“I’ve decided this is the right time.”
In her New Year’s speech, Danish Queen Margrethe dropped a small bombshell today: she will step down as Queen of Denmark with effect from January 14, 2024. Her son, Frederik, will succeed her as King Frederik X.
New Year’s speech
It’s part of the end of the year: the British royals flock to Sandringham, royal houses pose for picturesque Christmas snapshots, and there is a lot of banter among the various monarchs.
The Danish Queen Margrethe also delivered her traditional end-of-year speech – but what could have been a routine task has taken on a special dimension. The Danish monarch has announced that she will step down on her 52nd anniversary.
Abdication
The Danish court also reflected on the big news via Instagram. For example, the Kongehus shares a photo of Margrethe during her speech, and quotes the big news in her own words:
“I have decided that this is the right time. On January 14, 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I hand over the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.”
View this post on Instagram
With two weeks to go until the abdication of the 83-year-old queen, a lot has to be done. The Danish court also announced that the royal family’s website will be updated on all sides in the coming weeks. This should prepare everything for the
Anniversary
Last year, the Danish monarch celebrated her golden jubilee. She ascended the Danish throne on January 14, 1972, after the death of her father on the same day. Before the then 32-year-old lady took on that role as queen, she led a relatively ‘ordinary’ life. And why would the very young Margrethe also worry about the throne? After all, there was little chance that that crown would end up on her head. At the time, the Danes still preferred male successors. With two sisters at their side, King Frederick X’s daughters would see the throne go to their uncle.
However, that didn’t happen. In 1953, when Margrethe was thirteen, the laws surrounding succession to the throne were amended, allowing female descendants of a reigning monarch to take over the throne. And so it happened, in 1972. That throne jubilee was celebrated last year on a grand scale, with all kinds of special events.
Queen concerned
Margrethe did not sit still much during her life. From an early age, she was busy with her studies – from a year at an English boarding school to various periods at universities throughout Europe. She studied Political Science at Aarhus University, spent a year at the Sorbonne in Paris, and completed her studies at the London School of Economics in 1965.
From 1958 to 1970, Margrethe also showed herself involved in the defense forces of her mother country and surrounding areas. She trains for various roles in the female air force. In addition, since 1972 she has had an honorary role with some troops of the British army.
In addition, it is common knowledge that the queen likes to focus on history, archeology and the arts. Margrethe recently made the news because she contributed her creative talents to a Danish aristo rom-com that was released on Netflix. With her down-to-earth character and sense of humor, she has become a very popular queen over the years.
She has set the bar quite high for her son, now Crown Prince Frederik. He will rule (according to Danish tradition) as King Frederick X.
Source: Reuters, Royal Central | Image: NL Image
