HM The Queen opened the exhibition “DANNEBROG. Royal Yacht for 90 years” at the Maritime Museum of Denmark in Helsingør. Since 1932, the Royal Yacht Dannebrog has served as the floating “palace” for the royal family. Thus, the Royal Yacht this year celebrates its 90th anniversary as the official and private residence for the royal family during summer cruises around Denmark, or during official visits abroad.

At the official opening, there were speeches by chief executive officer Ulla Tofte and board chairman Erik Østergaard, after which The Queen declared the exhibition open.

After the speeches, The Queen got a conducted tour of the exhibition by the head of exhibitions Sarah Giersing and museum curator Benjamin Asmussen. The exhibition is a journey with the Royal Yacht through nine decades – and an encounter with three monarchs: Christian X, Frederik IX and our current Queen. The exhibition tells about the ship’s significance for the Crown, about life on board for the crew and the royal family, and about the personal encounters Danes have had with the Royal Yacht.

The first flag was raised on 26 May in 1932, and the ship was named the year before by Alexandrine. The ship was built in 1931-1932 at the Naval Shipyard in Copenhagen, as a replacement for the previous royal yacht, the paddle steamer Dannebrog from 1879.

The Queen is the patron of the museum, and it was also Her Majesty who opened the place in 2013. The Maritime Museum of Denmark relates the history of Denmark as one of the world’s leading maritime nations, and the museum was designed by the architecture firm BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. The museum was built into Helsingør Wharf’s old dry dock.