‘Very, very special’: Aussies, Danes give royal welcome
Australians and Danes lined up to see Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary as they prepared to meet the public in the nation’s capital.
Ambitious monarchist Lyton Martin said he arrived at the Canberra War Memorial on Monday morning to make sure the royal family was welcome in Australia.
“The Danish royal family can only make one state visit to each country during their reign, so that probably won’t happen again, so… I really wanted to make sure the King and Queen were welcome and that Mary was welcome home in Australia too,” Mr Martin told AAP. he said.
He said the Queen’s Australian connection – she is originally from Tasmania – made it even more special.
“There’s a touch of royalty in Australia and she hasn’t put a foot wrong during her time in public life, so she’s definitely very, very special,” he said.
Henri Hansen is visiting Australia from Denmark, with the trip planned in part to coincide with the royal visit.
“He’s a big fan of the royal family and a big fan of Frederik,” he said.
“I turned 60 four weeks ago and my only wish for my birthday was to have money for travel and enough to get here for two weeks.”
The King and Queen kick off in the nation’s capital on Monday, following a state dinner hosted by the governor-general at Government House on Sunday.
The pair were greeted with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honor as they met with Sam Mostyn, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor.
Ms Mostyn said Australians were filled with joy at the return of the royal family.
He underlined common interests on climate change and sustainability and said he hoped economic ties would increase as part of the visit.
“On behalf of all Australians, it is an honor to host you,” Ms Mostyn said at the dinner.
“Of course you are not a stranger to this country.”
King Frederik said Australia was the couple’s second home after meeting the Queen in a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics.
The couple married in 2004 and took office in 2024.
“Once upon a time, Denmark perhaps did not have a wide impact in Australia. Then things changed,” the King said, laughing around the table.
“From then on everyone Down Under knew about this Scandinavian country.
“Whether we come here for a family visit or an official visit, we feel very comfortable.”
The King and Queen’s appetites during the visit go beyond sightseeing and sumptuous meals; The duo is bringing a delegation of 50 Danish companies to strengthen business ties.
Two-way trade between Australia and Denmark generated more than $3 billion in revenue in 2024, the vast majority of which were imports from the Scandinavian country.
In the same year, Australia had more than $9 billion in investment stock in Denmark, while Denmark had $4.66 billion in Australia.
The King and Queen toured Uluru and were taken for a walk to Mutitjulu Water House by traditional owners on Sunday after landing there the day before.
Queen Mary described the experience at the red center as “a truly wonderful start to an exciting visit here”.
Their Australian tour also includes Melbourne and the Queen’s hometown of Hobart.
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