With the sudden change, it is interpreted as a measure aimed at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who intends to buy Greenland.
The Danish royal family said on its website, “On December 20 last year, a new royal coat was enacted and a new royal flag was introduced correspondingly.”
In the new sentence, a polar bear was expressed by growing its body in the place where there were three crowns. The ram was also greatly emphasized as it moved to its position.
“The upright polar bear became a symbol of Greenland in the 1960s,” the royal family said. “The sheep symbolizes the Faroe Islands.”
The three crowns in the previous coat of arms symbolize the ‘Kalmar Alliance,’ a union of the three countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The royal family explained that the three crowns were removed because they were no longer related.
He added that the change was made on the recommendation of a committee appointed after the accession of King Frederick X in January last year.
This is the fourth time since 1819 that the Danish royal family has changed its coat of arms, following 1903, 1948, and 1972.
The change is not irrelevant to Trump’s eye on buying Greenland.
“For national security and freedom around the world, the United States absolutely needs Greenland’s ownership and domination,” Trump said on Truth Social on the 22nd of last month.
He has consistently expressed his desire to buy Greenland since 2019, his first term in office.
Greenland is now Danish territory. Although the right to independence was granted in 2009, Denmark is still in charge of defense and foreign policy. It is known to be rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals.
After Trump’s post, Frederick X has emphasized Denmark’s ownership of Greenland.
“We are all united and each is dedicated to the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said in his first speech this year. “From Schleswig’s Danish minority located outside the kingdom to Greenland, we belong together.”
Danish royal expert Lars Hovbakke Schirensen interpreted the sentence change as a reflection of Frederick X’s interest in the Arctic and a message to the world.
“It is important for Denmark to make it clear that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and this is not the subject of discussion,” he told local broadcaster TV2.
JEMMIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
