Royal visit in 1921

King Christian IX was the first reigning Danish monarch to visit the Faroes; his only visit was in 1874 when the Danish Navy’s wooden frigate Jylland became a temporary Royal Yacht to convey the King to Iceland, calling in at the Faroes on route.

Like his father King Frederik VIII made only one visit to the islands, this was in 1907 and is marked with two special stamps showing photographs of the King's party arriving by sea.

Unlike his grandfather and father, King Christian X visited the Faroes on more than one occasion.

The first of these was in 1921 when, on June 17th, the King accompanied by Queen Alexandrine and their sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Knud left Copenhagen on route for the Faroes.

Although a purpose built Royal Yacht, the Dannebrog, was available, it was thought that a side-wheel paddle steam yacht was perhaps not necessarily the best conveyance for the conditions that could be encountered in the North Atlantic, even in summer.

So the King and Queen were aboard the Valkyrien, a Danish Navy vessel and the Crown Prince on board the cruiser Heimdal; the cruiser Fylla also formed part of the Royal flotilla. Bad weather forced an unscheduled stop at Skagen but it was in more calm and pleasant conditions that they arrived at Vágur on Suðuroy on the morning of June 21st. This was not the planned first landfall and there was no official welcoming party to greet the Royal party.

Although this was the King Christian’s only visit to the Faroes aboard the Dannebrog, the vessel has been seen many times subsequently in Faroese waters. It was used by King Frederik IX on his five visits and on numerous occasions since by Queen Margrethe II and other members of the Royal family.

The vessel featured as part of the design of the miniature sheet (FO 302) issued in 1997 to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.