Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, known as Europe’s longest-reigning monarch, announced her intention to abdicate on January 14 after an impressive 52-year reign. Her throne will be inherited by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederick.
“I have decided that now is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark,” she said.
“I entrust the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederick,” she said.
Who is Crown Prince Frederick?
Frederick Andre Henrik Christian is the next heir to the Danish throne. He is the eldest child of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. With Queen Margrethe announcing her plans to abdicate on December 31, 2023, Frederick is expected to ascend the throne as King Frederick X on January 14, 2024.
Early life and education
According to reports, he was born in Copenhagen on May 26, 1968, and was given the name Frederick after his maternal grandfather, King Frederick IX, thereby giving the heir presumptive the name Frederick or Christian. He is said to have supported the Danish royal custom of wearing a hat.
While in college, he used the pen name Frederik Henriksen and studied abroad for a time at Harvard University in the United States.
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Frederick completed his education at the Olegord Gymnasium and earned a master’s degree in political science from Aarhus University, achieving a notable milestone as the first royal to receive a master’s degree.
military history
Frederick continued his involvement in defense affairs, serving as a staff member at the Danish Defense Forces Command from 2002 to 2003. From 2003, he then held the role of Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Strategic Studies at the Royal Danish National Defense University.
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The prince, nicknamed “Pingo” (Penguin), was a member of the Navy’s frogman corps. In a rigorous selection process in 1995, he stood out as one of his four out of his 300 recruits who passed all tests.
marriage
Prince Frederick married Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, an Australian marketing consultant whom the prince met during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The couple exchanged vows on May 14, 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral in Copenhagen.
According to a report by AFP“When the time is right, I will lead the ship,” Frederick said in a speech to mark the half-century anniversary of his chain-smoking mother’s accession to the throne in 2022.
According to reports ReutersIn Denmark, ultimate authority rests with the elected parliament and its government, but the monarch is expected to remain neutral in political matters and fulfill traditional responsibilities such as making state visits and celebrating National Day. ing.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the Queen for her lifelong dedication to public service.
(Information provided by agency)
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