The royal visit is important for the Danish minority: "Now the king knows who he is greeting as well."

Today, the distance between the Capital and South Schleswig becomes a little shorter, as the royal couple visit the Danish minority in South Schleswig.

This happens less than a year after, King Frederick and Queen Mary took the throne, following Queen Margrethe's abdication in January after 52 years as regent.

And it holds great significance for the Danish minority living south of the border, as Bo Sösemann, who grew up in the minority and is the chairman of the Border Youth Association: the Grenzeverein, explains:

> We can feel more secure in our role as Danish minorities when they choose to visit us here.

> Bo Sösemann

- It certainly makes a difference that it's the king and queen who are coming to visit. There's no one higher who can come and say: "It's great that you're here - we're glad you're here.". So it means a lot.

The last time the Danish minority in South Schleswig received a visit was in September 2019. Then, Queen Margrethe arrived with the Dannebrog ship in Flensburg Harbor. (Photo: © Axel Heimken, Ritzau Scanpix)

Historically, it's not common for the Danish minority in South Schleswig to receive visits from the monarch. The first time was in 1978, when South Schleswig, after 114 years without official regent visits, received a visit from Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik.

In 2008, Queen Margrethe was present for the opening of A.P. Møller School in Slesvig by, and in 2019, she visited South Schleswig again in connection with the 100th anniversary of reunification.

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In the queen's footsteps

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Now it's happening again. This time in connection with the royal couple's first official visit to Germany, where they were in Berlin on Monday for the investiture - and it carries weight, says Gitte Hougaard-Werner, who is the chairman of the umbrella organization for the minority, the Sydslesvigsk Forening:

> We are always greeted in New Year's speeches - but now the king also knows, when he holds his first New Year's speech, who he is greeting.

> Gitte Hougaard-Werner

- We are always greeted in New Year's speeches - but now the king also knows, when he holds his first New Year's speech, who he is greeting. And that seems fantastic to me.

The visit to the state of Schleswig-Holstein on Tuesday begins in Kiel, where the royal couple take the first spadeful of soil for the new interpretation center at Danevirke Museum in South Schleswig.

Subsequently, the tour goes to Flensborghus in Flensburg, where the minority's associations and organizations have the opportunity to say a few words to King Frederick and Queen Mary.

- The fact that they come and want to get to know us means that they follow in Queen Margrethe's footsteps and have an eye for the minority, says Gitte Hougaard-Werner.

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