Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary embarked on a four-day official visit to India on 26 February 2023. From Agra to Chennai via New Delhi, the couple was accompanied by some thirty Danish companies to promote the ecological transition and defend the commercial interests that unite the two countries.
So beautiful, the Taj Mahal looms over them. Armed with his smartphone, Frederik from Denmark captures the majestic white marble monument, where millions of tourists flock from all over the world every year. His wife, Mary, was by his side and admired the views it offered him.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess started their four-day official visit to India on 26 February 2023 in Agra, a city located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Leading a delegation of 38 companies, the pair were also accompanied by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Minister for Climate, Energy and Supply Lars Aagaard.
Finding the riches of Agra
For Frederik and Mary, the discovery of the Taj Mahal was a first and both intend to capitalize on it. Like her husband, daughter-in-law Margrethe took out her cell phone to capture this unique moment. The photo was most likely sent to the Danish ruler, who visited the famous building in 1963.
Being treated in Copenhagen, Margrethe II was recovering from major back surgery that had occurred a few days earlier. Before flying to India, the couple again visited the Queen to check on her health. While waiting for Frederik’s return, Princess Benedikte takes over the government.
Not yet noon, the heat is already felt in Agra. Sunglasses and hat are a must. Like the inevitable photo on the bench in front of the Taj Mahal. The future king and his wife willingly lend themselves to the game, adding their names to the long list of royal figures who have posed in these same spots.
During their visit, Frederik and Mary from Denmark also discovered the surrounding gardens and the graves of Shâh Jahân and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. In memory of the latter, the fifth Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal between 1632 and 1653, recalls Amalienborg Court.
The Red Fort of Agra was the second magnificent site for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to explore. Between the surrounding sandstone walls that stretch for more than two kilometers and the sacred river Yamuna that lies nearby, a complete change of scenery occurs. Which makes Frederik and Mary’s trip feel like an untimely vacation.
“Reviving India-Denmark Bilateral Relations”
The following day, 27 February, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess continued their journey to the Indian capital. Accompanied by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, they met at the ITC Maurya hotel in New Delhi where Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was waiting for them. “I am most honored to receive Their Royal Highnesses on the occasion of their visit to India”, the latter recounted his Twitter account.
“We shared with them various aspects of New India. Our talk focused on sustainability and online distribution in particular,” said the minister, adding that “our green strategic partnership is a driving force in strengthening our relationship in all domains”. Indeed, “the main aim of the visit is a green transition, with an emphasis on water and energy”, underlines the Amalienborg palace.
After laying a wreath on the anniversary of Gandhi, assassinated 75 years ago, Frederik and Mary from Denmark were received by India’s Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh. An opportunity to discuss “the shared democratic traditions and friendly relations between the two countries” and to underscore the “shared desire to give a new impetus to the bilateral relations between India and Denmark”, the vice president’s office reported. The lunch held in their honor gave Margrethe’s eldest son and his wife a taste of India’s rich culture.
The day continued with the inauguration of the exhibition Silver treasures from Denmark and India at the National Museum in New Delhi. The result of a collaboration between the latter and the Danish museum in Kolding, it “constitutes activities within the framework of the cultural exchange agreement between the two countries, which was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Denmark in the spring of 2022”, recalls the court. A grand dinner aimed at promoting a Danish company in India ended this first day in New Delhi, rich in gatherings.
Over the next two days, the ecological and trade transitions between the two countries will once again be at the heart of the conversation. Frederik and Mary from Denmark will also be received by Indian President Droupadi Murmu at the Presidential Palace in Delhi. Their visit will end on Wednesday 1 March in Chennai in the southeast of the country.
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