"This was, of course, the king's initiative, as I cannot just throw myself on him," explained former Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks, explaining to Elita Veidemane from nra.lv why the King of Denmark, forgetting about protocol, friendly hugged his former classmate at a reception with the President of Latvia.
King of Denmark Frederik X and Queen Mary arrived in Latvia on Tuesday for a state visit. Frederik has been to Riga before, but this visit is the first since he ascended the throne in January 2024. Former minister and now head of the Association of Drones and Military Technologies Artis Pabriks shared that he studied alongside the king at Aarhus University:
"We were in the same group, we had one supervisor. In his student days, he came to Riga with the group, and I was among those who welcomed them. We walked around Riga, visited the Riga market, and bought caviar. This was in 1992. After our studies, I met the current king several times. For example, in 2018, I was invited to Copenhagen, to the palace, for the celebration of the centenary of the Latvian Republic. But we first met in January 1991."
The politician mentioned that in Denmark, Frederik is referred to as the "people's king."
"He is simple, friendly, always open in communication. When I approached the king to greet him at a reception with President Rinkēvičs, he, despite the protocol, hugged me. This was, of course, his initiative — I cannot just throw myself on the king's neck. We even made it into the Danish media with this episode. They also explained who I am and why the king has such a special attitude towards me.
On the other hand… He has undergone serious military training. He served in a special forces unit and engaged in scuba diving. Military service is mandatory in the royal family — you cannot be a king without serving in the army. The king is also the supreme commander. A few years ago, he traveled 3,500 kilometers across Greenland on sleds with a group of people. He is by no means a fragile person, but rather physically very well prepared. We discussed this. I said that regular military service would have been enough, but he replied that he wanted something more," Pabriks clarified.
The former minister also mentioned that while studying, the King of Denmark wrote a research paper on the foreign policy of the Baltic States in the 1990s. Therefore, he knows the Baltics well, understands it, and keeps track of what is happening. "He is not one of those leaders who need a long explanation of what Russia is and what it has done in Ukraine," Pabriks assured, adding that "Denmark is a small country, and the Danes, like us, have an understanding of threats, as Denmark is a Baltic Sea country." "Denmark will be the country with which we will definitely cooperate," he concluded.
