King Frederik announces royal tour to Greenland amid US takeover concerns

Denmark's King Frederik is heading to Greenland, as Trump's threat of taking over the island for security reasons intensifies.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and is therefore regularly visited by the royals but this two-day trip appears designed to boost morale during the difficult time.

"I sense that they are worried, and for me it's a pleasure to go and meet them," Frederik told reporters while on a visit to Lithuania, according to Reuters.

The Danish royal household announced "His Majesty the King will visit Greenland" from February 18 to 20 in a short statement on Thursday (Friday morning AEDT).

"The King is expected to arrive in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, on Wednesday 18 February," the statement said.

"Further program details will be announced later."

As King of the Danish realm, Frederik is also monarch of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

He's also Admiral in the Royal Danish Navy and a trained member of the navy's elite special operations force, Frogman Corps.

Frederik's last official trip to Greenland was in April 2025, when he met with members of the newly appointed government of Greenland, including Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

News of the 57-year-old royal's latest trip came after Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said technical talks between the US, Denmark and Greenland over hatching an Arctic security deal were under way.

The Danish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday's talks focused on "how we can address US concerns about security in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom".

Red lines refers to the sovereignty of Greenland.

Trump's threats in recent weeks to annex Greenland, which is a self-governing territory of the NATO ally, have roiled US-European relations.

Trump's special envoy is expected to visit Greenland again in March, so it's not anticipated there'll be any crossover with the King's planned trip weeks earlier.

But if the Danish government were looking for a dose of soft power diplomacy to win over royalist Trump, they could look to their counterparts in the UK for inspiration.

King Charles invited Trump for an unprecedented second state visit after he returned for a second term as US president.

The British royal family dazzled the American leader with pomp and pageantry, including hosting a rare state banquet at Windsor Castle in his honour last September.

It's been a busy start to the year for the Danish king.

Frederik and his Australian-born wife, Queen Mary, undertook a royal tour of Estonia and Lithuania in late January.

View gallery

The defining photos of the Danish royal family in 2025

It's expected they'll soon announce their first royal tour of Australia as monarchs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese first let slip the former "girl from Tassie" was set to return to Australian shores this year with her husband in an official capacity for the first time since their proclamation day in January 2024.

King Frederik X took over on the throne from his mother Queen Margarethe II after she stepped down over health concerns, making it the Danish monarchy's first abdication in more than 800 years.

- Reported with Associated Press.

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