Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik's Visit to Greenland: July 9-24, 2011

[Muhler]

QMII has started a controversy.

Miljøfolk går i rette med dronningen - Politiken.dk

Miljgrupper kritiserer dronningen - TV 2 Nyhederne

Dronningen på glatis i Grønland - Royale - BT.dk

QMII visited among other things an arctic research station and later she said to the press about the prevailing climate changes in the Arctic and elsewhere:
Der er jo ikke noget at gøre. Man kan ikke lave om på klimaet, når det laver sig selv om. Det må man se i øjnene
Man kan jo ikke gå ud med en dybfryser og lægge ny is på en fjord, vel. Det er, som det er. Men samtidig vil der jo nok ske det, at nye fiskearter vil komme til, og fiskeriet vil få nye dimensioner.
"There is nothing to do. You cannot change the climate when it changes itself/by itself. You have to face that fact. After all you cannot go out with a deep freezer and put new ice on a fjord, can you. It is as it is. But at the same time what will happen is that new species of fish will prevail and the fishery will have new dimensions/will change".

Unsurprisingly that has environmental organisations like Greenpeace and WWF up in arms, stating that she is wrong.

- Okay, that's what climate sceptics have said for years and QMII's statement is very much against the prevailing political attitude and dare I say political correctness. But what if she is right? Whatever you can say about QMII, she is usually not ill informed and you can't accuse her of being slow either.
QMII did not say we shouldn't do something about pollution, excessive use of resources, alternative energy, recycling and so on. - These are in every respect very good ideas!
What she did point out is that we humans may not be the main culprit in the current climate change and as such there is little we can do to prevent is.
There is a reason why Greenland is named Greenland. There is a reason why European settlers settled in Greenland and lived there until the "mini iceage" started about 600 years or so ago. That climate fluctuation lasted about 400 years, and that wasn't caused by humans.
If QMII is right, it's actually even more omnious than what Greenpeace and WWF are saying. If QMII is right, we are pretty much screwed - and we are in for some major transitions in the decades to come.

ADDED: A clip from TV2 Saturday, where a Arctic researcher (at about 01:20) says what QMII said above. - Whether the scientist is wrong is debatable, but QMII was not wrong in picking up what she was told. http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/article.php/id-41781204:video-regentparret-besøger-qeqertarsuaq.html

I think we sometimes have to look at environmental organisations with a critical eye. They have an agenda too. - For example: If there are no humanitarian crisis, there is no need for humanitarian organisations. No organisation is willing to abolish itself, so they beat the drums whenever there are is humanitarian crisis anywhere, especially around Christmas. - But perhaps the money were best spend elsewhere? On other projects than those advocated by the most influential organisations.

-------------------------------------------------------

And a story from Billed Bladet illustrating why Dannebrog is always escorted by a warship when sailing away from the Danish coasts: http://www.billedbladet.dk/Kongelige/ArticleFolder/2011/7/Drama pa Dannebrog.aspx
A sailor serving onboard Dannebrog fell seriously ill. The doctor onboard decided he needed urgent medical attention in Nuuk hospital. He and the sailor was sailed to a cliff nearby and here they were hoisted onboard a helicopter from the escorting frigate, Hvidbjørnen.
They were flown to the hospital where the sailor had his appendix removed.
Substitute sailor with a member of the DRF and you get my meaning.

I don't know why the sailor wasn't sailed too to the frigate first. Perhaps the sea was too rough or this was a faster method?

 

[gerry]

Thanks for this Muhler. Regarding the climate change controversy, of course HM is correct in pointing out the importance of climate change but I do disagree that we cannot do our own part to help minimize our impact as humans on our environment! It is in the North that the effects of climate change are most strongly felt and global warming threatens to change a traditional way of life. In Canada, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuk, has talked about the 'right to be cold' and surely this is also crucial to the survival of Greenlandic culture as admired by HM and her Consort! The climate 'does not change by itself', as the effect of greenhouse gas has been very clearly and scientifically demonstrated. If we all do one small thing to lessen our impact upon the environment (no plastic bottles, walk more, reuse plastic bags etc) surely this will help keep Greenland frozen!

 

[Muhler]

Thanks for this Muhler. Regarding the climate change controversy, of course HM is correct in pointing out the importance of climate change but I do disagree that we cannot do our own part to help minimize our impact as humans on our environment! It is in the North that the effects of climate change are most strongly felt and global warming threatens to change a traditional way of life. In Canada, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuk, has talked about the 'right to be cold' and surely this is also crucial to the survival of Greenlandic culture as admired by HM and her Consort! The climate 'does not change by itself', as the effect of greenhouse gas has been very clearly and scientifically demonstrated. If we all do one small thing to lessen our impact upon the environment (no plastic bottles, walk more, reuse plastic bags etc) surely this will help keep Greenland frozen!

That's what's so interesting.
QMII talked about the changes Greenland is facing in the coming years. And perhaps the Inuits of Canada should prepare for some major changes as well, sooner rather than later. I don't know yet all she had to say about that.

Personally I'm in no doubt that climate changes is taking place these years, what I'm sceptical about is what caused them.
Iceages has come and gone before there were humans. The last one ended about 12.000 years ago and I doubt neoletic man caused that. Something back then made the planet warm up. What?
However we humans do affect the environment very much locally, no doubt about that. But is it enough to trip an entire planet?
Now, I fully believe we should do something drastic about the environment, reduce pollution and use alternative energy - because we have to. Or we risk destroying the basis for our own existance, climate change or not.
The planet don't care about us, nature don't care about us - we wouldn't even be among the first ten million species that has gone extinct.

If this is a normal part of the planets rythm, I wonder how much we can do about it, even if we went completely environmentally sound next year. The cynic in me doubt we humans will be willing to do anything serious before it's too late anyway.
If we can do something it may have to be something almost insanely drastic (and expensive), like Lomborgs's cloudships and covering the ice with balck plastic, just to name two examples that are relatively speaking not too far out.

I say we'd prepare ourselves for the climate change and it won't just be the Arctic it will be bad. It will be bad everywhere. Flooding and lack of water being the main problems.
Everywhere people will have to abandon the old ways and adapt. For example the Masais of Africa will be forced to abandon their cattle and herd camels instead or starve. (That has been tried before, they didn't want to abandon their old ways).
There is research and preparations going on here in DK and other countries about adapting the agriculture and sowing new crops.
Greenland is going through a transition right now, as QMII pointed out, perhaps the inuits of Canada should prepare too.

Incidentally I saw a fascinating programme on History Channel yesterday about the Greenlanders, or Thule people as they are known among anthropologists. It was a pretty technologically advanced people who raced out of Russia crossed Canada in 200 years, wiping our the Dorset culture on their way and arrived in the northern most parts of Greenland a 1.000 years ago, just as the first Europeans settled in the south. - Well the Greenlanders won, there were more of them, they were better adapted and more willing to stay as the climate changed in the 1300's.
They are the present day Greenlanders.

 

[gerry]

Canadian Inuit are most certainly aware of climate change and are working with 'southerners' as well as their own governments to make necessary adaptations, while still preserving their traditions from years past. One example is the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
where programs are in place to encourage 'stewardship' of the Arctic.

By the way, Scandinavia was in the Canadian news this morning with the report that the government of Norway is claiming the wreck of MAUD, a ship used by Roald Amundsen in a failed attempt to navigate the NW passage. However local Inuk do not want to give up the potential tourism revenue so that there is yet another tug of war going on between our two regions!
Politics - The Globe and Mail

 

[Muhler]

Canadian Inuit are most certainly aware of climate change and are working with 'southerners' as well as their own governments to make necessary adaptations, while still preserving their traditions from years past. One example is the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
where programs are in place to encourage 'stewardship' of the Arctic.

That's good to hear.

By the way, Scandinavia was in the Canadian news this morning with the report that the government of Norway is claiming the wreck of MAUD, a ship used by Roald Amundsen in a failed attempt to navigate the NW passage. However local Inuk do not want to give up the potential tourism revenue so that there is yet another tug of war going on between our two regions!
Politics - The Globe and Mail

Well, I think I'll side with Inuks on this one.
That wreck is very much a part of Arctic history so why not let it remain there? And the Inuks can probably use the money.
Why not invite the Norwegian royals to come and see the wreck? It's better it turns out this way
Or even better, it could become a stop for one of Haakon, Frederik and Victoria's arctic trips. - Perhaps William could join in...

Anyway, to my utter surprise, apart from a few quirps form the environmental organisations, QMII's statements is already yesterdays news. That despite that we are in the height of the silly season. Example: A cancelled Take That concert has been headline news for three days! - No kidding!
Who cares about famine in Africa and the economy 'n stuff, Take That ain't playing....!
But perhaps Greenpeace and WWF are closed for the holiday?

 

[gerry]

That's good to hear.



Well, I think I'll side with Inuks on this one.
That wreck is very much a part of Arctic history so why not let it remain there? And the Inuks can probably use the money.
Why not invite the Norwegian royals to come and see the wreck? It's better it turns out this way
Or even better, it could become a stop for one of Haakon, Frederik and Victoria's arctic trips. - Perhaps William could join in...

Anyway, to my utter surprise, apart from a few quirps form the environmental organisations, QMII's statements is already yesterdays news. That despite that we are in the height of the silly season. Example: A cancelled Take That concert has been headline news for three days! - No kidding!
Who cares about famine in Africa and the economy 'n stuff, Take That ain't playing....!
But perhaps Greenpeace and WWF are closed for the holiday?

No Greenpeace and WWF are not closed but newspaper editors need to sell papers not ideas. Coincidentally (although I don't believe in coincidence, a Canadian TV journalist Kai Nagata wrote a blog entry that has gone viral on this very subject when he quit he job. I attach a link to his site
www.kainagata.com
so you can read of his despair when serious newsreporting is eclipsed by frivolous things like royal visits. Of course readers of this forum would never consider such momentous events as unworthy of profound consideration, but I do think his point is well taken.

 

[iceflower]

___________________


On July 19, Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik have been in Paamiut:


** BB: Margrethe og Henrik fik gaver i Paamiut **

And yesterday, July 20, they've visited Qaqortoq, take a look at the Queen's funny headpiece


** BB: Dronning Margrethe og prins Henrik i Qaqortog **

 

[Muhler]

Thank you, Iceflower

DR1 will cover the Regent Couple's visit to Greenland this Saturday the 23. at 19.05. It will last 55 minuttes.
Another programme sheduled to be shown at 19.05, will be postponed. So don't let that confuse you.
Perhaps someone will post a link?

Thanks for the link, Gerry.

 

[iceflower]

Oh, it would be great if we could see that outside Denmark, the pics are already so bright,
a complete documentary report must be wonderful.


BB has put together some pics of the flowers and presents the couple were given:


** BB: Margrethes blomster og gaver i Grønland **

And some of funny moments with Prince Henrik from the past days:


** BB: Henrik spasmager **


Actually two of the themes I like best about royal snapshots, so hard to decide which gallery is better

 

[iceflower]

___________________


Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik have visited the support ship "White bear" that
follows the royal yacht Dannebrog during the summer expedition in Greenland.


** BB: Dronning Margrethe og prins Henrik besøger Hvidbjørnen **


And yesterday, July 21, the couple visited Igaliko.


** BB: Dronning Margrethe og prins Henrik i Igaliko **

 

[iceflower]

___________________


On July 22, the couple has visited Nanortalik, July 23 has been dedicated to Sydgrønland


** BB: Dronningen så på grønlandsk fårehold ** translation **

** sermitsiaq.ag: Rørte over afskedssang ** Kongeglans over Tasermiutfjorden ** translation **

and the last destination has been Narsaq, yesterday, July 24.


** BB: Farvel til Margrethe og Hvidbjørnen ** translation **


By now Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik are back at their summer residence Gråsten Slot.

 

[Muhler]

Thanks, Iceflower

I don't know how much interest there really is in the Regent Couple's visit to Greenland. Anyway, I'll write a summary about that later.

Considering the tragedy in Norway I'm pleased to learn that the Regent Couple out of respect cancelled most of the events Saturday.

What follow here is an account of what is going on behind the scenes, when you are a royal reporter in such an unusual place as north west Greenland. That sort of things genuinely interest me. It also provides a different angle to the visit.
This is based on a number of short articles wrote by BB reporter Annelise Weimann, and the photographer Hanne Juul.

They were both billeted onboard the patrol frigate Hvidbjørnen, which acted as an escort ship for Dannebrog. At night Hvidbjørnen sailed in front of Dannebrog in case there were undetected icebergs ahead. - In other words to avoid "doing a Titanic".
Icebergs are dangerous! They witnessed a rare thing: An iceberg suddenly rotating 360 degrees, repeat 360, not 180! It has happened before that a ship being too close to an iceberg overturning has been smashed from below and sunk.

The start of the visit began in the northern most parts of Greenland, Several hundred kilometres north of where Dannebrog and Hvidbjørnen (and the press) were, simply because these ships were too big for them to get close too land and there were even more icebergs up there. So the Regent Couple used a small patrol ship as a temporary base, which due to the weather became a somewhat long stay.

Anyway, back to Hvidbjørnen. Our two intrepid reporters were onboard the frigate and the navy life was obviously a very novel experience! They had their own cabin (pure luxury) in the bottom of the ship in the "dead man's corridor", socalled because there is only one emergency exit. Even if that thought alone should give you problems sleeping, they were awaken by the unfamiliar sounds of a navy ship, like the anchor going or the helicopter taking off at night.
Another novel thing was that they had to conform to navy traditions and the (self-)discipline onboard a ship operating in the arctic. That included that no one begins to eat, until the head of the table at which they are sitting, give his/her permission!
Always, always don survival suits when entering a boat in order to go ashore. Always, always report to the NCO in charge when you leave or return to the ship.

However, for a photographer in particular and the rest of the press the sight of whales surfacing nearby to have a breath (and a look at the ship) was also an experience that could call every man on deck.

It wasn't all sweet sailing and whale watching. the sea was rough at times. A sailor from Danneborg had to be transported to a hospital to undergo emergency surgery.
The Frigate suddenly had to race ahead to rescue two stranded fishermen, who had run out of fuel and were stranded and pretty cold on a rock. - They had remembered to bring plenty of beer, but apparantly not enough petrol....
Billed-Bladet - Hvidbjørnens helikopter redder to på Grønland

At some point the Regent Couple paid a curtesy call to Hvidbjørnen. Alas, for our reporters thet were stranded on land, while the Regent Couple went onboard the Frigate. And as the crew lined up, there were no one to sail them to the navy ship....
They did however manage to hitch a ride back to the frigate while QMII & PH were still onboard. Prince Henrik wanted to have a closer look at the helicopter (a Sea Lynx) and our reporters followed suit and stood gawking at the aircraft when the captain tapped one of them on the shoulder. QMII was standing right behind them and would they mind move aside please? - "Sorry". To which QMII smiled: "Never mind, you couldn't know I wanted to go by here".
Billed-Bladet - Dronningen kom om bord på BILLED-BLADETs skib

A funny thing is the close rapport, bordering on friendship which Prince Henrik has developed to at least parts of the press corps. At some point in land, there were loads of mosquitos around, as is the case in the tundra, and our BB representatives had prudently equipped themselves with mosquito repellant, which they sprayed themselves with. Prince Henrik noticed that and borrow the spray for himself.
That is typical of PH, but something we would never see QMII do. - She has a more reserved attitude to the press.
Billed-Bladet - Dronningen så på grønlandsk fårehold

They have thoroughly enjoyed their stay onboard the Frigate, Hvidbjørnen, despite having to get used to the peculiar nautical terms used there.
Billed-Bladet - Farvel til Margrethe og Hvidbjørnen



Summary of a number of articles in Billed Bladet #29, 2011.
All written by Annelise Weimann.

This is second part of the visit to Greenland.

Every seventh year the Regent Couple go on a major tour of Greenland. The last time was in 2004, where Mary and Frederik joined them.

Uummannaq.
https://picasaweb.google.com/billedbladet/DronningMargretheOgPrinsHenrikIUummannaqIn Greenland Uummannaq is a major town, in relative terms. So big in fact that it has a port and several factories and it was here the Regent Couple arrived.
The locals were out, many in the national costumes. The children had been issued paper-crowns and Greenlandic flags. (*) The Coast Guard vessels were adorned with signal flags. Yes, it was a grand spectacle.
In front of the orphanage a group of children performed a traditional drum-dance.
The Regent Couple were of course presented with gifts, Prince Henrik’s was a pair of traditional sunglasses used by hunters. (**) QMII received a walking stick made a narwhal tusk.
As this is a major town a football/soccer match had been organized between the crew from the frigate, Hvidbjørnen and the local team. – It doesn’t say who won. Prince Henrik, leaning against a police car was cheering for the Hvidbjørnen crew.

Niaqornat.
Population: 57. A small hamlet, mainly populated by hunters. The water was so shallow here that the Regent Couple had to be transferred from the barge from Dannebrog to a rubber dinghy from the escorting frigate in order to even get ashore.
Even though they have been to Greenland many times, they had never seen the skins of two recently killed polar bears being stretched and hanged out to dry.
Fish and meat from seal were hanging everywhere in order to dry in the open air, visibly interesting Prince Henrik. He also attempted to get friendly with a couple of sligh dogs, only to learn: “They tried to bite off my glove”.
After having seen the village it was time for a “coffee-mik” at a table placed outside.

Qeqertarsuaq.
https://picasaweb.google.com/billedbladet/RegentparretPaBesGIQeqertarsuaqHere QMII as usual was presented with a bouquet of flowers and when a local girl presented her with a newly picked yellow flower, QMII found room for that in her bouquet.
While QMII went to the nearby arctic research station to learn about the climate changes, Prince Henrik went to a spring nearby where the most clean water on earth is tapped and sold under the name 938, which refer to the PH value of the water. He tasted the water and said: “Yumm, that taste lovely. It’s very good water, I like that very much. I do however have my own spring at Chateau de Cayx but I don’t sell the water”.

Aasiat.
https://picasaweb.google.com/billedbladet/DronningMargretheOgPrinsHenrikIAasiaatIt was raining when QMII arrived in this fishing port and wearing a typical for her bright red raincoat, she was as always presented with flowers. This bouquest however was unusual! You really have to look closer to notice it, the petals consists of coloured seal skin.
https://picasaweb.google.com/billedbladet/MargrethesBlomsterOgGaverIGrNland#5631794859064960530
Here the Regent Couple were invited onboard a state of the art trawler and treated to dried shrimps, which they undaunted sampled.

(*) I don’t know if the Greenlandic flag has a name.

(**) They are very narrow, incased in a white frame. Presumably in order not to alert seals.

 

[Muhler]

I could not resist posting this charming little story from Greenland even though it stricktly speaking is off topic: Isbjørn jager skib væk

Isbjørn på Isbjørneø

The patrolship Ejnar Mikkelsen, where the Regent Couple spent several days is continuing it's soverenity patrol and reached the westernmost territory of Greenland, the Carey Islands. The central island is called Isbjørneø = Polarbear Island (after a ship not the animal) where there is a 70 meter high hill. On top of that hill is an umanned weather station and two flagpoles with Danneborg and the Greenlandic flag.
When a patrol pass this island they replace the flags (well, the flags are most ikely gone) and that was the intention here as well.
However, where the landing party intended to land, there was a polar bear and he/she stood his ground!
Polar bears are inquisitive animals and a warship doesn't impress you when you are a top predator. So instead of spooking the animal the crew decided to sail back and raise the flags on the return leg of the patrol. - So a polar bear turned away a navy ship....