A first for the new King – during Queen Margrethe’s reign it was a much-viewed speech. What’s so special about it you may ask New Year’s Eve speech?

Watched by approx. 2 million TV viewers in Denmark, the royal speech New Year’s speech is an integral part of New Year’s Eve. A majority of Danes prefer watching the speech with friends and family so they during the evening can discuss and dissect it.

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By Sanobar Elahi, edited by Bente D. Knudsen   Picture: Keld Navntofte, Kongehuset

On a normal New Year’s Eve, if you were to hold a new year’s party, one would imagine for it to begin around 7-8 pm, giving people enough time to chit chat, have dinner and count down the final hours of the remaining year before ringing in the new.

Not in Denmark. If you are to congregate, best get to the location before 6 pm, in time for the royal New Year’s speech, officially called the New Year Address.

As a newcomer to the country and a non-Dane, the need to watch the speech, let alone feel the urge to view it with friends and family as part of a gathering, was lost on me.

Having people come over in the afternoon (usually people start arriving around 4 pm!) for an event that doesn’t take place until the clock strikes 12, seemed weird, time wasting and tiring. Talk about elongating an evening!

And then the clock strikes 6 and the party comes to a standstill. Music dies down, people stop their chit chat and all eyes focus on the flatscreen on the wall and the image of The King of Denmark, His Majesty King Frederik. You, the non-Dane, a newbie, look around confused, wondering what just happened.

Did the party really just die down for this?! So, people can listen to what the King has to say? Really?!

The newbie mind screams “so what? Can’t people just watch a repeat telecast later on? Is it so important that people actually stop partying to sit down and listen?” The answer is a resounding, YES!

And this year even more so, as it is the first time for King Frederic to make the speech as in 2023 his mother, Queen Margrethe was still in charge.

Many Danes will be wondering what his will be like and how it may differ from his mother’s – or not. Some elements will most likely be the same, such as thanking different parts of the official Denmark, greeting the Faroe Islands and Greenland as well as Danes abroad.

At 18:00 on 31 December 2024 we shall know.

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It will be broadcast on DR 1 and TV 2 in Danish – with an English translated text available on the royal home page (www.kongehuset.dk) soon after the speech is done. It is of such importance, that both Danish TV stations have experts and commentators ready to analyse and give comments to what was said.

Normally they would also comment on how Queen Margrethe was is dressed – will be interesting what look the new King will be wearing.

It’s really his own opinion – almost

During the reign of Queen Margrethe, what made the speech so popular or important for the average citizen to watch was the absolute respect Queen Margrethe II had amongst her people, it will be interesting to see if the new King’s will reach the same height of popularity.

During his first 11 months as King, he has not given many interviews, so it will be only his second address to the Danes after his 14 January 2024 inauguration speech.

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The only political aspect in the King’s speech is the draft list of topics sent to him by the State and even that is at his discretion. He can pick and choose what topics he wants to discuss and decide what to leave out.

The speech is then written in collaboration between the King and his cabinet secretary, which they start formulating in November of every year.

The funny thing is, if you ask a random Dane why they make a big deal of watching the speech, live? The answer will most often be, “because that is how it has always been done”.

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No one knows how or why it became such an integral part of the Danish New Year’s Eve, but now that it has, or has been for such a long time, people can’t do without. Either way, always good to know what the head of state is thinking, right?

An English version of the speech is usually uploaded to the royal site kongehuset.dk a few hours after the speech has been aired should you wish to find out what he said.

Wishing all our readers good health, peace and prosperity in a hopefully better 2025/ Your Danish Life Team