Denmark's King Frederik X touched down in Greenland on Wednesday, embarking on a three-day tour designed to demonstrate solidarity with the autonomous territory amid mounting pressure from Washington.
The 57-year-old sovereign received a warm reception at Nuuk airport, where supporters waved Greenlandic flags as Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed him to the capital.
Following discussions with Mr Nielsen, the monarch spoke to journalists about his deep connection to the island.
"It is a great pleasure for me to be back in Greenland and to meet the Greenlandic people," Frederik stated.
Denmark's King Frederik travels to Greenland as locals outline 'frightening experience'
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The Danish King emphasised that the welfare of Greenlanders remained a priority for him personally.
"They always have been. They always will be," he declared, underscoring his enduring commitment to the territory.
Roughly a dozen residents braved freezing temperatures outside the airport to catch a glimpse of the royal visitor.
A 44-year-old man among the crowd told AFP that "it's good he's coming here."
King Frederik X visits the Arctic Basic Training and Arctic Command in Nuuk
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Kalistiana, a 74-year-old woman, agreed that the monarch's presence carried significant weight during this period of uncertainty.
"It's an important sign that the King is coming," she said.
The elderly resident described how President Donald Trump's repeated assertions that the US required Greenland for national security purposes had taken a toll on the population.
"It has been very frightening for all of us, we have never, ever experienced anything like this in our world in Greenland," Kalistiana explained, adding that the situation had proved "very stressful" for islanders.
Frederik's opening day in Nuuk included visits to a secondary school and a local fisheries business, followed by an informal gathering with residents at a cultural centre.
King Frederik X arrives at Nuuk Airport, in Nuuk, Greenland
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The itinerary for Thursday takes the King approximately 150 kilometres north to the town of Maniitsoq.
His final day on Friday will see him travel further north still to Kangerlussuaq, where he is scheduled to tour a Danish military facility specialising in Arctic training operations.
The monarch's connection to Greenland's harsh terrain runs deep. In 2000, he completed an arduous four-month skiing expedition spanning 3,500 kilometres across the island as part of the Danish Navy's elite Sirius dogsled patrol.
"There should be no doubt about my love for Greenland," Frederik remarked in March 2025.
This latest journey marks Frederik's third visit to Greenland in under two years, a frequency that royal observers have noted as exceptional. He previously travelled to the island in July 2024 and April 2025.
King Frederik X participates in a traditional kaffemik at the Katuaq cultural centre
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Prime Minister Nielsen told reporters that the bond between the monarchy and Greenlanders "every year proves to be very, very strong."
Trump's threats to acquire the resource-rich Arctic territory, including suggestions he might use force, have paradoxically strengthened ties between Copenhagen and Nuuk.
Mr Nielsen has been unequivocal about where Greenland's loyalties lie if forced to choose between remaining Danish or becoming American.
"We choose the Kingdom of Denmark, we choose the EU, we choose NATO," the Prime Minister has stated.
A trilateral working group involving Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk has been established to address American security concerns in the region.