Margarete was one of the first foreign royals to pay tribute to Britain’s Queen last year, and struggled to hold back tears when she saw her coffin at her funeral. Her own husband Prince Henrik died in 2018 at the age of 83.
In his later years, the two had a rocky relationship, with Henrik complaining that he was not given the official title of king and that he had to beg his wife for cigarettes.
Six months before his death, he declared that he no longer wanted to be buried next to Margrethe. After his death, a small service and cremation were held.
Her exuberant and flamboyant reign was inspired by her father, Frederick IX, who she revealed in a 1989 book once said to her:
This advice carried her through her 52-year reign as Queen, during which she saw her country join the European Community, reject the euro and join the war in Afghanistan.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the Queen for her service.
“On behalf of all my people, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts to the Kingdom,” the Queen said in a statement.
“Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark, and for many years she has given words and emotions to us as a people and a nation.”
According to Danish custom, no formal coronation ceremony will be held to commemorate Frederick X’s accession to the throne. The beginning of his reign is announced with a proclamation at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen.
Margarete sparked controversy last year with her decision to strip the children of her second son, Prince Joachim, of their royal titles.
Prince Joachim’s wife, Princess Marie, said her 10-year-old daughter Athena was being bullied at school in Paris because she had been stripped of her title.
But the Queen’s commitment to public life, her hobbies, and modernizing the monarchy has led to her family’s approval rating exceeding 80 percent in opinion polls.
Although the Danish monarchy can be traced back over 1,000 years, it has no day-to-day political role in Denmark.