You are welcome, Tarlita
Excerpt of article in Billed Bladet #13, 2011.
Vores modige Dronning - Our brave Queen.
Written by Annelise Weimann.
Who interviewed the second in command of the Danish battallion in the Helmand province, lieutenant colonel Flemming Meinertz.
So this is more an account from the viewpoint of the soldiers.
Lieutenant colonel Meinertz said: "It's incredible brave of the Queen to visit us here in Afghanistan and that shows that huge interest she has for the Danish soldiers in Helmand. It's been noticed everywhere, also among our foreign colleagues, who would hardly believe she was here. There has never been a Regent so far out in the field (*), all the way out in the first line. The Queen is really a fantastic person.
For security reasons the soldiers were only told (about the visit) the evening before and we were told that no particular considerations should be made for the Majesty. She wanted to live on the same terms as the rest of us and she did. We share camp (Camp Price) with the Britons, and their commanding officer, who is responsible for running the camp, wanted that the chow-tent, Cook House, should be cleared, so that there was plenty of room for the Queen. But that wasn't how she wanted it, so she ate on equal footing as the rest of us, stood in line and waited for the food and got water and lemonade to go with it. That was something the soldiers really respected.
At night she slept in a tent on an ordinary field bed and the only difference in respect to the accommodation was that a small part of the tent arranged for her to sleep alone. (**)
I noticed it was our desert-undershirt and desertboots the Queen was wearing when she stepped out of the helicopter".
He also noticed that QMII had braided her hair in a pigtail and decorated it with a bright red bow one day and a lillac bow the next. (***)
"The Queen also wore her beautiful marguerite brooch. It was a lady with style and you couldn't tell at all that she soon turns 71. It can certainly be heavy to move around in the heat, it was about 35 degrees C in the middle of the day, but you could not tell that from her.
It was clear that the Queen was very well prepared. She was dedicated and (she) asked a lot and her questions were well thought through. She was genuinely interested in what the soldiers are doing and she wanted to know a lot when she was shown around.
Wednesday's shedule ended at 21.00 and afterwards we sat in the recreation tent for the soldiers and had a cosy time. We drank coffee and talked about this and that regarding the days impressions. The Queen told that the thousands of stars at the sky reminded her of back then when she had been excavating in Nubia. (****)
The evening ended with her engraved her name, just like other guests, in a pane of glass with an electrical engraving machine.
Queen Margrethe's visit to Helmand meant a lot to the soldiers. She was down to earth and could talk to everyone and she never said no when anyone wanted to be photographed with her. All was carried out with style and elegance.
The Queen is the most fantastic person we have been visted by. It was a pleasure to show her around, she radiated positivity (positive vibes) and joy. We feel it was a great honor to be visted by the Majesty. To us in Helmand it was a huge encouragement, which we can live on for a long time".
I can't say for certain which regiment lieutenant colonel Meinertz belongs to, but it's not one of the guards regiments.
(*) QMII visited the Patrol Baseline along the front line. The last stop before the most exposed outposts.
(**) I have not noticed any of QMII's LiW's around. I did however recognise the colonel who is head of her staff of adjutants.
(***) A typical QMII! She's always been colorful.
(****) North Africa. In her youth.
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