The King and Queen will pay state visits in the near future to the three Baltic countries: Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

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 reestablish diplomatic relations after their secession 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 upcoming state visits will reaffirm the longstanding and close relation between Denmark and Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, which is not only based on geographical proximity, but also on a set of strong shared values. The visits will help to underscore the joint European commitment and continuing support to Ukraine. 

HE Latvia's President, Edgars Rinkēvičs, has invited The King and Queen for a state visit to Latvia the days of 28-29 October 2025. The cooperation between Denmark and Latvia is close in international forums such as NATO, the EU and the UN. Denmark contributes to the defence of Latvia and NATO as a framework nation for the NATO headquarters Multinational Division North and with a combat battalion, which is deployed on a rotating basis to Camp Valdemar in Latvia every six months.

The visit by The King and Queen will provide an occasion to recognise the Danish soldiers for their service. At the same time, the state visit will affirm the strong historical ties and the close relations between Denmark and Latvia. This includes a focus on the close cultural cooperation.

PROGRAMME

The programme may be subject to changes.

Thursday, 28 October

Official reception and welcoming ceremony at Riga Castle
10:00
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, receives The King and The Queen at a ceremony at Riga Castle, the President’s official residence. As a part of the ceremonial greeting, The King and The Queen are introduced to the official delegations of the countries, and HM The King inspects the guard of honour. The King and The Queen sign the President’s visitors’ book and hold a short tête-à-tête conversation with the President of Latvia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže and Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds.
Additional participants on the Latvian side included Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, Latvia’s Parliament, and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, among others, while participants from the Danish side include Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Troels Lund Poulsen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen, among others.

Flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument
11:35
Together with President Edgars Rinkēvičs, The King and The Queen attended a flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument, Brīvības piemineklis. For nearly a century, the monument has been Riga’s central landmark. It was unveiled in 1935 in honour of the Latvian War of Independence (1918-1920), but since then has become a symbol of the Latvian people’s broader aspirations for freedom and independence.
During the Soviet occupation of Latvia, any gathering at the Freedom Monument was strictly forbidden, but the monument nevertheless ended up as a key location for the ‘singing revolution’ in Latvia in 1987.

Visit and luncheon at the parliament
11:50
The King and The Queen visit Latvia’s parliament, ‘Saeima’, where Speaker Daiga Mieriņa receives Their Majesties and introduces the Latvian delegation from the parliament. The King and The Queen are given a brief tour of the parliament’s plenary chamber and sign the visitors’ book in 
‘The White Hall’.
Since Latvia’s independence, ‘The White Hall’ has been the centre of many political meetings and diplomatic events and is a symbol of the openness and transparency in the parliament’s work. The visit at the Saeima concludes with an official luncheon.

Meeting with the Prime Minister
13:20
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa receives The King and The Queen at the Cabinet of Ministers building, where the Prime Minister has her office and the government meetings take place. Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers is called Ministru kabinets and is the country’s executive branch of government. It is led by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the parliament.
During the visit, The King and The Queen will sign the visitors’ book and take part in a bilateral meeting between the official delegations of the two countries.

Visit at the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
14:00
President Edgars Rinkēvičs receives The King and The Queen when they visit the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Latvijas okupācijas muzejs. The museum is situated in the heart of Riga and depicts Latvia’s history under the Soviet and German regimes from 1940 until 1991. The museum was established in 1993 and has the purpose of preserving and disseminating knowledge about Latvia’s troubles and resistance throughout more than 50 years.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Director Solvita Vība leads the tour, and The King and The Queen will sign the official visitors’ book at the end.

Visit at the Latvian Academy of Culture
14:40
The King and The Queen visit the Latvian Academy of Culture, which is located in the former Scandinavian tobacco factory, ‘Tabakas fabrika’. Here, The King and The Queen get the opportunity to view the completed result of the architecture competition, of which they attended the presentation when the winner was announced back in 2018. The competition in 2018 was held as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Latvia’s independence, and the completed project is now the Latvian Academy of Culture.
During the visit, The King and The Queen will be introduced to, among other things, the Danish-Baltic research project CRIES (Crisis Established Singing) from Aarhus University, which examines the significance of community singing in times of crisis.

Walking tour in Riga’s Art Nouveau district
15:25
His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen participate in a guided walking tour of Riga’s Art Nouveau district, highlighting the city’s remarkable architectural heritage.
Riga’s historic city centre, including the renowned Art Nouveau quarter, was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list in 1997. Riga’s city centre has the world’s highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, equivalent to a little more than a third of the buildings (approximately 800). The style is renowned for its organic, undulating forms and its richly adorned facades, featuring flowers, faces, animals, and other motifs inspired by nature.

State banquet at Riga Castle
18:55
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, hosts a state banquet at Riga Castle. The dinner will be an occasion for The King and The Queen to greet invited guests of honour and reaffirm the close relation between Denmark and Latvia. HM The King delivers a toast speech during the dinner.
Riga Castle is situated on the bank of the Daugava River and dates back to the early 1300s. The castle has experienced several destructions and reconstructions and now appears as a blend of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance styles, which bears witness to the castle’s long and changeable history.

Wednesday, 29 October

Visit at Ādaži Gymnasium
10:25
His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen visit Ādaži Gymnasium, where they meet a class of students engaged in a mandatory educational course on national defence. The initiative is a central focus area in Latvia and was established to strengthen the society’s security. 
Upon arrival, The King and The Queen are received by, among others, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Ādaži’s mayor, Karīna Miķelsone, and a representative from the youth centre Jaunsardze. In the meeting with the students, The King and The Queen will have the opportunity to hear more about the educational course’s background and content and about the students’ own experiences of the programme.

Visit at Ādaži Military Base
11:20
The King and The Queen and President Edgars Rinkēvičs arrive at Ādaži Military Base and are received by the Chief of Defence, Major General Kaspars Pudāns, and Major General Jette Albinus.
Following their arrival, His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen, alongside President Edgars Rinkēvičs, pass in review before the base’s soldiers and observe a moment of silence in honour of the fallen Latvian soldiers at the monument. Afterwards, The King and The Queen and the President are escorted to the base’s headquarters, where Major General Jette Albinus will give a briefing.

Visit at the Danish military base Camp Valdemar
12:10
The King and The Queen visit the Danish military base Camp Valdemar, which is located in connection to Ādaži Military Base. Upon arrival they will be received by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmi Holst and Lieutenant Colonel Niels-Jørgen Gunnar. The King and The Queen will be taken on a tour of the Danish part of the camp, where the deployed soldiers will provide insight into their everyday lives. The visit concludes with lunch in the camp’s canteen.
Camp Valdemar was built as a permanent camp, which emphasizes the Danish commitment to NATO’s Forward Land Forces and the defence of Latvia. Denmark’s current contribution to the Forward Land Forces is a strengthened combat battalion with 690 soldiers from the Guard Hussar Regiment. The battalion is part of the Canadian-led Multinational Brigade.

The King and The Queen host a reciprocal event
15:25
As the final element of the state visit programme, His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen host a reception at the Latvian National Museum of Art. The event celebrates and emphasizes Danish-Latvian relations and cooperation in the areas of defence, culture, politics and trade and will be used by The King and The Queen to thank the host nation for the hospitality during the state visit.