If you look at the official DRF calendar, you'll notice that Joachim is currently Rigsforstander.
At this time every year, QMII goes to England in order to buy Christmas presents.
And that's when her Christmas preparation start in earnest.
In order to get an idea of QMII Christmas preparations, I'll post this translation from Billed Bladet #49, 2006. (They are really captions to pictures I no longer have, but you'll get the idea).
Billed Bladet #49, 2006.
Margrethe pynter op – Margrethe decorates.
Gaven til farmor – The present for grandmother.
In 2005 Den Gamle By (*) in Århus exhibited a green mirror, which Princess Margrethe had given her grandmother (farmor), Queen Alexandrine, at Christmas 1951. The eleven year old Princess had painted the antique mirror herself, which her mother had bought during a holiday in Rome. As children Queen Margrethe and her two sisters liked to make the Christmas-presents for the family themselves. Back then the celebration took place in Frederik IX beloved hunting-lodge in Trend, where the royal family could be together in complete private, with only a minimum of staff.
(*) Den Gamle By – The Old Town. An open air museum, consisting of old houses and building brought to Århus from all parts of Denmark and rebuild here. Provides an excellent picture of a typical merchant town from 1750-1910. Very picturesque during winters when the snow has fallen.
Margrethes nisser – Margrethe’s Pixies.
The royal red pixies made of paper, which among other things are placed on the Christmas table at Marselisborg, was made by Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim in the 1970’s. They were made after models, which the Queen had made. The pixies are build up around cones turned upside down and adorned with among other things glasses, books, pibes and plates with cakes, so that each one of them has a personal expression. The pixies were introduced to the public in 2003 in connection with Royal Copenhagen’s 40 year anniversary-exhibition for royal Christmas tables.
På natarbejde – On the nightshift.
Queen Margrethe has always made most of her Christmas decorations herself. “It’s a nightjob”, as she told the author Lone Rahbeck Christensen. “I only really get started when we get to Marselisborg and as the time up to Christmas is short, I sit up at night and cut and glue”. As a child the Queen was often in Illums Bolighus (furnitures and accessories) with her mother to buy Christmas decorations for the table and the tree. In the DRF there is a tradition for everyone to decorate the tree on Christmas-day (the 24th), while the Christmas table, which the Queen sets herself is a secret until shortly before dinner. This tradition stems back to the days of Queen Ingrid and Frederik IX.
Bærer selv poserne – Carries the bags herself.
The month of Christmas has always been busy for Queen Margrethe, who can here be seen Christmas shopping in 1974 with two Magazin-bags(*) in her hands. The Queen is very determined to observe the Christmas traditions and she is very enthusiastic about the Christmas preparations. She carefully selects the presents for the staff, which are being presented in person by the Regent Couple. To the Christmas preparations also belongs the hundreds of Christmas cards, which the Queen and the Prince Consort each year writes to the other European royal houses, associates, aquantainces and staff.
(*) Magazin. – Harrods, just on a much smaller scale.
Overtog efter Ingrid – Took over after Ingrid.
Princess Benedikte has taken over her mother’s tradition about visiting the great Christmas bazaar in Svenska Gustafskyrkan at Østerport Station in Copenhagen. Here a lot of Swedish delicacies for the Christmas table can be bought. (*) The Princess opened Det Svenska Julemarknad for the first time in 1997, when she stood in for Queen Ingrid, who had fractured her femur. Here the Princess is seen at the bazar in 2005.
(*) Swedish delicacies is a regional tradition. Copenhagen being next door to Sweden. I’ve also omitted the list of various Swedish delicacies as they would be rather meaningless to non-Scandinavian readers.
I'll leave it to our moderators to decide whether this is still relevant. 
