COPENHAGEN, Jan. 1 — Denmark’s popular Queen Margrethe II is Europe’s longest-reigning monarch and the last reigning queen after the death of Britain’s Elizabeth II, during her half-century reign. He is praised for modernizing the Danish royal family.
The chain-smoking 83-year-old, an accomplished artist in her own right, ascended the throne in January 1972 at the age of 31, following the death of her father Frederick IX.
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Citing age and health problems, she announced on Sunday that she would abdicate on January 14 and pass the baton to her son, Crown Prince Frederick.
She underwent major back surgery in February 2023.
She named herself Margrethe II in honor of Margrethe I, who ruled Denmark from 1375 to 1412 but did not formally hold the title of queen.
When she was crowned some 52 years ago, only 45 percent of Danes supported the monarchy, and the majority believed it had no place in a modern democracy.
However, the cultured Margrethe managed to stay away from scandal and modernize the system, allowing her two sons to marry civilians.
The Danish monarchy is currently one of the most popular in the world, with the support of over 80 percent of Danes.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden have crown princesses, but Margrethe is Europe’s only remaining queen.
an exasperated husband
Nicknamed “Daisy” by her family and subjects, she repeatedly insisted that she would never resign from her duties.
“I’ll stay on the throne until I fall,” she used to say.
The 82-year-old rode the roller coaster at Copenhagen’s famous Tivoli amusement park with her hat firmly on her head.
But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Margrethe.
Her French-born husband, Prince Henrik, was known for his flamboyant style and frequent outbursts. He repeatedly expressed his disappointment that his title was not changed to king when his wife became queen in 1972.
In 2002, he made headlines when he fled to a chateau in the south of France because he was not respected enough in Denmark. He later said that he did not want to be buried next to his wife because he did not have her equal in life.
Henrik passed away in February 2018, five months after being diagnosed with dementia.
Margrethe has shown similar steeliness in her recent public spat with her youngest son, Prince Joachim, after stripping his four children of their princely titles in 2022 in a bid to slim down the monarchy. showed that.
unity
The Queen was born in Copenhagen on April 16, 1940, just one week after Nazi Germany invaded her homeland.
The eldest of three sisters was at a time when Danish inheritance laws prohibited women from inheriting the throne.
It was changed in 1953 after a referendum, under pressure from successive Danish governments, mindful of the need to modernize society.
“She was able to be the queen who united the Danish people during times of great change: globalization, the emergence of a multicultural nation, the 1970s and 1980s, the economic crisis of 2008-2015, and the pandemic.” historian Lars Hovebacke Sørensen told AFP.
“The basis of the Queen’s popularity is that she is completely apolitical,” he said.
Margrethe celebrated her 50th anniversary on the throne in January 2022 with a celebration that was scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The full festivities were postponed until September 2022, but had to be significantly scaled back again following the death of third cousin Queen Elizabeth II.
Margrethe’s eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, 55, is expected to succeed his mother.
queen of art
With sparkling blue eyes and a big smile, Margrethe is known not only for her relaxed and playful side, but also for her involvement in Denmark’s cultural scene.
A painter as well as a costume and set designer, she has worked many times with the Royal Danish Ballet and the Royal Danish Theatre.
She studied at Cambridge and the Sorbonne in Paris and is fluent in English, French, German and Swedish.
He has also translated plays, including those by Simone de Beauvoir. all people die Under a false name with her French-born husband.
However, it was primarily her paintings and drawings that attracted public attention.
She has illustrated several books, including the 2002 Danish edition of JRR Tolkien. Lord of the Ring, her paintings are exhibited in museums and galleries in Denmark and abroad. —AFP