Denmark’s new king said his 18th birthday felt like “the end of the world” and revealed that he had long had mixed feelings about his succession to the throne.
King Frederik X made this revelation in a book published just three days after his coronation in Copenhagen on Sunday, January 14th.
The 112-page book detailing his vision for the role is titled “Kongeord,” which means “Word of the King.” The work was written in secret while Frederick, 55, was crown prince and was based on conversations with biographer Jens Andersen at Amalienborg Palace.
In it, the king says that as a shy child, he was reluctant to one day become monarch of Denmark. “I just wanted to be like other boys my age, and for years calling myself ‘King’ was something I never wanted to do,” he said. said.
“I remember my 18th birthday feeling like the end of the world. It felt like everything fun and exciting was coming to an end. Luckily, it wasn’t. ”
King Frederick, known as the “party prince” in his youth for his love of fast cars and rock concerts, succeeded to the throne following the sudden abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II.
The limited edition of the book sold out within hours of publication, selling 25 copies per minute within hours of publication. The publisher predicted that this could become one of Denmark’s best-selling books in 2024.
King Frederick also used his memoir to praise his wife, Australian-born Queen Mary, whom he met in a Sydney pub during the 2002 Olympics.
“Mary is my partner and wingman, to use a pilot’s term, and we are very dynamic,” he said.
“We benefit greatly from being prepared for everything from church visits and award ceremonies to New Year’s meals and state visits.”
The Danish king admitted that his father was “very patriarchal” and claimed he tried to pass those traits on to him and his younger brother.
Furthermore, he added: “I have learned a lot by having a wife, who understands that of course I am not always right, and that just because I am the man of the house does not mean that my words are automatically believed. Sometimes it reminds me that I am not.”
connected through the Christian faith
The king, who was criticized for not mentioning God in his coronation speech, goes on in the book to praise the role of Christianity in uniting the Danish people.
“The strength of faith lies not in whether God is mentioned in the words of the king, but in whether we, as people and as a nation, feel connected to each other through our Christian faith,” the king explained. do.
He also used this passage to hone his green credentials, writing:
“Therefore, we will support conservation, biodiversity and climate action efforts to the fullest extent possible.”
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