King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark share look of love as they are welcomed to new home

King Frederik and Queen Mary received a royal welcome when they officially moved residence to the Chancellery House at Fredensborg Palace on Monday. 

The couple, who are set to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary on 14 May, looked more loved-up than ever as they posed for photographs in front of the palace, greeted by crowds of well-wishers. 

For most of the year, Frederik and Mary live at Frederik VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen with their four children – Crown Prince Christian, 19, Princess Isabella, 18, and 14-year-old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. 

Fredensborg Palace is the family’s summer residence, and their arrival was marked by the Mayor of Fredensborg, who welcomed the monarchs with a performance by the Fredensborg Castle Church Girls’ Choir and the Fredensborg Brass Ensemble. 

Chancellery House has plenty of connection with the current royal family, as it was erected in 1731 during the reign of Christian VI for the king’s ministers and government officials, but most recently served as the home of Queen Margrethe’s late mother, Queen Ingrid, until her death in 2000. 

The Baroque palace also has romantic connections for Mary and Frederik, as their first home as a married couple in 2004. They lived there for six years until 2010 when the renovation of Frederik VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg was completed. 

In a speech, Frederik thanked the public and the musicians for their warm welcome, and also paid tribute to Victory in Europe (VE) Day, where Denmark was liberated from German occupation. 

Eagle-eyed royal fans noticed that the couple’s beloved border collies, Grace and Coco, accompanied the king and queen from the Chancellery to the stage in the Outer Palace, even joining the royals on the dais.  

The move comes as the Danish royal family recently celebrated a milestone birthday for Princess Isabella, who turned 18 on 21 April. Celebrations for the young princess lasted for several days, and included a glitzy concert at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen and a special event in her honour at Aarhus City Hall, which showcased talent from local youth organisations. 

Dazzling birthday portraits for the 18-year-old included a shot of Isabella in full royal regalia holding a phone – something of a departure from more traditional royal portraits. 

Alongside the image was a message from the birthday girl which read: “Thank you so much to everyone who helped me celebrate my 18th birthday. It has been really nice that so many people have spent their time, thought and effort to make my day so special. This means a lot to me.”