier, irritated.

Margrethe has been Queen of Denmark for almost 50 years.

She is known for her interest in art and literature.

She has already designed sets and costumes for the Royal Theater and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

Now she is working on the film adaptation of the novel »Ehrengard« by the streaming service Netflix.

In the evening, the Federal President gives a state banquet in honor of the royal guests.

The Queen's visit should have taken place last year, but it has been postponed due to the pandemic.

The Queen and the Crown Prince will stay in Berlin until Friday.

Queen Margrethe will then travel to Munich alone.

ani / dpa