Danish Queen Margrethe II announces her abdication

The monarch has been at the head of Denmark since January 14, 1972.

She is succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik. The announcement was considered a sensation in the country. Margrethe had previously always emphasized that she wanted to remain on the throne until her death.

Danish media described the Queen’s announcement as “absolutely historic.” Spontaneous applause broke out among the onlookers who had gathered on the palace square in front of Amalienborg Palace.

Margrethe took the throne in 1972 after the death of her father Frederik IX. inherited. In addition to the EU country Denmark, their kingdom also includes Greenland and the small Faroe Islands. The always radiant and often smoking ruler is popular with the people, and her New Year’s Eve speeches in particular had cult status. She is considered extremely creative and interested in art, is pragmatic and sometimes a bit unconventional. Her husband, French-born Prince Henrik (Henri de Laborde de Monpezat), died in 2018 after 50 years of marriage. Since the death of the British Queen Elizabeth II, whose third cousin she was, Margrethe was considered the longest-serving regent on earth.

The future Danish King Frederik was born in Copenhagen in 1968 as the older son of the then Crown Princess and had a military career. He has a younger brother, Joachim. Frederik has been married to the Australian Mary Donaldson since 2004; the couple has two sons and two daughters.

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