Their Majesties King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark payed a state visit to Finland on 4–5 March 2025 at the invitation of President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb.
On Tuesday 4 March, President Stubb and his spouse Suzanne Innes-Stubb received Their Majesties in a formal welcoming ceremony in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. The national anthems of Finland and Denmark were played, after which President Stubb and King Frederik X inspected the Guard of Honour. As part of the ceremony, the King and the Queen greeted the Finnish delegation, and the Finnish presidential couple was introduced to the Danish delegation.
The two-day state visit focused on further consolidating and deepening cooperation between Finland and Denmark, both bilaterally and as members of NATO. Topics discussed included defence, societal resilience and the green transition.
The delegations of the two countries held formal talks at the Presidential Palace. The discussions focused on bilateral relations between Finland and Denmark, Nordic cooperation, the security situation in the Baltic Sea region and support for Ukraine.
The discussions were followed by a signing ceremony in the Hall of Mirrors, where a Memorandum of Understanding between the Finnish and Danish Ministries of Defence on bilateral defence cooperation was signed. At the same time, the two countries signed a Letter of Intent on enhanced cooperation in the field of civil preparedness and resilience.
Their Majesties’ programme continued with a luncheon hosted by Mayor Juhana Vartiainen at Helsinki City Hall, a visit to Parliament and a meeting with Speaker Jussi Halla-aho, followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and his spouse Niina Kanniainen-Orpo at the Prime Minister’s official residence Kesäranta.
Photo: Matti Porre/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
In the afternoon, the Royal couple and the Presidential couple were introduced to the Finnish model of civil protection and community preparedness at the Merihaka civil defence shelter. In the late afternoon, the King and the Queen paid a visit to the Hietaniemi Cemetery and attended a wreath-laying ceremony.
In addition to the joint programme, Her Majesty Queen Mary visited the New Children’s Hospital with Mrs Suzanne Innes-Stubb.
In the evening, President Stubb and Mrs Innes-Stubb hosted a gala dinner at the Presidential Palace.
“During our first year as heads of state of Denmark and Finland, the world has changed more than in the past thirty years combined. Just over thirty years ago, when the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union collapsed, there was hope for a brighter future. Today, we mostly see dark clouds gathering,” President Stubb said in his speech during the dinner.
“But, we will not give up hope. Now is the time to act. Together. This is when we need friends we can count on. Friends who understand each other. I don’t think I’m exaggerating too much when I say that all of us here in the Nordic countries feel more connected than ever before.”
Guests were entertained by the Guards Band, the Guards Quintet, the a cappella group Club for Five, and a pianist from the Navy Band.
Culture, technology and national defence
On the morning of Wednesday 5 March, the King and the Queen, together with the President and his spouse, visited EMMA, the Espoo Museum of Modern Art. The President and the King had the honour of unveiling a new acquisition, the painting Untitled (1966) by Danish artist Poul Gernes (1925–1996). To conclude the visit, the Royal couple and the Presidential couple were given a tour of the museum’s collection of Finnish ceramics and glass art.
The next venue, Arkki School of Architecture for Children and Youth, teaches creativity through architecture and design. This spring’s theme is housing. The pupils had built futuristic homes and vehicles from recycled materials and discussed their art work and innovations with the guests.
Photo: Matti Porre/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Photo: Matti Porre/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
The programme continued with a visit to Aalto University and a presentation of research and companies in quantum and space technology, as well as a demonstration of the Aalto Ice and Wave Tank, designed to test ships and other maritime structures in ice conditions.
In the afternoon, the Royal couple and the Presidential couple attended a seminar on green financing, bringing together Finnish and Danish investors and companies operating in the value chain of the green transition. The seminar held at Fiskars Group headquarters included lunch.
Later in the afternoon, there was a visit to the main base of the Coastal Brigade in Upinniemi in Kirkkonummi and a presentation of maritime surveillance, combat diver training and armoured personnel carriers.
Commander of the Finnish Navy, Rear Admiral Tuomas Tiilikainen.
Photo: Matti Porre/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Photo: Matti Porre/Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
The visit concluded on Wednesday evening with a reception hosted by the Their Majesties the King and Queen of Denmark at Finlandia Hall in honour of their Finnish hosts.
The King and Queen were accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister of Environment and Gender Equality Magnus Heunicke and Minister for Resilience and Preparedness Torsten Schack Pedersen.
During the state visit, the Finnish Government was represented by Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala and Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.
Former President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö and his spouse Jenni Haukio last paid a state visit to Denmark in April 2013.
News updated on 6 March 2025.
- Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb at the Gala dinner in honour of the State Visit by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Denmark at the Presidential Palace on 4 March 2025
- Gala dinner hosted by the President of the Republic of Finland and Mrs Innes-Stubb in honour of the State visit by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Denmark at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday 4 March 2025
- Ministry of Defence: Joint Declaration on Enhanced Defence Cooperation between Denmark and Finland on 4 March 2025
- Ministry of the Interior: Denmark and Finland step up cooperation in preparedness matters
