HE The President of Estonia Alar Karis has invited The King and Queen for a state visit. The visit to Estonia has particular focus on digital resilience and cyber security, and The King and Queen, together with The President, will among other things visit the national Estonian cyber security and innovation centre CR14, where there will be presentation of defence exercises and simulations of cyberattacks.

The state visit will include official programme items such as the official reception of The King and Queen, a state banquet with a concert, as well as meetings with The President and First Lady, HE The Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal and representatives from Estonia’s parliament. The President and First Lady will bid farewell to The King and Queen at a special place for the bilateral relationship, in The Danish King’s Garden in Tallinn, where, according to the legend, Dannebrog descended from the sky in 1219.

The King and Queen paid the first of three state visits to the Baltic countries in Latvia in October 2025. Denmark has strong historical ties to all three countries and established diplomatic relations for the first time in 1921. Denmark never recognised the Soviet annexation of the Baltic countries and, in August 1991, was among the first to re-establish diplomatic relations following their breakaway from the Soviet Union. The relationship between Denmark and the three countries is characterised by joint interests, mutual respect, and a shared vision of a free, secure and prosperous Europe.

The state visit to Estonia will affirm the strong relations between Denmark and Estonia and at the same time focus on future cooperation with special emphasis on digital security and cybersecurity.

 

PROGRAMME

The programme may be subject to changes.

 

Tuesday, 27 January

Official welcoming ceremony at the Town Hall Square
10:15
The President of Estonia Alar Karis and First Lady Sirjee Karis receive The King and Queen at an official welcoming ceremony on the Town Hall Square in Tallinn. The ceremonial reception is a regular programme item for state visits in Estonia.

Wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the War of Independence
10:40
The King and Queen and The President and First Lady participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the War of Independence. The monument, which is situated on Freedom Square, consists of a distinctive glass memorial with cross symbolism and was erected in honour of the Estonians who lost their lives during the War of Independence 1918-1920.  The memorial has great national meaning and serves as a central gathering place for official commemorations.

Meeting with The President and First Lady at the Presidential Palace
10:55
The official reception continues at the Presidential Palace, where The King and Queen will sign the guest book and then hold a meeting with The President and First Lady Sirjee Karis.

Visit at the Memorial to the Victims of Communism
11:40
The King and Queen visit the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Maarjamäe, accompanied by The President and First Lady. The visit includes a short tour of the memorial complex as well as placement of candles by the memorial wall in honour of the Estonians who lost their lives or were deported as a consequence of Soviet oppression in the 1940-1991 period. 

The Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Maarjamäe was opened in 2018 as Estonia’s national memorial complex for the more than 75,000 citizens who were deported, imprisoned, or killed under the Soviet communist regime from 1940 until 1991.

The monument serves as a setting for national commemorative days, official ceremonies, and public storytelling.

Luncheon with HE The Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal
12:10
The King and Queen are received by The Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal and his wife, Evelin Oras, at the Estonian Statehood House. Afterwards, Their Majesties take part in an official luncheon.

Meeting with the President of the Estonian parliament, HE Lauri Hussar
13:55
The King and Queen are received by The President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar in the Riigikogu’s White Hall. Here, an official photograph will be taken, and Their Majesties will sign the guest book.

Visit at Rakett69 Science Studios
14:40
Together with The President and First Lady, The King and Queen visit Rakett69 Science Studios, where Their Majesties and The President and First Lady meet girls aged 8-14 from the educational organisation HK Unicorn Squad. During the visit, The King and Queen will be introduced to the centre and observe a technical/engineering competition between the participants.

Rakett69 Science Studios is a modern learning centre which, through hands-on activities, strengthens the interest that children and young people have in science, technology and innovation. 

HK Unicorn Squad is an Estonian NGO founded in 2018, with a focus on increasing the interest girls have in technology and STEM subjects. The programme offers practical education in, among other things, coding, robotics, and problem-solving, and it has engaged more than 4,000 girls throughout Estonia since its start.

Concert and state banquet
18:30
The President of Estonia Alar Karis and First Lady Sirje Karis host a concert and a state banquet in St. Nicholas Church, which has served as a museum and concert hall since 1984. During the banquet, Estonia’s President will speak first, followed by His Majesty The King’s speech.

St. Nicholas Church was built in the mid-1200s and acquired its Gothic style in the 1400s and 1500s. After extensive damage during the bombardments in 1944, the church was rebuilt and opened in 1984 as a part of the Art Museum of Estonia.

Wednesday, 28 January

Visit at CR14
09:25
The King and Queen visit the Estonian national cyber range, CR14, where cyber defence can be trained and tested. Here, Their Majesties will be introduced to how Estonia works to strengthen national and international resilience against cyberattacks. The cyber range controls advanced IT infrastructure that makes it possible to carry out exercises in which cyberattacks can be imitated on, for example, energy production and to train both defence and preparedness.

Reciprocal reception at Town Hall
10:00
The King and Queen hold a reciprocal reception in the impressive medieval Town Hall on the city’s old market square. The Town Hall, which is the only preserved Gothic town hall in Northern Europe, dates back to the 1200s and acquired its current form around 1404. Throughout the centuries, the building has served as the centre of the city’s administration, judicial system, and representative activities, and today it stands as a distinctive historical and cultural landmark in Tallinn’s old town quarter.

During the reception, there will be a performance by Det Unge VokalEnsemble (DUVE), Copenhagen Young Voices, which is a Danish amateur choir.

Official farewell Ceremony in The Danish King’s Garden
11:30
The President of Estonia Alar Karis and First Lady Sirjee Karis officially bid farewell to The King and Queen in The Danish King’s Garden. The ceremony marks the formal conclusion of the state visit to Estonia, before The King and Queen travel on for a state visit to Lithuania.

The Danish King’s Garden is located on Toompea Hill in Tallinn and is a historical place tied to the shared history of Estonia and Denmark. According to the legend, the Danish flag Dannebrog descended from the sky here in 1219, which made it possible for the Danish army to win the Battle of Lyndanisse.

The ceremony begins with The King and Queen and The President and First Lady viewing the historical commemorative plaque for Dannebrog.