Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Copenhagen on Sunday to celebrate the accession of Denmark’s new King Frederik X, just two weeks after his mother Queen Margrethe II made the dramatic announcement that she would abdicate.
The country’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, unveiled the new king to the Danish public from the balcony of Copenhagen’s Christiansborg Palace, home to the parliament building, with his bare head and a dark naval uniform adorned with medals and golden epaulettes. However, this appears to be a move to emphasize this. Denmark’s democratic character.
Ms Fredriksen appeared to wipe away tears as she proclaimed herself king, raising her white-gloved hand to the applause of the cheering crowd outside the palace. King Frederick, 55, then paid tribute to her mother in her speech, saying she “will always be remembered as an extraordinary ruler.”
As for himself, he said: “My hope is to be the unified king of tomorrow. It is a task I have worked on all my life. It is a task I approach with pride, respect and joy.”
He then shared a kiss with his Australian-born wife Queen Mary, 51, on the balcony, to even louder cheers. They left the palace in a carriage accompanied by a mounted guard and headed to Amalienborg Palace, where they lived.
Crowds of people lined the streets of Copenhagen, many waving small Danish flags, as King Frederik headed in his motorcade to Christiansborg as bells rang from nearby churches.
Before appearing in public, Margrethe formally handed over the monarchy to King Frederik in a later televised meeting, quietly signing the abdication papers and saying only “that’s it” to Ms Frederiksen. personally delivered.
Margrethe’s abdication comes 52 years after she succeeded her father in the same palace following his death. She was the longest reigning monarch in Europe. Unlike the 1972 declaration, which was marked by sadness over the death of Frederick IX, the mood on Sunday was upbeat.
Queen Margrethe, 83, cited age and health as factors in her decision to abdicate in her New Year’s speech. At the same time she announced that her son Frederick would be her successor.
King Frederick was known as an easy-going, sports-loving and climate-friendly prince, and was already hugely popular among the Danes, who overwhelmingly supported the monarchy.
The King of Denmark serves as the head of state and is responsible for signing all parliamentary laws before they become law. However, legislative power has been in the hands of elected officials since 1849.
Lars Hofbacke Sorensen, an expert on the Danish royal family, said the prime minister’s announcement of the new monarch was an act that underlined the importance of democracy in the country.
“It means you have a monarchy with no political power,” Hofbacke-Sørensen said.
He said a crown had never been placed on the head of a Danish monarch since 1660, when the monarchy became hereditary. Previously, a king was elected and a member of the nobility crowned him.
Queen Mary is also very popular in Denmark, where she is admired for her personal sense of style and her commitment to sustainability and women’s rights. The pair met in a Sydney bar during the 2000 Olympics in what became known as a fairytale meeting.
(Years later, in Australia, Frederick was briefly turned away from a bar for lack of identification.)
In her proclamation, Ms Frederiksen thanked Queen Margrethe for “binding us to the past and preparing us for the future”, calling Frederik “the king we know, the king we love, the king I am.” “The king we trust.”
The royal couple’s children, Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 13, also appeared on the balcony.
Anne Grete Krag, 76, a retired lawyer, came with her husband Jens Krag, also a 76-year-old former financial executive, to take part in the festival near the palace.
“We were lucky enough to see Queen Margrethe on TV when she was proclaimed,” Ms Cragg said. Frederick “will be a different king,” she said. “He doesn’t have the same cultural interest as the Queen.”
“He’s going to be the king of his generation,” Cragg said.
Queen Margrethe, known for her artwork, chain-smoking and charisma, previously said she would “remain on the throne until I fall,” but said she was considering taking over the responsibilities following recent back surgery. Ta.
In 2022, she stripped her four grandchildren of their royal titles, freeing them from the responsibilities that come with their roles. The decision upset her family and led her to apologize. Frederik’s younger brother, Prince Joachim, was also present on Sunday.
Hofbacke-Sørensen said King Frederik will attend mass in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, next week to show the country that he cares about the whole country, not just the capital.