People dressed as kings and queens wait for Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik to take over the throne from his mother Queen Margrethe II at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, January 14, 2024.
Martin Meissner/AP
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Martin Meissner/AP
People dressed as kings and queens wait for Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik to take over the throne from his mother Queen Margrethe II at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, January 14, 2024.
Martin Meissner/AP
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark’s prime minister proclaimed King Frederik A crowd gathered.
Margrethe, 83, became the first Danish monarch in nearly 900 years to voluntarily abdicate the throne. Thousands of people gathered outside the palace where the succession was taking place, creating an atmosphere of jubilation as the Scandinavian country experienced its first succession to the throne in more than half a century and one not caused by the death of a monarch. There was a drift.
Dressed in magenta, Margrethe met with the Danish cabinet at Christiansborg Palace and signed her abdication papers. The palace is a vast complex in Copenhagen that includes the royal reception rooms, the royal family, the Danish parliament, the prime minister’s office, and the supreme court. .
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then proclaimed King Frederik from the balcony of the palace in front of thousands of people. For the subjects of this kingdom, royal attire is largely symbolic in today’s modern constitutional democracy.
Frederiksen stood next to him, wearing a ceremonial military uniform emblazoned with medals, and read the proclamation three times, as is tradition. New Queen Mary and her husband and wife’s four children then joined them on the balcony, and the crowd spontaneously sang the national anthem.
“My hope is to be the unified king of tomorrow,” Frederick said. “It’s a challenge I’ve struggled with all my life.”
“I want to repay the trust I have received. I need the trust of you, my dear wife, and of someone greater than us,” the new king said.
Then Frederick kissed Mary, and the crowd erupted into another loud cheer.
The abdication document was first presented to Margrethe, who was seated at a huge table covered in red cloth, surrounded by members of the royal family and Danish government officials. Frederick sat next to her.
After signing, Margrethe stood up and motioned for Frederik to take her place. “God, save the king,” she said as she left her room.
The abdication will leave Denmark with two queens. Queen Margrethe retains her title of Queen, and the Australian-born wife of Queen Frederick becomes Queen Mary. Frederick and Mary’s eldest son Christian (age 18) became Crown Prince and heir to the throne.
Christian handed Margrethe a cane as she departed from the abdication ceremony.
Citing health problems, Margrethe announced on New Year’s Eve that she would step down, surprising those who had expected her to spend the rest of her life on the throne, in keeping with Danish royal tradition. Margrethe underwent major surgery on her back in February last year and she did not return to her job until April.
Even the Prime Minister was not aware of the Queen’s intentions until just before the announcement. Margrethe informed Frederik and his brother Joachim just three days ago, Berlinske newspaper reported, citing the palace.
People from all over Denmark gathered outside the parliament building and many streets were decorated with red and white Danish flags. Photos of Margrethe and Frederik were displayed in some shops, and small Danish flags were displayed on city buses, as is customary at royal events. Many others across the kingdom of around 6 million people watched live television coverage of the historic event.
The Royal Guards Band paraded through downtown Copenhagen every day, but to mark the big event, they wore red jackets instead of their usual black.
Copenhagen resident Rene Jensen, wearing a replica of a royal robe and a jeweled purple crown on her head, described Frederick as “the king of our country who represents us everywhere”. He said he hopes it will become.
The last time a Danish monarch voluntarily resigned was in 1146, when King Eric III of Rum resigned to enter a monastery. Margrethe abdicated in January, the same month she ascended the throne, following the death of her father Frederick IX on January 14, 1972.
Denmark’s monarchy dates back to the 10th century Viking king Gorm the Elder, making it the oldest in Europe and one of the oldest in the world. Today, royal duties are largely ceremonial.
Australians also took to the streets of Copenhagen to celebrate the birth of their country’s queen.
Judy Langtree, who made the long trip from Brisbane, said: “I think it’s good that she comes from a normal Australian background and not from a royal family. She comes from a middle class background and I We are the same way, so I can empathize with that even more.” Witness royal events with her daughter.
A survey commissioned by Denmark’s public broadcaster DR and published on Friday found that 79% of 1,037 people surveyed by the Epinion polling agency believed Mr Frederik was ready to take over, while 83% said he was ready to take over. It was revealed that he told his wife Mary that he believed he was ready to take over the government. Queen. DR said the survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.