Written by Jan M. Olsen
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Queen Margrethe II, who has been Denmark’s monarch for more than half a century, surprised the nation on New Year’s Eve by announcing that she would hand over the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.
Her abdication on Sunday will be the first time in nearly 900 years that a Danish monarch has voluntarily abdicated.
Here are five things to know about the abdication of Margrethe, currently Europe’s longest-reigning monarch.
Before Margrethe, 83, announced her resignation, most royal watchers expected her to spend her days on the throne, in keeping with Danish tradition. Margrethe had shown no signs of wanting to retire from her largely ceremonial position. Until recently, she claimed, she considered being queen to be her life’s work.
It appears that health issues made her reconsider. Margrethe underwent major surgery on her back in February last year and she did not return to her job until April. In her speech, she said the operation had caused her to “think about her future” and when she should take over royal responsibilities. “We decided now was the right time,” she said.
Even the Prime Minister was unaware of the Queen’s intentions until just before the announcement.
The origins of the Danish monarchy date back to the 10th century Viking King Gorm the Elder. While the monarch’s powers were once absolute, today the royal duties are largely ceremonial and prescribed by the constitution. The monarch is Denmark’s head of state and the country’s symbol, but political decision-making rests with the cabinet and parliament.
Queen Margrethe is very popular in Denmark, and so is the monarchy. A recent survey showed that 70% of Danes support it.
Margrethe will retain the title of queen even after stepping down.
No Danish monarch has voluntarily abdicated the throne since King Eric III of Rum in 1146, but the Danish Succession Act states that the same rules apply to abdication as if the monarch had died. .
The Queen is expected to formally sign her abdication at the Council of State on January 14, and will also meet with the Danish Cabinet at Christiansborg Palace. The palace is a vast complex in Copenhagen that includes the royal reception rooms, the royal family, the Danish parliament, and the prime minister’s office. government offices and the Supreme Court.
At that meeting, her 55-year-old son will become King Frederick X. His Australian-born wife Mary, 51, will become Queen of Denmark, and her eldest son Christian, 18, will inherit the title of Crown Prince. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaims the new king to the people on the balcony of Christiansborg Castle.
Unlike England, there is no coronation ceremony in Denmark. Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens amusement park has announced that it will celebrate its new king and queen with the biggest fireworks show in the park’s 180-year history.
Few royals in European history have voluntarily abdicated the throne, but that is starting to change.
In the Netherlands, it is now common for older monarchs to hand over the throne to younger generations. Queen Beatrix succeeds her mother, Queen Juliana, and her grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina, who abdicated in 2013. Shortly after her Beatrix, King Albert II of Belgium and King Juan Carlos I of Spain retired, and her eldest son succeeded them.
But until Margrethe’s announcement, there was no sign that their Scandinavian peers would follow suit. Norway’s King Harald V, 86, who has been hospitalized several times in recent months, has not indicated he plans to abdicate in favor of his son, Crown Prince Haakon. The same goes for Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, 77, who celebrated his 50th anniversary on the throne last year.
But Margrethe’s unexpected behavior suggests that anything is possible.
Queen Margrethe ascended the Danish throne on January 14, 1972, at the age of 31, just hours after her father, King Frederick IX, died of complications from a lung infection. The Chainsmoking Queen quickly became beloved by Danes for her wit and her down-to-earth demeanor.
She traveled throughout the country, frequently visiting Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and the Faroe Islands. A talented artist, she drew and designed ballet costumes, church vestments, tableware, and more. She also illustrated a limited edition of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Hearing the Queen’s televised speech on December 31 has become part of New Year’s Eve rituals. She often encouraged Danes to treat each other with respect. As Frederiksen put it, the Queen expressed in words “who we are as a people and as a nation.”
Margrethe’s husband, French-born Prince Henrik, died in 2018. The couple had two children, Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim, and eight grandchildren.
Margrethe’s reign was largely scandal-free, but in 2022 she stripped Joachim’s four children of their royal titles, causing an uproar within the family. Her decision was in line with other European royal families and in keeping with the times. She told Joachim that she was sad. Margrethe later apologized but stood by her decision.