Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, Europe’s longest-reigning monarch, announced on Sunday that she would abdicate the throne on January 14 and be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.
Margrethe, who ascended the throne in 1972, ruled for 52 years and became Europe’s only remaining queen after the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
She made the surprise announcement live on air during her traditional New Year’s Eve speech, which was watched by many people, Reuters reported.
“In two weeks I will have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. An amount like this would leave its mark on anyone, and on me too! The more time passes, the sicker I become. The number of will continue to increase. “We will never be able to accomplish as much as we have accomplished in the past,” the Queen said.
Referring to the success of the hip surgery he underwent in February, he said, “After undergoing the surgery, I naturally started thinking about the future.Is it time to hand over responsibility to the next generation?”
“I have decided that now is the right time. I will step down as Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father,” she said. “Her throne will pass to her son, Crown Prince Frederik.”
He also thanked the Danish people for their “overwhelming” warmth and support.
“I would like to thank the transition of government whose cooperation has always paid off, and I would also like to thank Congress for always having faith in me. I would like to thank you for your kind words and thoughts for me and my family on special occasions and in everyday life. I would like to thank the many people who have embraced me and made these years a pearl of brightness,” she added.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the Queen for her lifelong dedication to public service.
“It remains difficult to understand that the time has come for a change of throne,” Frederiksen said in a statement, adding that many Danes had never known another monarch.
“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,” she said.
In Denmark, formal power lies with the elected parliament and its government. The monarch is expected to transcend partisan politics and represent the country in traditional duties ranging from state visits to National Day celebrations.
Who is Queen Margrethe II?
Margrethe was born in 1940 to Denmark’s former monarch Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid, and became Queen of Denmark in 1972.
According to Reuters, she is also known for her love of archeology and has participated in several excavations.
In 1967 she married French diplomat Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, who served as her royal consort until his death in 2018.
The couple’s two sons were Crown Prince Frederick, who later became King Frederick X, and Prince Joachim. Frederick married Australian Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in 2004.
In Denmark, formal power lies with the elected parliament and its government. The monarch is expected to transcend partisan politics and represent the country in traditional duties ranging from state visits to National Day celebrations.