In her New Year’s speech, the Queen announced that she would abdicate on January 14, the 52nd anniversary of her accession to the throne at the age of 31 following the death of her father, King Frederick IX.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the decision in a news release, paying tribute to the 83-year-old monarch and expressing her “deepest gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless work for the Kingdom.” .
Ms Frederiksen’s statement said Margrethe was “the epitome of Denmark” and “has been imbued with words and feelings for us as a people and a nation for many years”.
The 6-foot-tall Margrethe is one of Denmark’s most popular public figures. She often walked the streets of Copenhagen virtually unescorted, and her warm demeanor and her talents as a linguist and designer attracted the admiration of the Danes.
An avid skier, she was part of the Danish Women’s Air Force as a princess, taking part in judo classes and snow endurance tests.
In 2011, at age 70, she wore a military jumpsuit to visit Danish troops in southern Afghanistan.
As monarch, she criss-crossed the country, regularly visiting Greenland and the Faroe Islands, two semi-independent territories that are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and was met with cheering crowds everywhere.
Denmark is home to Europe’s oldest monarchy, tracing its lineage back to the Viking King Gorm the Elder, who died in 958. Although Magrethe is the head of state, the Danish constitution strictly prohibits her involvement in party politics.
However, the Queen was clearly well versed in the law and knew the contents of the bill she was asked to sign.
She was educated in French and English from an early age, and Swedish by her mother.
In addition to archaeology, she studied philosophy, politics and economics at the universities of Copenhagen, Aarhus and Cambridge, the London School of Economics and the Sorbonne in Paris.
Since his birth on May 26, 1968, Frederic Andre Henrik Christian has been the heir to the Danish throne.
He is the eldest son of Queen Margrethe and her French-born husband Prince Henrik, who died in February 2018. Frederick, 55, has a younger brother, Prince Joachim.
Since the age of 18, he has served as regent when his mother is abroad, shaking hands with thousands of people and entertaining foreign dignitaries.
“In the new year, Crown Prince Frederik will be proclaimed King. Crown Princess Mary will be installed as Queen. The kingdom will have a new regent and a new royal couple.
The Prime Minister’s statement said: “We can expect all this, knowing that they are ready to take up their responsibilities and tasks.”