Dear aunt Daisy…

Although the grand birthday celebrations for Queen Margrethe II of Denmark have been cancelled, royals from all over Europe recorded a message for her. For those wondering, Daisy is Margrethe’s nickname!

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his wife Silvia kicked off the video with the words, “Dear Daisy and cousin, Us from Sweden, Queen Silvia and I, would like to send a greeting on your special day. We would like to have been with you to celebrate your birthday as we have done so many time before. But because of the circumstances, it can’t be.”

King Harald V of Norway and his wife Sonja then appear, “We are sorry that we cannot be with you as we were supposed to be. The Coronavirus has meant that we must that at home but that doesn’t mean that we are not thinking of you on this day.”

Next up are King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his wife Máxima. “Queen Máxima and I would have loved to have joined you for the celebration of your 80th birthday. Unfortunately, circumstances have dictated otherwise.”

King Felipe VI and his wife Letizia are next. “Hello, aunt Daisy! We are joining in for this surprise, I understand, since we cannot be there with all of you to celebrate your 80th.”

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa also appear. “During this period when we are affected by a pandemic, which forces us to stay home, we think of you in particular on your birthday.”

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden appears with her family holding the flags of Sweden and Denmark. She says, “Your Majesty, dear aunt Daisy, we would like to congratulate you on your big day and we hope the spring birds sing especially for you today.”

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife Mette-Marit then appear. “Dear aunt Daisy, happy birthday! We were looking forward to helping you celebrate in Denmark but unfortunately, it is not possible now so that’s why we send you this greeting instead.”

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden also recorded a message, “Your Majesty, dear aunt Daisy, dear godmother, a happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!”

Back with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia, the Queen says, “But of course we want to pay tribute to you and we are thinking of you. I’m thinking of you when I look outside at the snow here. It is a little unusual for April but it is in your honour. I want to thank you for all the good advice you have given me over the years. Of course, I want to thank you too for the fond memories we share.”

King Philippe of the Belgians has recorded a voice message only. He says, “We want to wish you a happy birthday!”

The camera cuts back to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. “Denmark is going through a very difficult time, just like the Netherlands and the rest of the world. We can all relate to the serious situation, we find ourselves in. But as long as we support each other, we will find the strength to pull through.”

King Felipe VI continues, “We are under this pandemic, all across the world, especially in Europe. And so we are saddened by all that but we have to keep these times to be able to celebrate and remain happy within the family.”

The camera cuts back to Crown Princess Victoria and her family. She says, “A fourfold Swedisch cheer! Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah!”

Crown Princess Mette-Marit adds, “We send you this short greeting to wish you a fantastic birthday and we hope you celebrate it well with your beautiful family.” Her husband waves, “Congratulations, bye!”

Queen Letizia also weighs in, “I am sure we will have the opportunity to share the celebration very soon. Please send all our love from us to you and all your family.”

Queen Silvia says, “I also want to congratulate you, Daisy, and also on behalf of our children. Congratulations.”

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg smiles and says, “Happy birthday, dear Daisy!”

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima toast the Queen with words, “Happy birthday, cheers!”

King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja end the video with the words, “Congratulations!”