In this episode of the How to Live in Denmark podcast, host Kay Xander Mellish reflects on Denmark’s beloved Queen Margrethe II as she marks 50 years on the throne. Mellish outlines the polarized Danish attitudes toward the monarchy—some view it as a cherished institution, others criticize its cost—but notes that the queen herself enjoys near‑universal affection. She explains the queen’s nickname “Daisy,” its origin from her cousin Queen Elizabeth, and describes the annual New Year’s Eve televised speech, which consistently emphasizes kindness and environmental care, while highlighting the queen’s quirky habit of refusing a teleprompter and occasionally scrambling her handwritten note cards. The episode delves into Margrethe’s personal flair: she designs her own bright‑colored wardrobe, is an accomplished painter and set designer for the Royal Ballet, and maintains an artistic life even in her 80s. Family dynamics are covered, including her sons, their wives (Mary and Marie), the upcoming succession of Crown Prince Frederik, her late husband Henri, and her current companion, Swedish Count Gustaf. Mellish recounts the queen’s good‑natured humor, illustrated by comedian Ulf Pilgaard’s long‑running impersonation and the queen’s gracious gift of a monogrammed ashtray after his final performance. Due to COVID‑19, the 50‑year celebration will be modest, with a postponed gala and a small ceremony featuring the crown prince. The podcast concludes with promotions for the series’ audiobooks, books, and booking information for live events.
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Hello and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kay Xander Mellish. I generally avoid talking about the Danish royal family. Because opinions about them differ in Denmark. Many people adore them and follow every twist and turn of their story in glossy magazines and also now a glossy Instagram feed. In this approved royal media, children are always well-dressed and smiling, marriages are always happy, and royal parents are always deeply proud of their offspring. All the generations trim the Christmas tree together, or go for a healthy run together, or attend large galas in fancy dresses and glittering jewelry. But there are some Danes who dislike the monarchy and the 100 million kroner they cost Danish taxpayers every year. These people call the royal family Denmark's biggest welfare recipients. No matter how they feel about the institution of royalty, almost everyone likes Denmark's Queen Margrethe, who is celebrating 50 years on the throne this week. Margrethe's nickname is Daisy, which is what her good friend and third cousin, Queen Elizabeth of England, calls her. The French version of the name Margrethe is Marguerite, which translates to Daisy. Every New Year's Eve, the streets of Denmark go quiet as Daisy makes her annual televised speech to her subjects. I find the speeches pretty much the same every year. They're about being kind to each other, taking care of the environment, and such. The real entertainment is in the Queen's wardrobe. She designs her own clothes and often chooses rather undanishly bright colors. And whether she'll get her carefully written note cards all mixed up. The Queen refuses to use a teleprompter, and her note cards occasionally find themselves out of order, causing her to try to sort them out in mid-speech. In recent years, she has been persuaded to use a stapler to keep them together. Anyway, every year she thanks the Danish military for its work. And every year she makes sure to shout out to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the farthest-flung parts of her kingdom. And she ends every annual speech with Gud bevare Danmark— God save Denmark. The queen is the head of the Danish State Church and the Danish state. She still signs all the laws, including the specific law that made me a citizen. But the Queen is also an artist. She paints and draws and has designed stage sets for the Royal Ballet. She still travels around Denmark, although not as much as she used to now that she's more than 80 years old. Her sons and her lookalike daughters-in-law, Mary and Marie, do most of the ribbon-cutting these days. She's a widow now. Her French-born husband, Henri— Henrik— died a few years ago, but she does have a companion, a Swedish count named Gustaf, with whom she attends art exhibits and the like. At any rate, Queen Margrethe is popular because she has a great lust for life and a wonderful ability to laugh at herself. For decades, a Danish comedian named Ulf Pilgaard did an imitation of the queen as part of a theater comedy review. He would dress up in full drag— wigs, makeup— wearing loud dresses, sometimes patterned with yellow daisies. And he got a lot of laughs out of the Queen's family dramas and her passion for smoking cigarettes. Late last year, when this elderly comedian finished his final performance before retirement and was basking in the applause, The Queen herself turned up on stage to congratulate him and give him a gift: a royal monogrammed ashtray. The celebration of the Queen's 50 years on the throne will be modest due to ongoing COVID restrictions. The large gala with the fancy dresses and glittering jewelry has been rescheduled for later in the year. Instead, there will be a small celebration featuring Crown Prince Frederik, who sooner or later will be taking over his mother's job. I'm sure he'll be competent at signing laws and cutting ribbons, but he won't start out with the immense public affection that 50 years on the throne has brought to Queen Margrethe. And that's the How to Live in Denmark podcast for this week. Check out our audiobooks on Amazon Audible, Mofibo Storytel, and Next story. The classic How to Live in Denmark book is now available in audiobook form. Or check out our paperback books at books.howtoliveindenmark.com. You can book me, Kay Xander Mellish, for an in-person event with your group or organization at events.howtoliveindenmark.com. See you next time.
