Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie star in new Danish royal family portrait

The group photo was taken prior to a surprise dinner!

Contributor

JANUARY 17, 2022 12:22 PM ESTJAN 17, 2022, 12:22 PM EST

The Danish Royal House has released a new portrait of the royal family to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Margrethe II’s accession to the throne. The 81-year-old monarch was photographed sitting in the green salon of Christian VII’s Palace surrounded by her family.

The Danish Queen was surrounded by her sons, daughters in law, grandchildren and sister in the new portrait

The image features the Queen’s sister Princess Benedikte, sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, daughters-in-law, Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie, and her eight grandchildren, Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 14, Prince Vincent, 11 Princess Josephine, 11, Prince Nikolai, 22, Prince Felix, 19, Prince Henrik, 12, and Princess Athena, nine. Margrethe’s sister Queen Anne-Marie of Greece was unable to travel to Denmark because her husband King Constantine had COVID-19.

The royal family’s portrait was taken at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg prior to a private dinner hosted by the Crown Prince Couple. The Queen’s family surprised her with the “secretly-arranged dinner” on Friday, Jan. 14.

The monarch was surprised with a dinner at Christian VII’s Palace on Jan. 14

The table for the dinner was set with the Flora Danica service, which according to the royal house is the most precious Danish dinner service. Friday’s dinner was the first time the service had been used in the Royal House of Denmark since Queen Ingrid’s 80th birthday back in 1990.

Queen Margrethe ascended the throne on January 14, 1972. The royal house previously announced that a number of events that should have marked the Queen’s anniversary in mid-January 2022 will now take place Sept. 10 and Sept. 11.