Queen Margrethe to visit Rome

Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is to visit Rome from 26-29 October. The trip is in celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Danish Institute’s building in Rome.

The Danish Institute is due to begin an excavation project this autumn at Caesar’s Forum in the north-eastern corner of Forum Romanum. It is expected to take three years. According to the Royal Danish House, “The excavation, which is made possible by a donation from the Carlsberg Foundation, will be one of the most prestigious excavations that Danish archaeologists have helped to carry out.”

The Queen’s programme includes a presentation of the excavation project, participate, as patron, in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Danish Institute of Science and Art in Rome, present the Queen Margrethe’s Rome Prize, have lunch with the Italian President Sergio Mattarella and visit selected landmarks. Additionally, Her Majesty will return to the ancient province Etruria to visit the city Tarquinia.

Queen Margrethe’s Rome Prize was established in 2015 by the Carlsberg Foundation in honour of the Queen’s 75th birthday. The Royal House said, “The prize is awarded to strengthen and honour the research carried out by or in connection with The Danish Institute in Rome.”

One of the selected landmarks that Her Majesty will visit will be the ruins of Emperor Nero’s palace, Domus Aurea. Furthermore, she first visited the ancient province Etruria in Tarquinia as a Princess in the late 1950s when she went on an excavation trip with her grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, due to their shared interest in archaeology. The Queen will get the opportunity to see discoveries from older and more recent projects. The city of Tarquinia has recently added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites

Prince Harry, on his first official visit to the country, is due to visit Copenhagen, Denmark, on 25-26 October; he is scheduled to meet Her Majesty on his trip. It is expected the meeting will take place on his first day in the country before she prepares to head to Italy.

It is expected that a more detailed programme will be released closer to the time of Her Majesty’s visit to Rome.