Celebrity
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark begin historic tour of Faroe Islands, with Princess Josephine, wearing national costume
King Frederik and Queen Mary have begun an historic tour of the Faroe Islands, marking the first time they’ve been to the region since the change of throne more than a year ago.
The royal couple brought along their youngest daughter, Princess Josephine, whose inclusion in the two-day tour was kept secret until their arrival.
The 14-year-old was first seen with her mum and dad on Tuesday, before the tour officially began, as they hiked around Koltur, the least populated of the 18 Faroe Islands.
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The Danish royal household shared photos of the family enjoying the stunning landscapes, including sites that once housed ancient Viking settlements.
On Wednesday the King and Queen arrived in the capital Tórshavn on board the royal ship Dannebrog and were greeted with large crowds who had lined the harbour.
King Frederik and Queen Mary were dressed in Faroese national costume in honour of their hosts.
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The elaborate costumes can take up to a year to make and Mary first wore hers in 2005 during her first visit to the Faroe Islands.
The silver buckles and floral brooch were specially designed for Mary by local silversmith Thomas Arge and artist Astrid Andreassen.
Princess Josephine was not scheduled to join her parents on the tour and only did so at the last minute, which is probably why she was not wearing the national costume.
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She and her twin brother, Prince Vincent, and their elder siblings Crown Prince Christian, 19, and Princess Isabella, 18, were last in the Faroe Islands with their parents in 2018 for a previous tour.
At the time, all the children received the national costume as gifts, however Josephine – who was seven – has since outgrown hers.
It is believed Prince Vincent was unable to join the tour to the region due to schooling commitments. Both royal children previously attended Tranegårdskolen in Hellerup, but in the summer of 2023, Princess Josephine transferred to Kildegård Privatskole, where she is now in year seven.
In a speech hours after the royal arrival, the King joked about his other children being left at home.
“I wonder if the other three are sending an envious thought to Josephine these days,” he said.
King Frederik was just 10 years old when he made his first visit to the Danish territory with his parents, Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik.
The Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark and Frederik and Mary were due to make a post-succession visit last June. But the tour was postponed due to ongoing workers’ strikes.
In January, King Frederik revealed his new coat of arms which, for the first time, gave prominence to the Danish territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
The change was seen by many as a defiant message to US President Donald Trump who has spoken repeatedly of his desire to take control of Greenland.
On the first day of their visit, the King and Queen attended multiple events including a school which runs Mary’s anti-bullying program.
Queen Mary swapped her leather boots for black stilettos for a welcome dinner at Hotel Føroyar.
The rest of their itinerary includes stops on the island of Suðuroy and later in Eiði where the tour will end. They are due to host a thank you dinner on board Dannebrog before returning to Denmark.
They will be back on board the royal vessel for their first major sail of the season on August 25 which will run until August 28.
The Royal Yacht Dannebrog serves as the official and private residence for King Frederik and Queen Mary when they are on summer cruises in home waters or on official visits overseas.
The ship is usually docked at Holmen, on Copenhagen’s harbour, meaning royal fans can see the vessel when it is not in use by the royal family. The location is a short walk from the palaces of Amalienborg where the King and Queen live.
It’s been a busy week for the Danish royals, with the family competing in the hugely popular Royal Run on Monday.
The event saw King Frederik and Queen Mary compete in separate routes while the royal children all put on their running shoes and joined the masses for the run through Copenhagen.
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