It was a sight she had initially been denied: When the new Storstrøm Bridge was officially celebrated in early summer, Queen Margrethe II (86) was unable to attend due to illness. On Monday, she made up for what she had missed. Aboard the royal yacht Dannebrog, she passed the "Dronning Margrethe II's Bro" - that new connection between Falster and Zealand that bears her name. The Danish Royal House announced this on Instagram.
At the official inauguration ceremony, Crown Prince Christian (20) had represented his grandmother. On her behalf, he received the original sketch of the bridge, which he presented to her last week. Along with it, Margrethe received photos of the structure's construction. With Monday's voyage, according to the Royal House, "a special circle" was completed. Now Queen Margrethe had "also seen the new bridge with her own eyes from the water", it said in an Instagram post that documented the journey with images.
Coffee on Deck with the Mayors
For the voyage, the Queen had invited guests aboard: the mayors of the municipalities of Guldborgsund and Vordingborg, as well as representatives of the Danish Road Directorate and the bridge project. From the harbor of Orehoved, they were brought by tender to the Dannebrog, where Margrethe hosted an afternoon coffee in a private setting.
Vordingborg's Mayor Michael Seiding Larsen subsequently described the meeting on Facebook. He said they had talked with the Queen about the old and new Storstrøm Bridge and viewed both structures from the water. A highlight for him was being able to deliver before Margrethe a revised version of the speech he had given at the official inauguration. "Standing on the royal yacht, looking at the impressive new bridge, while Queen Margrethe listened to my speech - that is a moment I will never forget", Larsen wrote.
Around 1:30 p.m., the ship had according to regional broadcaster "TV 2 Øst" reached the area and circled both the new and the old bridge. Not until around 5 p.m. did the Dannebrog continue its journey westward into the Smålandsfarvandet; in the evening it was positioned in the Langelandsbælt between Langeland and Lolland.
A Gift from the King
The excursion was made possible because King Frederik (58) lent his mother the royal yacht for these days for an unofficial voyage in Danish waters. The "Dronning Margrethe II's Bro" is the new Storstrøm Bridge and connects the island of Masnedø with Falster. The old Storstrøm Bridge is scheduled to be demolished later, but for now it still stands beside the new connection.
