His Danish Majesty's Yacht ''Dannebrog'' (A540) () was launched by

Queen Alexandrine Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Alexandrine Auguste; 24 December 1879 – 28 December 1952) was Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, as well as Queen of Iceland from 1918 to 1944 as the spouse of King Christian X. Alexandrine was a daughte ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

in 1931, and commissioned on 26 May 1932. The yacht now serves as the official and private residence for King

Frederik X Frederik X (Frederik André Henrik Christian, ; born 26 May 1968) is King of Denmark. He acceded to the throne following Abdication of Margrethe II, his mother's abdication in 2024. Frederik is the eldest son of Margrethe II and Prince Henri ...

, and members of the

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

when they are on official visits overseas and on summer cruises in Danish waters. When at sea, the

Royal Yacht A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head. The royal yacht is most often c ...

also participates in surveillance and sea-rescue services.

Features

The ''Dannebrog'', named after the

flag of Denmark The flag of Denmark (, ) is red with a white Nordic cross, which means that the cross extends to the edges of the flag and that the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. A banner with a white-on-red cross is attested as havin ...

, was built in 1931–1932 at the Naval Dockyard in Copenhagen. She replaced the previous royal vessel, an 1879 paddle steamer, also called ''Dannebrog''. The yacht originally had dual functions: to serve as the Royal Yacht in peacetime and to become a

hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating healthcare, medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navy, navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or ...

in time of war. Given her age, however, it is highly unlikely that she would be called upon to resume the latter role in the 21st century. The ship's

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

is of rivetted steel construction on transverse frames. The ship has a

clipper bow The bow () is the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is usually most forward when the vessel is underway. The aft end of the boat is the stern. Prow may be used as a synonym for bow or it may mean the forward-most part o ...

and an elliptical ('counter') stern. Viewed from the side, the ship may be divided into two sections. Forward of the funnel there is space for the crew, any cargo, and the engine. At the rear is the Royal Apartment, which could accommodate patients if ever the yacht were needed as a hospital ship. On visits to Danish and foreign ports the covered quarterdeck is used for receptions. The Royal accommodation comprises studies for the King and the Queen Consort, a Dining Saloon, Lounge, Bedrooms, etc. The parents of the current King took a personal interest in fitting out the vessel and the choice of furnishings. The Royal Apartment contains furniture and fittings from the previous 1879 Royal vessel. The Royal Yacht ''Dannebrog ''is an independent command, administered by the Chief of the King's Naval Household, who is a member of the Royal Household. The crew of the ''Dannebrog ''comprises 9 officers, 7 sergeants, 2 enlisted able-seamen and 34 conscripts. The officers are normally seconded for periods of two to four years, whereas the conscripts stay for just one summer.

History

Since she was commissioned in 1932, the Dannebrog has travelled more than and visited most of the ports of

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

, and the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

. The yacht has also visited European ports, especially in France and cruised the Mediterranean and the Caribbean Seas. Following

Operation Safari Operation Safari () was a German military operation during World War II aimed at disarming the Danish Defence, Danish military. It led to the scuttling of the Royal Danish Navy and the internment of all Danish soldiers. Danish forces suffered 23 ...

, in 1943, Dannebrog was the only ship left untouched by the Germans. On 7 July 1956, ''Dannebrog'' collided with the British sloop , breaking her bowsprit.

Jørgen Hviid Jørgen Alfred Hviid (; 1 September 1916 – 5 September 2001) was a Danish and Latvian multi-sport athlete, and an officer in the Royal Danish Navy. He was primarily an ice hockey player, but also competed in speed skating and sailing. Hviid g ...

served as one of the ship's captains. A major overhaul was carried out in 1980–81 to extend the life of the yacht into the 21st century. She is still in excellent condition, with major improvements having been made, including replacement of the main engines.

References

External links

The Royal Yacht DannebrogSpecifications and photos of Dannebrog - SYT
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dannebrog (A540) Auxiliary ships of the Royal Danish Navy Royal and presidential yachts 1932 ships Individual yachts Motor yachts