Danish monarch, Queen Margrethe II, Declares her Abdication Live on Television

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark unexpectedly tendered her resignation during a New Year’s Eve television address.

The official date of her resignation is January 14, marking precisely 52 years since her coronation as monarch.

“I will leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” announced the monarch.

Assuming the throne subsequent to her father King Frederik IX’s demise in 1972, the 83-year-old is the longest-reigning monarch in Europe and the only reigning queen in the world.

At the age of 55, Crown Prince Frederik, in contrast to British regal custom, will not be crowned formally. On that day, however, the announcement of his accession will emanate from Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen.

He will succeed her as monarch of Denmark and sovereign of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, in addition to the constitutional monarchy of Denmark.

Princess Mary, who was born in Australia, will ascend to the throne as Queen Consort of Denmark.

Queen Margrethe disclosed that subsequent to undergoing back surgery in early 2023, she engaged in a period of introspection before reaching this conclusion.

“The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation,” according to her.

She continued, “I have concluded that the present moment is opportune,” and extended gratitude to the Danish people for their unwavering support throughout the years.

Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, commended the queen for her “lifelong devotion and ceaseless efforts on behalf of the kingdom.”

“Although the duty and position of regent has been handed down for more than 1,000 years, it is still difficult to understand that the time has now come for a change of throne,” she stated in a press release.

“A considerable number of individuals have not encountered an additional regent.” Queen Margrethe personifies Denmark and has dedicated her words and emotions to shaping our national identity and identity over the years.

As a popular monarch in Denmark, many Danes had anticipated that Queen Margrethe would reign until her demise.

“She is to us what Queen Elizabeth was to you,” Tine Gotzsche, a Danish journalist, told the BBC.

In 2022, both Queen Margrethe and Queen Elizabeth II observed their respective jubilees and attended her funeral.

She was not born with the expectation that she would ascend to the throne. However, Danish law changed at the age of thirteen to permit women to ascend to the throne.

Queen Margrethe reflected over a decade ago that the late British monarch had inspired her to “understand that I, too, must devote my life to my country as she has done; in that regard, she has been extraordinarily significant to me.”

Prior to the death of Queen Elizabeth, the pair were the sole active female monarchs in the globe. Elizabeth ruled for seventy years.

Prominent for her smoking propensities and aversion to mobile devices

Some also regard her as the monarch with the oldest reign in history. Although the Sultan of Brunei has ruled since 1984, his nation did not attain independence until that year.

Additionally, since earlier this year, when she surpassed King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, she has been the monarch with the oldest reign in Danish history.

Daisy, Queen Margrethe, is widely recognised for her smoking propensities and adamant opposition to mobile phones and the internet, stating that she is “extremely content” without these technological devices.

The Danish regal transition, according to Gotzsche, is a time of both joy and sorrow.

“She has always been there, she has been ageing with all of us,” she stated, while noting that “the Crown Prince is in a very good position to take over, the succession is laid out – it’s very logical, and it absolutely makes sense.”

Similar to King Charles III of the United Kingdom, Crown Prince Frederik is renowned for his deep concern for the environment. Beyond this life, he has sworn to “guide the ship” of Denmark.

When the couple first met in 2000, Princess Mary, his wife, had been educated on the Australian island of Tasmania and was employed as an attorney.

Some consider them to be representatives of contemporary values, and they have endeavoured to provide a conventional upbringing for their four children by primarily enrolling them in state institutions.

Queen Margrethe flourished artistically and gained widespread renown for her passion for the sciences and arts throughout her reign.

Additionally, she is enthusiastic about archaeology and has participated in a number of excavations.

She attended the London School of Economics and Cambridge’s Girton College during her tenure in the United Kingdom.

Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, a French diplomat whom she wed in 1967 and who remained as her royal consort until his demise in 2018, was her spouse.

She delivers an annual New Year’s Eve address that is televised.

She addressed the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, in addition to the announcement, and emphasised the critical nature of confronting climate change this year.

In light of comparable societal challenges encountered by other European royal families, the Danish royal family has made the strategic decision to reduce its royal count.

When the children of Crown Prince Frederik’s younger sibling, Prince Joachim, were deprived of their royal titles the following year, this caused a highly public rift.