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Denmark’s Crown Princess Mary went on a secret trip to Afghanistan this weekend. The princess was accompanied by Denmark’s Defense Minister Soren Gade and Speaker of Parliament Thor Pedersen. They visited troops in the Danish camps Bastion, Armadillo and Price in Helmand, Afghanistan on November 30, 2009. The princess also went to an American field hospital in Kandahar.
Princess Mary with Head of Parliament Thor Pedersen, Defense Minister Soren Gade, and Brigadier General Lawrence Nicholson:
with Defense Minister Soren Gade:
Dressed in desert fatigues, Princess Mary spoke with the soldiers, several of whom had their cameras ready. She also had the chance to tour the camps and the facilities. For security reasons, the trip was not revealed to the media until she arrived safely back in Copenhagen today.
Princess Mary is a lieutenant in the Danish Home Guard, having finished both basic training last year and officer school early this year. What an encouragement her presence must have been to the soldiers she met! And what a surprise for them to see a princess suddenly in their midst, even while in active duty.
UPDATE: I only just realized that it was almost exactly a year ago when Prince Frederik made his own secret trip to Afghanistan to visit the troops. Fancy the timing, huh?
images: Zuma Press