Thursday, November 14, 2024

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark suddenly announces her retirement

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Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II surprised her country on New Year’s Eve by announcing live on television that she would abdicate after more than half a century on the throne, citing age and health concerns.

The 83-year-old Queen, who made the shocking announcement during her traditional New Year’s Eve speech, will be succeeded by her eldest son. She will abdicate on January 14, exactly 52 years since she succeeded her father as king.

“I hand over the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” the Queen said in an evening broadcast to the nation, sitting at a table and reading a statement.

Her 55-year-old son became King Frederick X, and his wife, the Australian Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, became Queen.

In her speech, Margrethe said she believed the time was right to take over the baton. She mentioned the surgery she underwent on her lower back this year, which she said made her “naturally start thinking about the future, wondering if it’s time to hand over responsibility to the next generation.” “I decided now was the right time,” she said.

“The number of ‘diseases’ increases over time. We can’t do as much as we did in the past,” she said.

Queen Margrethe, popular for her eloquence, became Europe’s longest-reigning monarch after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Margrethe is well known for her love of archeology. She has participated in excavations in several countries and studied prehistoric archeology at Cambridge University. She also studied at Aarhus University, Sorbonne University and the London School of Economics. She is also known for her artistic pursuits, including her work as an illustrator and as a costume and production designer.

In 2022, the Queen caused controversy with her move to reduce the size of Denmark’s royal family by stripping four of her grandchildren of their royal titles. She later said she had underestimated how her family would feel about her decision, but she still said it was “necessary to secure the future of the monarchy”. Ta.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the Queen for her many years of service.

“It is still difficult to understand that the time has come for a change of throne,” Frederiksen said in a statement. “Many of us don’t know any other monarch. Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark, and she has put words and emotions into us as a people and a nation for many years.”



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