Queen Margrethe will abdicate on January 14, 2024, ending her 52-year reign and handing over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederick. When he rules, he uses the royal name of King Frederick his 10th.
In Denmark, since 1513 the king’s name has been (alternately) Frederick and Christian. Queen Margrethe II became the first female monarch since Queen Margrethe I (reigned 1376-1412), and as her father was Frederick IX, she decided on a “Christian” surname cycle, and her He named his eldest son Frederick. Prince Frederick then followed royal tradition and named his eldest son Prince Christian. Upon his father’s accession to the throne, he became Crown Prince Christian and would one day become King Christian XI.
Crown Princess Mary (real name Mary Donaldson) becomes Queen Mary after Queen Margrethe abdicates. Other titles remain unchanged.
However, there were some title changes last year. As of January 1, 2023, four of Queen Margrethe’s grandchildren (the children of her second son Prince Joachim) no longer have the title “Prince and Princess”. (They remain in the inheritance order.)
“The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments made in various ways by other royal families in recent years,” Denmark’s Royal Court said at the time. “Her Majesty, by her own decision, has created a framework in which her four grandchildren will be able to shape their lives more broadly, without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that come with formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family.” We want to create something that involves the organization.”
Emily Black (she/her) is Town & Country’s senior news editor, covering entertainment, culture, the royal family and a variety of other topics. Before she joined T&C, she was an associate editor at the Jewish cultural site She Hey Alma. Follow her at @emburack twitter And Instagram.