Dänemark celebrates: “Long live the king,” shouted Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Sunday during the proclamation of Frederik X on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. Loud cheers then broke out among the thousands of people in front of the castle. “Hooray! Hooray! “Hurrah!” echoed across the palace square and through the neighboring streets.
Frederik seemed extremely moved; he obviously had tears in his eyes. Finally he waved from the balcony with his wife, the new Queen Mary. Both also kissed in public. Their four children also came onto the balcony.
Denmark’s king and queen and their four children after the proclamation at Christiansborg Palace
Source: dpa/Bo Amstrup
The long-serving Queen Margrethe II (83) had previously officially abdicated, two weeks after her resignation. The 55-year-old is now at the helm of the Kingdom of Denmark. His Australian-born wife Mary went from crown princess to queen, and the couple’s eldest son, Prince Christian, is the new crown prince.
Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) congratulated Denmark’s new king. At the same time, Günther paid tribute to the achievements of the long-standing monarch Margrethe II. “Today is also a special day for Schleswig-Holstein,” said the head of government. Margrethe II held the Danish throne for 52 years, “and from day one she has made outstanding contributions to the relationship between Denmark and Germany.”
The current queen on the way to her abdication on Sunday afternoon
Source: AP/Martin Meissner
The now abdicated queen did a lot for reconciliation and later the close connection between the two countries. “The border region with Schleswig-Holstein was particularly important to her. Our country will always be closely linked to her,” emphasized Günther.
In her closely followed New Year’s speech on New Year’s Eve, Queen Margrethe unexpectedly announced that she would hand over the throne to Frederik on January 14th after exactly 52 years in office. Such a step is extremely unusual in Denmark: there is actually no abdication before death. The last time a Danish regent voluntarily renounced the throne during his lifetime was in 1146.
“I have decided that now is the right time,” said Margrethe
Margrethe had also repeatedly stated that she wanted to fulfill her duties until the end of her life. However, a back operation in February 2023 made her think about whether it wasn’t time to pass on responsibility to the next generation. “I have decided that now is the right time,” she said in her New Year’s address. “On January 14, 2024 – 52 years after I inherited my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I will hand over the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.”
It was in Copenhagen a historic day even if there is no pompous coronation such as the inauguration of the British King Charles III. will give. Instead, the would-be king and the abdicating queen traveled by car and carriage from Amalienborg Palace to Christiansborg Palace in the early afternoon.
There, Margrethe signed a declaration of her abdication at a meeting with the government that began at 2 p.m. With success: at 2:24 p.m. the first breaking news went out – the change of throne was formally completed and Frederik was the new king.
The moment the queen abdicates for her son (left).
Source: AFP/MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN
King feels “respect, pride and great joy”
Denmark’s new king gave his first speech as monarch on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace. His mother, Queen Margrethe II, will forever be remembered as an extraordinary regent, said the 55-year-old before describing the task he has now inherited from her. “My hope is to be a unifying king of tomorrow,” he said. He takes on the responsibility with “respect, pride and great joy.”
Cheers erupted again and again among the people in front of the balcony, especially when Frederik’s wife, Queen Mary, and the couple’s four children stepped next to the new monarch. Frederik ended his speech with his motto: “United, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark.”
First kiss as king and queen
Source: REUTERS
Fireworks, congratulations and greetings from space
In the evening, a large fireworks display lit up the sky at Tivoli, the venerable amusement park in the heart of Copenhagen.
Loving messages poured in from near and far for the abdicating monarch and the new king. Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf sent a telegram in which he addressed Margrethe as “Dear Cousin Daisy” – Daisy is the queen’s nickname. Also the British King Charles III. and Norway’s King Harald V sent warm words to Copenhagen. The Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen even flagged in space: “Many thanks to Queen Margrethe for everything she has done for our country,” he wrote on social networks alongside a picture of the Denmark flag on board the International Space Station (ISS).
US President Joe Biden also praised the achievements of the long-time monarch Margrethe II. Margrethe’s 52-year reign spanned the reigns of ten US presidents, “an era in which the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States acted as security and security forces “Trading partners are moving closer together” and the bonds of friendship between peoples have become ever stronger, Biden wrote. With her commitment to her country over the past five decades, Margrethe has set an “incredible example of selfless, principled service.”
The change of throne marked the end of a long era in Denmark. Margrethe sat on the throne for exactly 52 years to the day; since the death of British Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, she has been considered the longest-serving monarch on earth.
Prime Minister Frederiksen recently paid tribute to many Danes who would not know anyone other than her. “Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark and over the years has found words and feelings for who we are as a people and as a nation,” she said after Margrethe’s surprise announcement on New Year’s Eve.