Queen Margrethe, Denmark's good-humored, much-loved monarch

Queen Margrethe, Denmark's good-humored, much-loved monarch

Author: Kay Xander Mellish January 14, 2022 Duration: 6:00

No matter how they feel about the institution of royalty, almost everyone likes Denmark's Queen Margrethe, who is celebrating 50 years on the throne this week.

Every New Year's Eve, the streets of Denmark go quiet as the Queen makes her annual televised speech to her subjects. I find the speeches pretty much the same every year, they're about being kind to each other, taking care of the environment, and such.

The real entertainment is in the Queen's wardrobe - she designs her own clothes, and often chooses rather un-Danishly bright colors -  and whether she'll get her carefully written note cards mixed up. 

Every year she thanks the Danish military for its work, and every year she makes sure to shout out to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the farthest flung parts of her kingdom. And she ends every annual speech with "GUD BEVARE DANMARK" – God Save Denmark. 

The Queen is the head of the Danish state church, and the Danish state – she still signs all the laws, including the specific law that made me a citizen.  But the Queen is also an artist. She paints, and draws, and has designed stage sets for the Royal Ballet. 

 

 


For anyone curious about or currently navigating Danish life from the outside, How to Live in Denmark serves as an essential, on-the-ground guide. Hosted by Kay Xander Mellish, an American writer who has made Denmark her home for over ten years, this conversation cuts straight to the heart of the everyday realities in one of the world's most homogenous-and often puzzling-societies. Rather than lengthy lectures, you'll find concise, ten-minute episodes packed with practical advice and cultural translation. This isn't just about travel tips; it's a deep dive into the unspoken rules of Danish social etiquette, the nuances of the local workplace, and the sometimes surprising path to feeling at home in a country frequently labeled the world's happiest. Mellish draws from her own long-term experience to explain everything from navigating the infamous Jantelov to understanding the Danish approach to business meetings and casual Friday night hygge. As Denmark's longest-running English-language podcast, it has become a trusted resource for internationals, whether they are planning a move, newly arrived, or have been settled for years but still occasionally find themselves wondering, "Why do Danes do it that way?" Each episode feels like a chat with a well-informed friend who helps decode the complexities of a fascinating culture, making your time there richer and a lot less confusing.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

How to Live in Denmark
Podcast Episodes
The Danish Empire - without Greenland? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:54
Denmark, as Danes like to tell you, is a little country. But it used to be a much bigger country, a bit of an empire. Norway was once part of Denmark. Iceland was once part of Denmark. The southern half of Sweden and a b…
Learning Danish through song lyrics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:17
One of the tips I often give to newcomers in Denmark is to learn Danish through song lyrics. Find a Danish lyricist whose music you enjoy listening to on repeat. The repetition will help you get a feel for how the Danish…
Job switching in Denmark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:51
Denmark has one of the highest job mobility rates in the world - about 20% of Danes start new jobs each year. Frequent job changes are a reflection of the Danish concept of "flexicurity" – flexibility with the security o…
The Design Quirks of Copenhagen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:12
Did you know that Copenhagen has its own color? It's called Copenhagen Green, and it's a dark emerald green, mixed with a fair amount of black. A little like the dark green we see on the leaves of trees here late in Augu…
Who is Holger Danske? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:35
Many countries have a fictional character who represents them. Uncle Sam for the USA, Marianne in France, Mother India. Others have a legendary figure, who was real at one point but is now shrouded in myth, like King Art…
The white magic of the Danish graduation hat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:01
In June of each year, the streets of Denmark are suddenly full of young people wearing stiff white caps with bands of various colors - burgundy, midnight blue, light blue. These teenagers have just graduated from gymnasi…
Do you have to speak Danish to work in Denmark? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:52
If you're only in Denmark for a few months, it might not be worth the investment in time to learn much more than the basic pleasantries in Danish. But you plan to stay in Denmark for more than a year or so, it's a good i…
Why Danes Find Compliments So Awkward [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:12
A story I've heard over and over again when I talk to internationals working in Denmark is this: They thought they were going to get fired. They'd been working for a year or so at professional-level job in Denmark, often…
Romance in Denmark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:43
Whether you're navigating the cobbled streets of Copenhagen on a first date, exploring the charming countryside with a new companion, or swiping right in the pursuit of love, this episode offers the inside scoop on Danis…
Finding light in the Danish Winter Darkness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:10
Many internationals newly arrived in Denmark struggle with the long Danish winter. The darkness that starts to fall in the early afternoon means that 5pm looks just like 8pm, which looks just like midnight, which looks j…