“I hand over the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederick,” she said.
In a surprise announcement on New Year’s Eve, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark said she intended to abdicate the throne, more than 50 years after succeeding her father Frederick IX.
“I have decided that now is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark,” she told the nation. He said this in his annual address.
The 83-year-old monarch said he would hand over the throne to his son, Crown Prince Frederick, 55.
The announcement was made near the end of the Queen’s speech. She concluded her speech by thanking the “overwhelming warmth and support I have received over the years.”
Queen Margrethe said: “I would like to thank the transition of government, whose cooperation has always been fruitful, and I would also like to thank Parliament for the confidence it has always had in me.” She wrote, “I would like to thank so many people who have embraced me and my family with kind words and thoughts on special days and in everyday life, and who have made these years a string of pearls.”
He said a series of recent “illnesses”, including major back surgery in February, prompted his decision to step down.
“In two weeks, I will have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Something like this will leave its mark on everyone, and on me too! damage will be done and the number of ‘diseases’ will increase. No one can take on as much as they have managed to do in the past,” she said.
In her speech, the Queen pointed to “horrific terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians” and said they were “incomprehensible”.
“The war is reintroducing anti-Semitism. It’s tragic and shameful,” she said. “Tonight I would like to make a clear and unequivocal call to all of us in Denmark to treat each other with respect. We must draw closer to each other, not further apart. We must not forget that we are all human beings.” This applies not only to Palestinians but also to Jews. ”
She also mentioned climate change in her final speech on New Year’s Eve, saying: “The seriousness is clear.”
“Earth’s climate is changing faster than we think,” the Queen said. “We need to deal with climate change. Its effects are not just in the future. Climate change is already here, and its effects are extreme. Difficult for some to fully understand. But most Danes are well aware of this. We must now find the hope and determination to do something together.”
As always, she concluded her New Year’s speech with “God bless Denmark. God bless you all.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a statement thanking the Queen for her “lifelong dedication and tireless work for the Kingdom.”
“Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark, and for many years she has given us words and feelings for us as a people and a nation,” said Frederiksen.
During her reign, Queen Margrethe’s role was primarily ceremonial, but she was a popular public figure not only in Denmark but also in the semi-independent territories that formed the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
As a princess, she joined the Danish Women’s Air Force and was admired by royal subjects. Her popularity reached new heights in 2011 when she visited Danish troops in southern Afghanistan wearing a military jumpsuit.
“In the new year, Crown Prince Frederik will be proclaimed king. Crown Princess Mary will be queen,” Frederiksen said, referring to the prince’s wife of 19 years. “The kingdom will have a new regent and a new royal couple. We look forward to all of this, knowing they are ready to take on the responsibility and the task.”