Denmark updates its coat of arms amid Trump’s push to buy Greenland

Over the past month, President-elect Donald J. Trump has repeatedly discussed his desire for the United States to buy Greenland, and during a long press conference on Tuesday he said He refused to rule out the use of military force To achieve this goal.

In a far more subtle geopolitical act that came before Mr. Trump’s comments, the King of Denmark recently declared: Frederick XHe made changes to the Danish royal coat of arms that emphasized his kingdom’s commitment to Greenland, a sovereign territory.

The Danish Royal Coat of Arms – a more elaborate symbol than the kingdom’s national coat of arms – previously featured a panel with three crowns representing the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Those capitals have now been removed, with separate panels assigned to Greenland (represented by a polar bear) and the Faroe Islands (represented by a ram). In the earlier royal coat of arms, the polar bear of Greenland was present in the same lower left panel, but was much smaller.

A statement The Danish Royal House said of the new design that “the Faroe Islands and Greenland each received their own field, strengthening the kingdom’s position in the royal coat of arms.” The royal symbol is a coat of arms for the personal use of the monarch, and is also a symbol of the state.

According to the statement, the royal coat of arms received a public display last week when it was displayed on the flag raised at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen for the royal family’s New Year banquet, where it also appeared on royal vehicles as guests arrived.

Lars Hofback Sørensen, an expert on the Danish royal family, said in an interview with: TV 2 The simplified nature of the design change didn’t make it any less of a statement.

He added: “It is important to point out from the Danish side that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Danish Kingdom, and that this matter is not up for discussion.” “That’s how you define it.”

If tweaking logo design seems like a restrictive way to convey a political message, Mr. Trump by comparison has been less passive in asserting his policy. interest In American territorial expansion in Greenland.

In a post published by Truth Social last month, in which he announced the appointment of Ken Horry, the diplomat and co-founder of PayPal, to be his ambassador to Denmark, Mr. Trump said: “For purposes of national security, freedom and throughout the world, the United States of America feels that ownership and control of Greenland It is an absolute necessity.

He stressed his intention again in a post on Monday, in which he said that his son, Donald Trump Jr., would soon travel to Greenland. “Greenland is a wonderful place, and people will benefit greatly from it if and when it becomes part of our nation,” he said.

When Mr. Trump was younger receipt In the island’s capital, Nuuk, on Tuesday, accompanied by an entourage that included conservative activist Charlie Kirk, he told reporters waiting for him at the airport that he was making a short visit as a tourist.

But his visit was considered by some in the region as a provocation. Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, was prompted to comment more directly, perhaps in a way that the redesign of the royal coat of arms could not, Directed Audience in a television appearance.

“Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland,” she said. “Our future and our struggle for independence is our work.”