The King of Denmark has altered the royal coat of arms to feature Greenland more prominently amid Donald Trump’s declared interest in buying the territory.
The US president-elect has suggested that Washington could purchase the world’s largest island, which has been under Denmark’s effective control since the 14th century, and “make Greenland great again”.
“Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our nation,” Mr Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site, adding: “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside world. Make Greenland great again!”
Donald Trump Jr was expected to visit Greenland on Tuesday in a private capacity to record material for a podcast.
Frederik X, who succeeded the throne after the abdication of Queen Margrethe II last year, appears to have responded by altering the royal coat of arms.
The updated design has dropped the three crowns signifying the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Sweden and Norway, in favour of an enlarged polar bear and a ram which symbolise Greenland and the Faroe Islands respectively.
The royal household said the new coat of arms, which is used on official documents and seals, “strengthens the prominence of the commonwealth” and the three crowns had been removed “as it is no longer relevant”.
The changes, it said, were made after a recommendation from a committee that was appointed straight after Frederik’s accession on Jan 14 last year.
Laying down a marker
Lars Hovbakke Sørensen, a historian at Absalom University College, said the monarch’s intervention laid down a marker.
“It is important to signal from the Danish side that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Danish realm, and that this is not up for discussion. This is how you mark it,” he told TV2.
Just before Christmas, Mr Trump said that “for purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”.
The island’s government responded that it was not for sale, echoing its response to similar statements from Mr Trump in 2019.
Last week, in his first new year speech, the king said: “We are all united and each of us committed for the kingdom of Denmark.
“From the Danish minority in South Schleswig, which is even situated outside the kingdom, and all the way to Greenland. We belong together.”
Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen, a historian at the Saxo Institute at the University of Copenhagen, said the decision also sends clear signals amid Greenlandic calls for independence.
“When the Greenlanders, and in a sense also the Faroese, toy with the idea of achieving full independence, the royal house shows they support the state’s policy, which is to preserve the unity of the realm,” he told Berlingske.
‘Shackles of colonialism’
Múte Egede, Greenland’s prime minister, declared intentions to pursue independence from Denmark during his New Year speech.
“It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with, and who our trading partners will be,” he said, adding: “Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the obstacles to cooperation – which we can describe as the shackles of colonialism – and move forward.”
The independence movement has gained traction in recent years in part because of revelations of misconduct by Danish authorities, including an involuntary birth control campaign rolled out in the 1960s.
Greenland, which is situated between Canada and Scandinavia, was a Danish colony until 1953 but is now a self-governing territory of Denmark.
In 2009, Greenland achieved the right to claim independence through a vote and in 2023, Greenland’s government presented its first draft constitution.
Elon Musk, the incoming head of the inaugural US Department for Government Efficiency, has suggested inhabitants of Greenland would prefer to be part of America.
“The people of Greenland should decide their future and I think they want to be part of America,” he wrote on X.
The Danish foreign ministry said it had “noted the planned visit of Donald Trump Jr to Greenland,” adding: “As it is not an official American visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark has no further comment.”