Joy and sorrow go hand in hand.

Some days feel heavy and are dragging on, others feel light and easy and have passed, almost before they have begun.

The nature and tempo of life fluctuate up and down.

The change of life is the fate of life.  

We all experience this as time passes – also this year. 

Just look at what it means to be parents.

Queen Mary and I enjoy watching our children growing up, finding their own feet, and stretching their wings in preparation for leaving the nest. At the same time, the idea of letting go is sad.

This year, Princess Isabella turned 18. It’s hard to believe.

Days spent with young children can seem long now and then. But all of a sudden they have vanished, and the children have grown up before we realise it. 
On their way out into the world.

A world of opportunities – but also of challenges.

Some are bigger than we like.

The number of wars is high.

One of them is raging close to us.

Only a few thousand kilometres from Denmark, the Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom.

For nearly four years they have held out, stood their ground, and insisted on their right to exist as a free and independent country.

The war inflicts pain and misery on the Ukrainians and spreads uncertainty and insecurity in Europe. The battles are raging on Ukrainian soil, but it is a matter of the right to security, independence, and sovereignty – on our continent and further afield, because something fundamental is at stake.

The Ukrainians have never wanted a war. That is why they deserve peace.

For decades peace has been everyday life in Denmark. Most of us have never tried anything else. Fortunately. Those who experienced the Liberation of Denmark 80 years ago have become fewer in numbers. First-hand accounts have become second-hand accounts. We have felt safe and secure for so long that we have almost forgotten that things could be different.

For others, the shadows of the past have not disappeared yet.

With its harsh history, Finland is an example of a country that manages to bear in mind the worst-case scenario without putting life on hold. For the Finns, the threat from the east has never lost its momentum. They live with it, but do not succumb to it. Queen Mary and I noticed that clearly when we visited Finland earlier this year.  

In Latvia, peace is still young and was quite new when I as a student visited the country for the first time in the spring of 1992. A 50-year occupation leaves its mark on a people, and their reality put my own life into perspective. In Latvia I got an impression of what it means when freedom cannot be taken for granted. 
It is an impression which is also coming to the fore in this country. Because something is changing. Not everybody wishes us well. And in the grey zone between peace and conflict, anonymous attacks are being made to stir up unrest, sow discord, and frighten us.

They can be in the form of websites that suddenly crash. They may be deceptive videos spreading distrust. They may be drones appearing in the sky as diffuse warnings.

What’s next? We ask ourselves.

To turn off the news flow may seem one way out – many have probably wanted to – but it is a fleeting comfort. Reality exists, whether or not we pay attention to it. 
The skill lies in staying informed without allowing fear to dominate our lives. In being watchful without dancing to the tune of the wrong people. In preventing mischief makers from succeeding.  

Fortunately, we are good at that in this country.

We have a strong understanding of who we are as a people and what we represent as a nation. We size up the situation and like to think for ourselves. We trust each other and we are happy to lend a hand. We know our own worth without being self-sufficient.

Our greatest strength is to stand united – in the Kingdom of Denmark, in Europe and in NATO.

There is a proverb saying that we must hope for the best and prepare for the worst. In the defence forces it is not just a figure of speech but something that they do. Queen Mary and I saw that in practice during our visit to Latvia this year when we visited the Danish combat battalion at Camp Valdemar.

Together with our allies in NATO, they safeguard our joint defence for peace in the Baltic Region through high standards and high morale.

I wish to thank our soldiers deployed abroad who perform their tasks on our behalf – and their next of kin who must do without them while they are away.  

I wish to thank all those who are guarding our country – not least the police, the emergency services and the defence forces.

In the same spirit – and as a father – I wish to send New Year greetings to our national servicemen. Thank you for rising to the occasion and stepping up for our community. I hope that you – as did the Crown Prince recently and myself in the past – will grow through the trust you receive and show others.

You are the backbone of the defence, which will be strengthened in future – both in terms of duration of military service and personnel. The right to military service has changed to becoming a mandatory duty for everybody in Denmark. And in Greenland, young Greenlanders are lining up to join the new Arctic Basic Training at Kangerlussuaq. This implies a more varied and, consequently, stronger defence.

Actually, “the duty to perform military service” has neither age nor expiration. We are all committed to safeguarding our country, and we have a morally and human responsibility to each other. Nobody draws a free number when it comes to this duty.

Our Christian cultural heritage bids us to be loving – not just to our nearest and dearest, but to our neighbour.

The neighbour includes both the people we have welcomed into our lives and those we have ignored or rejected. That is the challenge. Our task is to endeavour to find room in our hearts to be charitable – also when we find it difficult.

In spring, I had the great pleasure of being back in Greenland and once again I encountered overwhelming warmth and kindness.

It was and is a turbulent time. Despite that, the Greenlanders do not waver but stand their corner with strength and pride.

They generate cohesion inwardly and respect outwardly and cement the narrative of the strong people of the Arctic.

In the early summer, it finally was time to visit the Faroe Islands. The joy of anticipation had grown strong and was fully met when Queen Mary and I together with Princess Josephine set foot on Faroese soil.

From the air, the soil and the sea, the almost supernatural, beautiful scenery stretched as far as we could see – and the fog would allow.

Wherever we went in the deep-green, hilly, and harsh landscape, the well-known Faroese hospitality flowed towards us. Also, on the dance floor. For when the Faroese dance their chain dance, there is always room for one more person. 

Communities take many forms and the wonderful thing about the traditional dance is that it just takes a new form when more people join in.

It may look like a small gesture but to him or her standing outside, it may mean the world that the dance circle does not hesitate to open up.

This applies to dance and to most other things in life.

I wish to thank everybody in the Faroe Islands and in Greenland for once again giving my family and me such a warm-hearted welcome.

Also, on behalf of Queen Mary and myself I wish to send a warm thank you to the many people who have made an effort for our sake during the past year.

We know that much work is done in preparation for our visits – regardless of whether the routes of Royal Run are to be planned in city streets or a berth slot for the Royal Yacht Dannebrog in the harbour has to be secured.  

Wherever we have been, we have enjoyed the flourishing local colour. 
Every town its special characteristics. Every region its charm. Every part of the country its expertise.

In many places we encounter proud old craftsmanship traditions. They have been passed on and given the finishing touches through generations.

The glassworks at the town of Sæby, angling at the seaside of Vorupør, seaweed roofing on the island of Læsø.

Manual labour has been refined through centuries and has been the livelihood of many for just as long.

Also today, there is a strong demand for people with skillful hands. Earlier this year, I met Augusta, Casper, Niels, Sofie and Magnus, who fit this description perfectly. All five signed up for The European Championship for young apprentices and skilled workers at the city of Herning.

Their trades varied a great deal, but they shared the ambition of presenting top-class craftsmanship. Denmark ended up with a record-making haul of medals, which is not only impressive but also an important source of inspiration for other craft aspirants.

Young apprentices and skilled workers can perform miracles with their hands so of course they should not just help out but pull their weight with steady hands in the workplaces that are fortunate to have them.

We all benefit when young people choose a craft. We need more people who can use both their head and their hands.

Today, when the volumes of information are one click away and many tasks can be performed immediately with the right command, craft trades are in high demand. 
Being good with your hands is not a natural gift. It requires time and hard work, which is probably still the way to acquire most skills.

The change of life is the fate of life.

Whether you were born here or have come to this country, whether you live here or are a Dane living abroad, it is the same for us all.

The volatility of life is a condition – and may at the same time be a path to gratitude.

What we value becomes much clearer when we sometimes have to do without it. 
When what we have been given becomes less of a given, we learn to appreciate it more.

Joy and sorrow.

Fortune and misfortune.

Sunshine and clouds.

They go hand in hand.

Nobody can have one of them without the other.

Perhaps it is for the best.

The arrival of spring is wonderful exactly because we meet it with the cold of winter in our bodies.

Happy New Year.

GOD BLESS DENMARK