King Frederik spoke fondly of growing up with a Danish mother and French father on his second day in Paris, sharing that “France holds a special place in my heart.”

The King and Queen Mary are currently undertaking a state visit to Paris, having arrived in the country on Monday afternoon. On their second day in Paris, business and culture were at the forefront of events.

First Lady Brigitte Macron accompanied the King and Queen for their first engagement of the day, a visit to the Manufacture des Gobelins, a tapestry weaving factory that has been working on a Danish commission of 16 tapestries for Koldinghus castle. King Frederik and Queen Mary watched as the tapestries were cut in front of them; after going on display in France this year, the tapestries will move to a permanent display at Koldinghus.

Afterwards, the royal couple traveled to the Palais Brongniart to officially open the France-Denmark: A European Partnership for a Resilient Future economic forum. The royal couple traveled to France with a 55-strong business delegation to work with their French counterparts on networking and creating opportunities for the countries to work together.

King Frederik said in a speech: “Today, we focus on three key areas that define resilience in the 21st century: defence, health, and energy.”

Following the economic forum, King Frederik and Queen Mary parted ways for separate engagements. The King met with French Prime Minister François Bayrou at the Hôtel de Matignon and later lunched with the Speaker of the Senate, Gérard Larcher. Meanwhile, Queen Mary joined Brigitte Macron on a school visit to the Ecole Maternelle Dussoubs.

The school recently joined the Mary Foundation’s Free of Bullying programme, which operates in France as a counterpart called Vivre Ensemble, and Queen Mary’s visit was meant to explore how the students and teachers have adapted to the programme.

In a statement on the Mary Foundation’s website, Queen Mary said that “Experiences from the work with Free from Bullying across different countries show that when we interact with each other based on the values ​​of tolerance, respect, care and courage, we can create safe communities where everyone feels like they belong.”

Some of the other countries that have implemented Free of Bullying include Greenland, Romania, the Faroe Islands, Estonia and Iceland.

The royal couple joined up again for a second business event, holding short meetings with businesses at the Palais Brongniart to discuss their work and their findings from the economic forum earlier in the day. The Danish Royal Court shared that the King met with defence and green energy companies while the Queen met with health and green energy companies.

Queen Mary then paid a solo visit to the Grand Palais, where she viewed the renovations ahead of a planned summer exhibit that will feature the Koldinghus tapestries she viewed earlier in the day.

Finally, to end their second day in Paris, King Frederik and Queen Mary played host to their French counterparts at a return reception at the Grand Hôtel for French and Danish dignitaries and guests.

King Frederik shared that he and Queen Mary “always feel very much at home here” in France, and spoke fondly of how having a Danish mother and French father has given him a unique perspective.

“From my mother, I learned the value of pragmatism, from my father the power of passion. From my mother, I was taught to look beyond my impulses, from my father to trust my instincts. From both – to always seek a wider perspective.

“Danes and the French complement each other and share the same fundamental values. We cherish freedom and democracy. We strive towards the same goals, even if some of us insist on forging our own paths.”

The King hinted at his excitement for their final engagement in Paris: a visit to the recently-restored Notre Dame Cathedral. “Thanks to the bravery of French firefighters and the expertise of craftsmen from across Europe – including Denmark – the glorious building has risen again. A powerful symbol for Parisians, for France, and indeed for all of Europe.

“In uncertain times, the reconstruction of Notre-Dame is a profound reminder of our ability to come together, to honour our shared cultural heritage and, when necessary, to rebuild what we hold dear.

“Together, we stand strong.”

On their final day in Paris, the royal couple will meet the city’s mayor, visit KNDS, the Hôpital Foch, and the Assemblée Nationale, before ending their visit at Notre Dame.