Queen Mary and the manatees! On Thursday, King Frederik of Denmark's wife paid a visit to the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA) in Manaus, where the royal mom of four gave a manatee calf a bottle. Her Majesty was all smiles as she sat down, feeding the baby manatee.
© MICHAEL DANTAS/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Associação dos Amigos do Peixe-boi (Friends of the Manatee Association), which aims to support scientific research and promote conservation of aquatic mammals in the Amazon, shared footage from the Danish royal's visit on its Instagram Story, writing in one post (translated to English): "She was delighted with rescued manatee babies."
© MICHAEL DANTAS/AFP via Getty ImagesQueen Mary's official visit to Brazil kicked off on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Her Majesty and the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, traveled to the South American country "on a trip that will help to emphasise the desire for additional strengthened cooperation and deepening of the Danish-Brazilian relationship. Areas such as sustainability, biodiversity and climate are central, common priorities for Brazil and Denmark," according to the Danish Royal House.
The Queen's visit to Brazil includes two days in Manaus and two days in Brasília. Mary's trip began with a boat tour on the Amazon River on Oct. 2, followed by the Museu da Amazônia (MUSA) and a reception at the Teatro Amazonas. The Royal House noted that Denmark has previously "committed to providing support for the Amazon Fund, which fights against illegal deforestation of the rain forest and promotes sustainable development."
In addition to the National Institute for Amazonian Research, Mary was scheduled to visit the Centre for Bioeconomy in the Amazon Forest and take part in a luncheon on Oct. 3. The program for the remainder of the Queen's trip includes visits to a public school, the Brazilian agricultural research institute Embrapa Cerrados and Brasilia’s botanical garden with UNEP, as well as a meeting in Brazil’s capital and a working dinner—with UNFPA focused on equality—at the Danish Embassy in Brasília.
