Denmark turned a page in history on Sunday as Queen Margrethe officially abdicated and her son became King Frederik X, with thousands of spectators flocking to Copenhagen to witness history.
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Queen Margrethe II, 83, a hugely popular chain-smoker, left her residence at Copenhagen’s Amalienborg Palace just after 1:30 p.m. and rode a horse-drawn carriage to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of government and parliament. I headed to
There, at a 2 p.m. State Council meeting, she signed the Proclamation of Abdication, ending her 52-year reign, but only the second time a Danish monarch had abdicated, the last time being in 1146, some nine centuries ago. This is the first time since Eric III in 2010.
Her 55-year-old son Frederick, who attended the Council of State with his Australian-born wife Mary and their eldest child Prince Christian, 18, automatically became king and head of state upon Margrethe’s abdication.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then proclaimed him King Frederik X on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace.
“The balcony only serves this purpose,” joked historian Lars Hofbacke Sorensen in an interview with AFP.
“The last time, in 1972 (when Margrethe became queen after her father’s death), more than 10,000 people gathered in the square below. We hope to see even more people this time.” he said.
Police expected at least 10 times more on the streets of the capital.
“I can’t say how many people there are, but it will be more than 100,000,” Copenhagen police official Peter Dahl told AFP, adding that police reinforcements had been requested from all over the country.
“The soul of the nation”
Hotels, trains and flights have been sold out since the Queen made her bombshell abdication announcement in her annual New Year’s Eve televised address.
Aske Julius, a 27-year-old Copenhagen resident, said on Saturday he wanted to get a good place to see the new king’s proclamation.
“More than half of Denmark’s people don’t know anyone other than the queen,” he says. “She is the very embodiment of Denmark and the soul of the nation.”
Apart from the abdication, this protocol is similar to previous successions to the throne in Denmark.
No foreign dignitaries or royalty will be invited, and there will be no coronation or throne for the new monarch.
Margrethe chose to abdicate the following day, exactly 52 years after taking over from her father Frederick IX.
“This day has a lot of symbolic meaning,” Cecily Nielsen, royal correspondent for Danish public broadcaster DR, told AFP.
The Queen’s announcement of her abdication surprised Danes, who had repeatedly insisted that she would rule according to tradition until her death.
Even her own family was informed only three days ago.
She attributed her decision to health issues after undergoing major back surgery last year.
According to opinion polls, more than 80 percent of Danes support her decision.
Margrethe holds the title of Queen and sometimes represents the royal family.
“Different” monarch
Experts say passing the baton to his son now will give him time to blossom into his role as monarch after gradually increasing his responsibilities.
Historian Hofbakke Sorensen said: “She thinks the crown prince is fully ready to take over, and that a situation like the one in Britain where Prince Charles became King Charles after he was over 70. I want to avoid that,” he said.
Frederick, who, like his mother, has been crown prince since the age of three, enjoys the support of more than 80 percent of Danes.
But he is expected to bring his own style to the monarchy, which dates back to the Viking era in the 10th century.
“Queen Margrethe II is a woman of her time, and Frederik also lives in his own time. He understands that he cannot imitate her, and he understands that he cannot imitate her, and that his own image, his connection to the Danish people… “he succeeded in defining himself,” said Bo Ridegaard, another historian. he told AFP.
His colleague Hofbacke Sorensen added: “We’re going to have a different type of monarch. He’s going to be much more informal in the way he talks to people as he travels around the country.”
His mother is known for her love of art and is an accomplished writer and artist, while Frederick is an avid sportsman who champions environmental causes.
In Denmark, the monarch’s role is largely ceremonial, although he signs laws, formally presides over the formation of the government, and meets regularly with ministers.
(France 24th, Reuters, AFP)