For centuries, the Royal House has received representatives from the Kingdom at the New Year's celebrations to wish them a Happy New Year.
The New Year's courses were held over two days at Amalienborg and Christiansborg Palace in early January. The New Year's courses consisted of the following elements:
- A cure for the Supreme Court and the officer corps of the two guard regiments – also called the “Little New Year’s cure”
- A cure for the diplomatic corps – also called “New Year’s cure for diplomacy”
- A course for officers from the Armed Forces and the Emergency Management Agency followed by a course for the highest ranks as well as invited representatives of national organizations etc. and royal patronages – also called the “Big New Year’s Course”.
In continuation of the change of throne, the Royal House announced that there would be a gradual adjustment of the New Year's ceremonies in 2025 and 2026. In 2025, this meant that minor changes were made to the order in which those attending the ceremony for the ranks were presented to the Royal Couple.
It was also announced that, with effect from 2026, space would be created for new representatives at the New Year's courses in order to ensure greater geographical and representative breadth in the group of participants in the New Year's courses.
Below is information about the changes in the group of participants in the New Year's courses with effect from 2026. There will be no changes in the "Small New Year's course", "New Year's course for diplomacy" and the part of the "Big New Year's course" that concerns the course for officers from the Armed Forces and the Emergency Management Agency as well as the patronages of the Royal Couple.
Changes to the Big New Year's Eve Sale
The ranks
The group of participants in the part of the "Great New Year's Supper" that has included the highest ranks has historically been based on the Rank Ordinance of 1671. The Rank Ordinance establishes the order of rank, which hierarchically places titles for mainly public employees and in some cases certain individuals, including nobles, in a number of rank classes.
The Order of Rank has been changed several times throughout history by royal resolutions – for example, the order of rank was originally divided into 55 groups, while today there are five groups. Since a major revision in 1960, only minimal changes have been made to the Order of Rank. Since 2014, when the reference work Hof og Stat ceased publication, the Order of Rank has not been reprinted.
With the 1849 Constitution, any privilege in the legislation linked to nobility, title or rank was abolished, and the significance of the Order of Rank has since been primarily that it has functioned as a guiding placement tool at celebrations and ceremonies in the Royal House. In connection with the New Year's banquet for the ranks, for example, the order of rank has determined who has had the opportunity to attend the banquet and determined the order in which the guests have attended the banquet.
The ranking order appears outdated today, partly because many of the titles that are included in the rank classes no longer exist, and several newer titles and job titles are not included.
As a result, the Royal House will in future only use the Order of Rank as a guideline for the New Year's courses to a limited extent. This means that the designation "Course for the highest ranks" will be discontinued and replaced by the designation "Course for public Denmark and selected groups with titles of nobility and honor, etc.". The course will continue to be part of the "Great New Year's course".
Furthermore, the group of participants will be changed in order to ensure broader representation. This means, for example, that participation from the central administration will be expanded to include representatives from all government agencies, just as the group of educational institutions, which has so far only included universities, will be expanded to include representatives from, among others, university colleges, business academies and a number of artistic education programs.
In future, participation will be conditional on being actively employed in the position that justifies participation in the course (except for former prime ministers). In addition, there will be restrictions on the number of participants from certain groups, including municipal court judges and certain levels of civil servants from ministries and agencies.
The total number of participants in the Royal House's New Year's celebrations is expected to be at the same level as before.
National organizations, etc.
The course for national organizations – which is part of the Course for national organizations and patronages – has so far been limited to a group of approximately 30 invited organizations, which have included both umbrella organizations and more specific interest and industry organizations.
The course will be adjusted and expanded in the future with more organizations, associations and foundations, which together will provide a broader representation of society. These include, for example, organizations for young people, for the voluntary sector and civil society, for the socially vulnerable, the climate area and from the disability area. Organizations representing the Danish minority in South Schleswig will also be invited. In total, representatives of approximately 100 organizations will be invited to participate in the New Year course in the future.
New New Year's diet for mayors and regional council chairmen
From 2026, all 98 mayors and five (from 1 January 2027 four) regional council chairmen will be invited to the New Year's party for the first time. So far, only the mayors of Gentofte and Frederiksberg Municipalities have participated in the "Big New Year's Party".
The new special course for mayors and regional council chairmen will be held at Christian VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in continuation of the "Small New Year's Course".
Program for New Year's Eve 2026
On Monday, January 5, the “Small New Year's Day” - New Year's Day Day for the judges of the Supreme Court and the Officer Corps of the Royal Life Guards and the Guard Hussar Regiment - will be held in Christian VII's Palace at Amalienborg at 9:30 a.m.
On Monday, January 5, a “New Year's course for mayors and regional council chairmen” will also be held. The course will be held in Christian VIII's Palace at Amalienborg at 10:30 a.m.
The courses on Monday, January 5th will conclude with the “New Year's Course for Diplomacy” at Christiansborg Palace at 2:00 PM.
On Tuesday, January 6, the “Big New Year’s Cure” will be held – “Cure for officers from the Armed Forces and the Emergency Management Agency”, “Cure for the public sector of Denmark and selected groups with noble and honorary titles, etc.” as well as “Cure for national organizations, etc.” and “Cure for patrons” at Christiansborg Palace at 9:30 a.m.
In connection with the "Big New Year's Eve" on January 6, the Royal Couple will be escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment's Horse Squadron in a gold carriage from Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace at 9:10 a.m. and from Christiansborg Palace to Amalienborg at 1:30 p.m.
Practical information about participating in the New Year's courses will be published in late autumn.
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