The king honored Tómasdóttir with the Order of the Elephant
The President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir with King Frederik X at Kristjánsborg Palace for the celebratory dinner. Her husband, Björn Skúlason, is walking behind her. Photo/Ritzau Scanpix/Bo Amstrup
King Fredrik X of Denmark honored 25 Icelanders and one Faroese with honorary degrees during the official visit of the President of Iceland to Denmark this week. Halla Tómasdóttir received the Order of the Elephant, the highest honor of the King of Denmark, and Björn Skúlason received the Great Cross of the Dannebrog Order.
As stated in Morgunblaðið yesterday, 24 Danish politicians and civil servants received the Order of the Falcon on the occasion of the visit. It is customary for a mutual exchange of orders during visits like this, and the official delegation from Iceland received Orders from the Dannebrog, as well as several others who participated in the visit, such as the staff of the office of the President of Iceland.
Ministers Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir and Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Speaker of Parliament Birgir Ármannsson, Icelandic Ambassador to Denmark Pétur Ásgeirsson, Presidential Secretary Sif Gunnarsdóttir and Árni Sigurjónsson, Office Manager of the Presidential Office, also received the Great Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog.
Martin Eyjólfsson, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, received the first-degree Commander's Cross of the Order. The first degree of the Knight's Cross of the Order was awarded to Kristín Linda Árnadóttir, Deputy CEO of Landsvirkjun, Stefanía Kristín Bjarnadóttir, Trade Representative at the Icelandic Embassy in Copenhagen, Andri Þór Guðmundsson, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Ölgerðin, Sigurður Hannesson, Director of the Confederation of Industry, Ragnhildur Helgadóttir, President of the University of Reykjavík, Pétur Óskarsson, Director of Íslandstofa and Una Sighvatsdóttir. special advisor to the President of Iceland.
The Knight's Cross of the Dannebrog Order was awarded to Halla Benediktsdóttir, supervisor of Jónshús, stand-up comedian Ari Eldjárn, and Karin Elsbudóttir, from the Faroe Islands, executive director of Norðurbryggja cultural house.
