Denmark's queen designs costumes for Copenhagen's Nutcracker ballet

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens amusement park will echo next month to the sounds of Tchaikovsky's Christmas ballet "The Nutcracker", performed with a set and costumes designed by Queen Margrethe. The 76-year-old queen of Denmark, also an accomplished painter, has created the decor for numerous plays and TV shows, many of them fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen, author of "The Little Mermaid" and "The Snow Queen". Margrethe watched a rehearsal on Thursday, and spoke to the cast. "She's made it very clear that she wants to be treated as our costume designer and that's all," said Kathleen Videria, who dances the leading role of Clara. "The Nutcracker" premieres on Dec. 1. (Reporting by Annabella Pultz Nielsen; Editing by Kevin Liffey)