Kongeord

Each Danish king and queen have had a royal motto (da. valgsprog), a tradition dating back some 500 years. With the proclamation of Frederik X, we got a new and we even got a monograph spelling out the new King's thoughts behind his coming reign. A colleague of mine commented that this book is one which you should read regardless of ones interest in the Danish royal family — at least as a Dane.

Unfortunately, I did not find much in it. Perhaps I am being unfair, since I cannot stop comparing the writing to Margrethe II's. She is, as anyone who watched the New Year's speeches, a strong orator who could put depth and effortlessness into her writing. It was distinctively royal and high-culture, but not lofty. The writing in Kongeord just doesn't quite do it for me.