Denmark’s King Frederick Photo credit: Bo Amstrup/EPA-EFE
Charles speaks with Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Prince Frederik during a reception at Buckingham Palace for international guests attending the coronation of King Charles III on Friday, May 5, 2023 in London, England. King III (left). . File photo courtesy of Royal Family/UPI
Jan. 14 (UPI) — King Frederik X has ascended the Danish throne following the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe II, the royal family shared on social media.
Queen Margrethe, 83, surprisingly announced on New Year’s Eve that she would be retiring from the throne after more than half a century on the throne. She is the longest reigning monarch in Danish history.
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“For half a century, she has moved with the times, starting from our common heritage,” Frederick said from the balcony of Copenhagen’s Christiansborg Palace. “She will forever be remembered as an extraordinary ruler. My mother, like few others, succeeded in merging the kingdom.” Frederick said he too was “unified”. He said he wanted to become king.
A photo posted online shows Frederic flanked by his Australian-born wife as he speaks to a dense crowd in the palace square. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen officially proclaimed Mr. Frederik to the throne.
The royal family also unveiled a new portrait of the king in his official uniform and unveiled a monogram consisting of two inverted F’s with a Roman numeral X placed between them, all crowned with a crown. This piece was painted by royal armor painter Ronnie Skov Andersen with digital assistance from artist Stefan Regard.
The process of replacing monograms on official documents, Guard uniforms and other personnel is “expected to take a long time”.
Margrethe will continue to receive the title of Her Majesty the Queen, and could become acting regent, carrying out the duties of head of state, if neither Frederick nor her son, Crown Prince Christian, are able to do so.
Denmark has a constitutional monarchy, with government power vested in the parliament. Although Frederick’s role is primarily ceremonial, he is responsible for signing new laws into law that do not go into effect until he signs them.
It is also possible to veto the underlying law, but that would go against the will of the people, so it is unlikely to happen.
In 1920, after the end of World War I, Frederick’s great-grandfather, King Christian . This incident became known as his 1920 Easter Crisis.
Since then, no Danish monarch has attempted to intervene significantly in the country’s politics. Still, Danes support the monarchy, and Frederik remains popular among the population.