Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Europe’s longest-reigning monarch, unexpectedly announced she would abdicate the throne after more than half a century, giving her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik the throne in a New Year’s speech on Sunday. announced that he would take over. .
In her speech, Margrethe, 83, said her age and health were factors in her decision after more than 50 years as queen. “This amount of time cannot pass unnoticed by anyone, not even me,” she said. “As time passes, the disease increases.”
In particular, she said that the back surgery she underwent this year caused her to “think about the future and whether it’s time to hand over responsibility to the next generation.”
“I have decided that now is the right time,” she said in a speech. “Fifty-two years after succeeding her beloved father, I am stepping down as Queen of Denmark.”
She said she would resign on January 14th. Crown Prince Frederick is 55 years old.
Margrethe, the eldest of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid’s three daughters, ascended the throne after her father died in 1972. After Denmark amended its constitution to allow women to inherit the throne, the King recognized his younger brother Margrethe as the successor to the throne. Eldest son.
The Danish royal family, like the British royal family, plays a primarily ceremonial role under a parliamentary system of government. However, Margrethe is credited with modernizing the Danish monarchy and restoring its popularity.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the first female prime minister to declare herself the new monarch, thanked the Queen in a statement.
“The duties and role of the king have been passed down for more than 1,000 years, but it is still difficult to understand that the time has come for a change of throne,” Frederiksen said. “Many of us don’t know any other monarch. Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark, and for many years she has articulated the words and sentiments that define us as a people and as a nation.”
In her speech, Margrethe thanked the Danish people for their support, as well as “the governments that have always been a pleasure to work with, and the Danish Parliament, which has always had faith in me.”
Much of the Queen’s popularity is tied to her personality and artistic talent. After becoming heir to the throne at the age of 13, she continued to pursue her interest in art, earning a degree in prehistoric archeology from the University of Cambridge, and attending the University of Aarhus in Denmark, the Sorbonne University, and the London School of Archeology. I learned about economics.
She also created her own artwork, including paintings, decoupage (a type of cut-and-paste art), and drawings that are displayed in museums. (Her illustrations were featured in the Lord of the Rings books under the pseudonym Ingahild Glasmer. In 1970, after she sent a copy to J.R.R. Tolkien as a fan letter, the book’s publisher I approached her.)
Most recently, she served as the costume and production designer for the Netflix film Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction, which is an adaptation of a fairy tale. The film includes wardrobes and sets based on her paintings and other artwork. “I work when I can find time,” she told The New York Times last year. “And most of the time I seem to be able to find the time.”
Although Margrethe has largely avoided the tabloid controversy that has plagued other royals across Europe, her family has made headlines in the past. Her husband, Prince Henrik, has long complained about not being called king or queen and about her dependence on Margrethe for her finances. He eventually received his salary, but in 2017, at age 83, he announced that he no longer wanted to be buried with the Queen.
He died six months later and was reportedly cremated, with half of his ashes scattered over the sea in Denmark and the rest buried in the private gardens of a castle north of Copenhagen.
The Queen also drew complaints from her family after stripping four of her grandchildren of their royal titles in 2022.
Maya Tekeli Contributed to the report.