“M – 40 å på tronen”, by Jens
Andersen. (Lindhardt og Ringhof,
Denmark. 508 pages, illustrations throughout the text, many in colour. Text in Danish.
Elizabeth II
isn’t the only Queen celebrating a jubilee this year. In Denmark they have been celebrating the 40th anniversary
of the accession of Queen Margrethe and, to mark the event, this lovely book
celebrates her reign.
In building up a
picture of the Queen, and also the relationship between the Danish people and
the monarchy over the past 40 years, Jens Andersen has spoken to the people who
know her best – including Queen Margrethe herself. Other contributors include The Prince Consort, her sons, her
sister Princess Benedikte and Queen Sonja of Norway, with whom Queen Margrethe
enjoys a close friendship. He has read her speeches, spoken to politicians,
artists and historians to give a rounded portrait of the Danish monarch. The
Queen’s thoughts on a variety of subjects such as feminism, language, sport and
culture are included, as are accounts of her state visits and her interest in
art (there are some wonderful illustrations of Queen Margrethe at her easel), which she shares with Queen
Sonja.
It’s a great
shame that the text is only in Danish, as this book deserves to reach a wider
audience but for those who can’t read it the photos more than compensate,
including many that I have never seen before.
This is a good
all-round portrait of a much loved monarch.
Coryne Hall
Coryne Hall
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