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HomeLocalDenmark Responds to Trump's Greenland Interest with a Symbolic Twist on Its...

Denmark Responds to Trump’s Greenland Interest with a Symbolic Twist on Its Royal Coat of Arms

 

 

Trump Seeks to Buy Greenland, Which Denmark Declares Unavailable. Denmark’s Initial Response? To Modify Its Royal Coat of Arms


The royal coat of arms serves as both a personal emblem for the king and a representative state symbol. It has undergone few changes in the last few centuries, prominently displaying a polar bear and a ram.

In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s renewed interest in purchasing Greenland, the Danish king acted as any Scandinavian monarch might: he altered the royal coat of arms to expand the representation of the Arctic island.

 

Over the past month, Trump has emphasized his intention to acquire Greenland, the world’s largest island and a self-governing Danish territory. He cites its importance for U.S. national security, echoing his previous efforts during his first term. Officials from Denmark and Greenland have clearly stated the territory is not on the market.

During a news briefing on Tuesday, Trump made it known that he might consider using “military or economic pressure” to reach his objective, though it remains uncertain how seriously to take such a severe suggestion.

On that same day, Donald Trump Jr. arrived in Greenland for what he called a “little bit of fun.” He did not engage with local authorities and was seen exploring the scenic, ice-topped landscapes along with a group sporting Make America Great Again caps while using cameras and podcast microphones.

 

Denmark’s recently ascended King Frederik X seems to have anticipated the controversy surrounding Trump’s ambitions for Greenland. While the island is home to only 57,000 residents and is mainly ice-covered, it holds an abundance of minerals like cobalt and copper, and holds strategic military importance for the U.S. missile early-warning system. In late December, through a “royal resolution,” the king revealed an update to the Danish royal coat of arms, an announcement that went largely unnoticed until recently.

 

The royal coat of arms acts both as a personal emblem for the king and a national symbol. Historically, it has seen little change over the centuries, last modified by the king’s late mother in 1972.

 

Previously, the coat of arms included a panel with three crowns representing a now-defunct union between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, known as the “Kalmar Union,” along with a polar bear for Greenland and a ram for the Faroe Islands, another self-governing Danish territory.

In the revised version, the crowns and ram from that panel have been removed in favor of a larger polar bear representation. Essentially, the king has increased the size of Greenland in the emblem. The ram now occupies its own separate panel, as there have been no proposals from Trump regarding the Faroe Islands, which are rich in fish and renewable energy.

 

In a statement from the Royal House of Denmark, it mentioned that “the Faroe Islands and Greenland now have dedicated individual fields, enhancing the significance of the Realm in the royal coat of arms.”

Lars Hovbakke Sorensen, a royal family specialist, commented in an interview with TV 2, Denmark’s national broadcaster, that the changes to the coat of arms, used on official documents and seals since the 12th century, carried a symbolic weight.

 

“It’s vital to convey from Denmark that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are integral parts of the Danish realm, and this is not up for debate,” he stated. “This is how you assert that message.”

Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, indicated on Wednesday that Greenland could pursue independence if its population desires it, achievable through a referendum, although it is unlikely to join the U.S. as a state.

 

Following Trump’s news briefing, his close associate Elon Musk voiced on social media that if “the people of Greenland want to be part of America, which I hope they do, they would be most welcome!”

Musk’s comments on the X platform garnered around 90 million views by Wednesday. It’s unclear how many of those were from Greenland, but a user named Orla Joelsen, who shares various photos and information about Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, was among them.

“Hello @elonmusk,” Joelsen replied. “As a Greenlandic citizen, I’d like to invite you to visit Greenland. You can see for yourself what the people of Greenland think about your claims that the territory should belong to the United States. I promise you’ll enjoy great food while you’re here, including polar bear and seal meat.”