Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Europe’s longest-reigning monarch, rode through the capital in a golden chariot on Thursday as she concluded her final New Year’s celebrations before abdicating later this month.
Thousands of people braved freezing temperatures, strong winds, snow and sleet to cheer on the popular queen as she drove through Copenhagen in her final public appearance as king. She will abdicate on January 14, ending her 52 years on the throne.
Margrethe, 83, is the first monarch in continental Europe to step down in nearly 900 years, handing over the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik. She announced her surprise decision to step down in her annual New Year’s televised address on Sunday.
Margrethe rode on a so-called gold coach pulled by six white horses. The carriage will be used by the King to ride from his royal residence at Amalienborg Palace to Christiansborg Palace, the parliament building, for traditional New Year’s celebrations with royal officials. Especially the military.
The king, wearing a fur coat and white gloves, rode in a closed 19th-century carriage covered in 24-carat gold leaf and fitted with four golden crowns. They were escorted by members of a light cavalry regiment in blue uniforms with red jackets.
Earlier this week, the Queen held a series of events where she greeted members of the Danish government and parliament, senior civilian and military officials, and diplomats.
Christiansborg Palace is used for official royal events such as gala dinners and public audiences, and is home to the parliament building, the Prime Minister’s residence, and the Danish Supreme Court. From Amalienborg Palace he is located more than 800 m.
The Queen will officially sign her abdication on January 14 at the Council of State, a meeting with the Danish government, making Frederick, 55, and his Australian-born wife Mary, 51, King and Queen of Denmark.
Unlike some European countries, such as the Netherlands, where the monarch abdicates to allow a younger member of the royal family to take over the throne, Denmark has no such tradition.
For years, Margrethe has insisted she would not quit. However, she said in a televised address that her hip surgery in early 2023 has caused her to “think about her future” and when she will pass the responsibility of her throne to her son. She said she started thinking about whether to take over.
“We decided now was the right time,” she said.
When she took the throne in 1972, succeeding her late father Frederick IX, only 42% of Danes supported the monarchy. The latest survey shows that 84% of Danish girlfriends support the country to some degree or to some extent.