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Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, who has ruled for more than 50 years and is Europe’s longest-serving monarch, said in a traditional New Year’s Eve speech on Danish television that she would abdicate the throne in early 2024.
The 83-year-old Queen said she would hand over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederick. January 14, 2024 will be her 52nd year since she succeeded her father Frederick IX after his death.
Crown Prince Frederick is 55 years old.
“I had major back surgery in February of this year,” she said in her speech. “Everything went well thanks to the talented medical personnel who cared for me. Inevitably, this operation has led to questions about whether now is the right time to hand over responsibility to the next generation. , gave me an opportunity to think about the future.
“We decided now was the right time,” she said.
“On behalf of all of our people, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Her Majesty the Queen for her lifelong dedication to the Kingdom and her tireless efforts,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement posted on her website.
Queen Margrethe became Europe’s longest-reigning monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. The British monarch reigned as Queen for 70 years and 214 days.