The succession was formalized the moment Queen Margrethe II signed the formal declaration of abdication.
King Frederick X of Denmark has ascended the throne, succeeding his mother, Queen Margrethe II, who formally abdicated after 52 years as king.
Margrethe, 83, surprised the nation on New Year’s Eve by announcing her plans to voluntarily abdicate the throne and become Denmark’s first monarch in nearly 900 years.
The palace said her succession to the throne was officially confirmed the moment she signed the declaration of abdication at a meeting of the State Council in Parliament on Sunday.
Denmark is one of the oldest monarchies in the world and does not have a coronation ceremony.
The meeting was attended by government representatives Margrethe, Frederick (age 55), his Australian-born wife Mary (age 51), who is currently the queen, and his eldest son Christian (age 18), who is the new heir to the throne. .
After the signing, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaimed King Frederik from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
“My hope is to be the unified king of tomorrow,” Frederick said in his first speech as king.
“This is a challenge I have worked on all my life. This is a job I approach with pride, respect, and joy,” he said, looking out over the crowd of cheerful people.
Shortly after, he was joined on the balcony by his wife and children, including 16-year-old Princess Isabelle and 13-year-old twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent.
tremendous public support
Tens of thousands of people from across Denmark flocked to the capital to witness the event in near-freezing temperatures, demonstrating the immense popularity the monarchy enjoys in the country of nearly 6 million people.
“We are here today because history is being made before our eyes. We had no choice but to be here,” said pilot Soren Christian Bysgaard. (30) told Reuters.
“I love the royal family very much. I myself was a member of the Royal Lifesaving Force and stood guard at the Royal Palace.
“I’m very proud to have achieved that and to be here today,” he added.
King Frederick and his wife ascend to the throne amid overwhelming public support and enthusiasm for the monarchy.
The latest poll, conducted after Margrethe announced her abdication, found that 82% of Danes expect Frederik to do well in his new role, with 86% saying the same about Mary. There is.
queen margrethe
Born in 1940, Margrethe is one of Denmark’s most popular celebrities.
The chain-smoking monarch, 1.82 meters (6 feet) tall, often walked the streets of Copenhagen largely unaccompanied, and his warm demeanor and talents as a linguist and designer won him admiration from Danes.
An avid skier, she was part of the Danish Women’s Air Force as a princess, taking part in judo classes and snow endurance tests. Margrethe remained tough even as she grew older.
In 2011, at age 70, she wore a military jumpsuit to visit Danish troops in southern Afghanistan.
As monarch, she crisscrossed the country and regularly visited Greenland and the Faroe Islands, two semi-independent territories that are part of Denmark.
Frederick was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik. He has one brother – his younger brother Prince Joachim.
Frederick is also a member of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church (also known as the National Church of Denmark), which is a requirement for the Danish royal family, especially the current monarch.
He would become king of Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. However, formal authority remains with the elected parliament and the Danish government.