Sunday marked a turning point for the Danish monarchy, with Queen Margrethe II officially abdicating the throne after a historic 52-year reign.
The 83-year-old queen signed her formal abdication papers at a meeting at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. A large crowd of people of all ages gathered to celebrate her accession to the throne.
Martin Misner/AP
Once the declaration was complete, her son, the current King Frederick X, ascended the throne. He was proclaimed King of Denmark from the palace balcony in a spectacle that is traditional but not called a coronation, unlike events held for succession to the throne elsewhere, including in the UK. . Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has proclaimed the new king to the throne.
King Frederick’s wife Mary Donaldson becomes queen upon his accession to the throne. Princess Mary was her previous title. Their son, Crown Prince Christian, is next in line to the monarchy and the current heir to the Danish throne.
In a speech to thousands of people gathered under the balcony of Christiansbourg Palace, Mr Frederic praised his mother’s legacy and said he wanted to be “the king of tomorrow”.
“My mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, has ruled Denmark for 52 years. For half a century, she has inherited our common heritage,” Frederick said in a translated social media post shared on Sunday. I have followed the times as a starting point.” by the Danish Royal Family. “She will always be remembered for her erratic regency. My mother, like few others, managed to become one with the kingdom. Today, she will inherit the throne. ”
Martin Misner/AP
Queen Margrethe, the longest-reigning monarch in a country with one of the world’s oldest dynasties, will retain her title. The Queen announced her plans to abdicate her throne in her annual New Year’s Eve speech, but in her televised address she said that her back surgery in early 2022 was the catalyst for her decision. she said.
“I have decided that now is the right time,” she said in a speech. “Thank you to so many people who have embraced me and my family with kind words and thoughts on special days and in everyday life, and who have turned these past years into a string of pearls.”
Margrethe abdicated the Danish throne on January 14, 1972, the 52nd anniversary of her accession to the throne, at the age of 31. She succeeded her father Frederick IX after his death on the same day.
The Queen is Denmark’s first female monarch in more than 500 years, taking the throne nearly 20 years after the country passed a referendum changing its rules of succession to allow women to inherit the throne. Margrethe was beloved throughout Denmark and was known for her multilingual expertise and artistry throughout her reign. She becomes the first Danish monarch in nearly 900 years to voluntarily abdicate.