Constitutional role[edit]The Queen's main tasks are to represent the Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figurehead at home. She receives foreign ambassadors and awards honours and medals. The Queen performs the latter task by accepting invitations to open exhibitions, attending anniversaries, inaugurating bridges, etc.As an unelected public official, the Queen takes no part in party politics and does not express any political opinions. Although she has the right to vote, she opts not to do so to avoid even the appearance of partisanship.[2]After an election where the incumbentPrime Ministerdoes not have a majority behind him or her, the Queen holds a Dronningerunde (Queen's meeting) in which she meets the chairmen of each of theDanish political parties.[8]Each party has the choice of selecting a Royal Investigator to lead these negotiations or alternatively, give the incumbent Prime Minister the mandate to continue his government as is. In theory each party could choose its own leader as Royal Investigator, the social liberalDet Radikale Venstredid so in 2006, but often only one Royal Investigator is chosen plus the Prime Minister, before each election. The leader who, at that meeting succeeds in securing a majority of the seats in theFolketing, is by royal decree charged with the task of forming a new government. (It has never happened in more modern history that any party has held a majority on its own.)Once the government has been formed, it is formally appointed by the Queen. Officially, it is the Queen who is the head of government, and she therefore presides over the Council of State, where the acts of legislation which have been passed by the parliament are signed into law. In practice, however, nearly all of the Queen's formal powers are exercised by the Council of State, and she is required by convention to act on its advice.In addition to her roles in her own country, the Queen is also theColonel-in-Chiefof thePrincess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires), an infantry regiment of theBritish Army, following a tradition in her family.[2]Ruby Jubilee[edit]Queen Margrethe II celebrated herRuby Jubilee, the 40th year on the throne, 14 January 2012.[9]This was marked by a carriage procession, a gala banquet atChristiansborg Palaceand numerous TV interviews.Personal life and interests[edit]The official residences of the Queen and the Prince Consort areAmalienborg Palacein Copenhagen andFredensborg Palace. Their summer residence isGrsten PalacenearSnderborg, the former home of the Queen's mother, Queen Ingrid, who died in 2000.Margrethe is an accomplishedpainter, and has held many art shows over the years. Her illustrationsunder the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmerwere used for the Danish edition ofThe Lord of the Rings, which she was encouraged to illustrate in the early 1970s. She sent them toJ. R. R. Tolkienwho was struck by the similarity of her drawings to his own style. Margrethe's drawings were redrawn by the British artistEric Fraserin the translation published in 1977 and re-issued in 2002. In 2000, she illustrated Henrik, the Prince Consort'spoetry collectionCantabile. She is also an accomplishedtranslatorand is said to have participated in the Danish translation ofThe Lord of the Rings.[6]Another skill she possesses is costume designing, having designed the costumes for theRoyal Danish Ballet's production ofA Folk Taleand for the 2009Peter Flinthfilm,De vilde svaner(The Wild Swans).[2][10]She also designs her own clothes and is known for her colourful and sometimes eccentric clothing choices. Margrethe also wears designs by formerPierre Balmaindesigner Erik Mortensen,Jrgen Bender, and Birgitte Taulow.[11]She was listed as one of the fifty best-dressed over 50s byThe Guardianin March 2013.[12]Margrethe is achain smoker, and she is famous for hertobaccohabit.[13]However, on 23 November 2006 the Danish newspaperB.T.reported an announcement from the Royal Court stating that in future the Queen would smoke only in private.[14]