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The Danish royal family – and above all Her Majesty the Queen – are the most distinuished members of Christian The Fourth´s Guild, and all of them have after their initiation been appointed honorary members.
Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie have not yet been initiated, but in the Guild we are all hoping for that to happen soon.
The Guild as a rule always sends presents to members of the royal family on special occasions, and of course the Queen also received a present on her 70th birthday on April the 16th 2010.
The Guild has had produced new carafes of honour to use for special presents. Such a carafe with an inscription was sent to Her Majesty. On top of the carafe you see the logo ”C4 Laug” and below that are 3 lines engraved with the text
"HM
Dronningen
16.-04.-2010"
The carafe was of course accompanied by a bottle of ”Laugsbitter” and a card of congratulations from the Guild, signed by the Chief Bencher, Niels Voss Hansen.
The carafes are crafted by the glass artist Lene Højlund from Aalborg. The glass of the carafes is decorated with a pattern, which is incisions made while the glass was beeing blown. The inscription is engraved by the firm A.M. Gravering in Nørresundby.
Foto: Jens Morten
The 16 th of December 2007 the Guild has existed 65 years. It was established in 1942 during WW 2 while Denmark was occupied. The purpose of the Guild was to secure the cellar - Duus´ Wine Cellar - as a meeting place for only Danish citizens. The occupation forces had grown very fond of the charming and impressive premises. By establishing the Guild as a club and add a rule according to which only club members - by presenting a membership card - could gain access to the cellar, the occupation forces and their followers were prevented from access.
After the war ended in 1945 the Guild felt that its purpose had been fulfilled. But the City Council of Aalborg asked the Guild to continue the tradition and welcome the citizens of Aalborg as well as people visiting Aalborg and initiate them into the Guild.
During the 65 years more than 22,000 named persons have been initiated. In the last time of the war the cellar was bombed by some nazi sympathizers. The board then had made an “secret passage” to the cellar, and since then alle members of the Guild has received a golden key to this discreet back entrance. During the 65 years 22.117 golden keys have been produced.
Photo: Jens Morten