King Frederik finds his seat roped off at Denmark's parliament opening — and laughs it off with Queen Mary

King Frederik X of Denmark was barred from his own seat in parliament — by a red rope.

The King arrived at Christiansborg in Copenhagen on 6 October for the official opening of the Folketing, Denmark's parliament, with Queen Mary and Princess Benedikte. He stepped on to the balcony where the royals traditionally watch, and found the entrance still roped off. He laughed. Then he and the Queen untied it themselves to get through.

The moment was caught on cameras in the chamber and quickly became the talking point of an otherwise formal morning. No staff stepped in. The King handled the rope, Mary helped, and the party took their seats. Business carried on.

The opening is fixed in the calendar. The Folketing opens on the first Tuesday in October every year, and the ceremony formally starts the new parliamentary year, according to Reuters Connect. Members of the Danish Royal House have attended every opening since 1966, The Copenhagen Post reported. Since 1988 they have watched from a special balcony above the chamber. Before that, they sat among politicians on the floor, according to Royal Central.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen gave the opening speech. It was her eighth opening address, The Copenhagen Post reported. The Danish Royal House had listed "Folketingets åbning 2026" on its official programme.

Queen Mary brought the colour. She wore a deep red skirt suit with a vintage turquoise brooch by Dior.

What makes this stand out is how ordinary it was. No ceremony stopped. No fuss followed. A rope was in the wrong place, the King moved it, and parliament got on with its year.