Margrethe II of Denmark: Queen designs anniversary cup

She has already illustrated a Danish edition of “Lord of the Rings” and helped design theater performances as a costume designer: Now Queen Margrethe II (84) has presented a new creative work. For the 250th anniversary of the Danish porcelain brand Royal Copenhagen, she designed an anniversary cup. The traditional company based in the Danish capital presented the collaboration under the motto “A majestic story” on Wednesday, January 15th.

Margrethe, who retained her title even after the throne was handed over to son Frederik (56) in January 2024, illustrated an anniversary mug that is only available in 2025. She said she wanted the mug to be used both for hot drinks and for storing creative utensils on the desk. The company emphasized the long-standing connection to the Danish royal family: it is “as old as the brand itself,” as the porcelain factory was founded in 1775 by Queen Juliane Marie (1729-1796).

The current collaboration is “a magnificent testimony” to the royal legacy and the shared passion for art. The 84-year-old chose two hand-painted cobalt blue fish gliding through waves. The queen also revealed how she came up with this idea: “The motif of the cup is inspired by a fish that I painted many years ago in France. I’ve always liked it and think the hand-painted decoration looks so beautiful on the porcelain “, she is quoted as saying about a video in which she dares to paint brush strokes herself.

Margrethe has repeatedly been active in art during her 52-year tenure. She paints, crafts and designs with enthusiasm. Once she said, “There are scraps of paper everywhere I go.” At the beginning of February 2024, she received the “Robert” film award for best costume design in the Netflix film “Ehrengard: The Story of a Seduction”. In the summer of 2024, the fairytale ballet “Tölpel-Hans” once again ran at the Tivoli, for which Margrethe was responsible for costumes and stage design.