Crown Prince Christian steps in for his grandmother at special event

Crown Prince Christian stepped in for his grandmother Saturday,
opening the Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge in her honour.

The future king announced that he would attend the ceremony on
behalf of Queen Margrethe following her medical issues in May.

The Queen Margrethe II Bridge connects Zealand and Falster via
Masnedø, and crosses the Storstrømmen.

To commemorate
the event, Crown Prince Christian drove the last car over the
Storstrøm Bridge before it closed to make way for Queen Margrethe
II’s Bridge. He paused as he drove past the 102-metre high pylon,
which has Queen Margrethe’s monogram engraved on it.

Queen Margrethe had been due to open the bridge herself before
she had to cancel her attendance due to ongoing medical issues.

In May, the ailing queen was hospitalised in the Rigshopitalet

for heart issues and received a balloon angioplasty of a coronary
artery, according to the Danish Royal Court; and was again
admitted for a
blood clot in her hip after a fall. She was released to
Fredensborg Palace on 29 May.

During the bridge opening ceremony, Crown Prince Christian was
presented with the blueprints of the Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge to
present to his grandmother by its project manager, Barbara
MacAuley. MacAuley said, “I hope that Your Royal Highness will
take it north and deliver it to Queen Margrethe. We hope that she
will enjoy it and will send her bridge a thought every now and then
in the future.”

Crown Prince Christian also attended a bridge party on Masnedø
island, welcomed by the Minister of Urban Affairs, Land and
Transport, and other Danish road officials.

King Christian X opened the Storstrøm Bridge in September 1937
and was, along with his son and daughter-in-law (later King
Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid) the first to cross the bridge by
train.

The second vehicle to cross the bridge was a Chevrolet car,
which was on hand at Saturday’s bridge opening ceremony, as the
second-to-last car to travel it before it closed permanently.

This is Crown Prince Christian’s first official solo engagement,
and it comes just as he’s appointed Second Lieutenant with the
Guards Hussar Regiment next week. King Frederik and Queen Mary will
attend the ceremony.

From August, Crown Prince Christian will serve as a Platoon
Commander with the Royal Life Guards.