04/03/2025
Last Friday, Eric Vildgaard had the great pleasure of having Her Majesty Queen Mary as his table lady, when she and King Fredrik of Denmark and king mother, our beloved and until recently monarch throughout 52 years, Queen Margrethe II, invited Danish cultural personalities to a ball at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
Five things quintessential Danish, are:
Our monarchy, smørrebrød, Tivoli, sausage wagons, and H.C. Andersen. The latter wrote many fairytales dear to Danes throughout all layers and ages of society, and especially here two come to mind.
First, the story of Clumsy Hans who against all odds wooed and charmed all his way into marrying a princess, but as we know Eric already has chosen his, Tina. Second, the story of the ugly duckling which experiences much adversity and runs off to live with a flock of wild ducks and geese until one day it looks in the mirror to realise it has grown into a big white swan.
Those who knows Eric’s past, where he began life, what obstacles he has had and how love and gastronomy ended up saving him, and how he now daily stands big and proud in a white chefs jacket as one of the kingdom’s very finest, I would say the second fairytale fits this occasion quite well.
God, King and Country🍴🇩🇰
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