Gråsten awaits arrival of Queen Margrethe

Forget sunny weather and pleasant temperatures. Gråsten and southern Denmark were having none of that on the eve of the arrival of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik for their annual summer stay at Gråsten Castle. Instead Thursday evening saw low temperatures, gusty winds and quite a few showers.

A weather man across the border in Germany - only a few kilometres away - quipped that it would be quite pleasant if this was April weather. But it is supposed to clear up over the weekend. Maybe not in time for the annual photo shoot, but at least before the parade on Sunday.

The Danish royals have been coming to Gråsten almost every summer since 1936, when then Crown Prince Frederik and his Swedish born wife Crown Princess Ingrid started the tradition. The Danish government had given them use of the castle which, given its location near the German border in a part of Denmark which had just rejoined the nation, held great significance for all Danes.

After her mother's death in 2000 Queen Margrethe has kept up the tradition of bringing the family together in Gråsten and eldest son Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have started a tradition of their own, by coming here ahead of the Queen's arrival and spending time as a family.

RB Hans Jacobs