Every time Donald Trump repeats his threats towards Greenland, a familiar claim does the rounds that the UK has ‘first dibs’ should Denmark ever choose to sell the territory. Most versions of this story trace back to comments by Tom Hoyem, who served as Denmark’s last minister for Greenland in the 1980s.

The claim gained traction again after Trump’s recent threats about acquiring the island, saying ‘one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland’. These threats – which have now been accompanied by additional tariffs on countries including the UK – are being taken so seriously that the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers met US vice president J.D. Vance in Washington this week.

It is an entertaining idea to think that Britain has a claim to Greenland, but it is false. Nevertheless, Britain’s historical relationship with the island is more complicated than many assume. 

Britain has another concrete interest in Greenland: critical minerals

The origins of the claim lie more than a century ago. Britain was involved in negotiations over Denmark’s sale of several Caribbean islands to the United States. In return, Washington formally recognised Danish sovereignty over Greenland in 1916. The treaty was concluded, the Caribbean islands were renamed the US Virgin Islands, and Danish control over Greenland appeared secure.

Some later suggested that British involvement came with a condition: that Britain would enjoy a right of first refusal should Denmark ever sell Greenland. Adding colour to the story are maps from the late Victorian and early Edwardian period which appear to show slivers of north-western Greenland under the British flag. However, documents in the National Archives show that while Britain did make such a demand in........

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