After Queen Margrethe abdicated, her son Frederik took the throne on Sunday. He is now King of Denmark and from now on the Danish head of state. Wife Mary is now officially queen.
The Danish royal family announces: These are the new titles of the royals
Frederik and Mary were just the crown prince couple of Denmark, but with the change of throne the two are the new shining royal couple. So the titles of the two change. And her eldest son Christian, who is now number one in line to the throne, no longer just calls himself prince.
© Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset/dpa
by Keld Navntoft/Kongehuset/dpa
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A few days before the change of throne, the Danish court gave an insight into what the official titles would be from now on. But this Sunday these were announced publicly for the first time. And there will actually be two queens in Denmark in the future.
Queen instead of king’s wife: Danish court announces Mary’s new title
At the king’s side is Mary, the new queen of Denmark. When she signed Margrethe’s abdication, she gave up the title of Crown Princess. There had previously been speculation as to whether Mary would simply be crowned king’s wife, which would not be unusual in a monarchy.
The royal family’s announcement said: “On Sunday, January 14, 2024, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will ascend to the Danish throne as HM King Frederik the Tenth. At the same time, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess will be known as HM Queen Mary. The royal couple will henceforth bear the title King and Queen of Denmark.”
New Crown Prince of Denmark: Mary’s son Prince Christian becomes heir to the throne
Since Margrethe’s abdication, the new heir to the throne and thus the Crown Prince of Denmark is now Christian. As the firstborn, the 18-year-old is following in his father’s footsteps. “His Royal Highness Prince Christian becomes heir to the throne and will henceforth bear the title His Royal Highness Crown Prince Christian,” says the Danish court.
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Nothing changes for the Crown Prince’s siblings with the change of throne and the rise of their father; they continue to remain prince and princess. Isabella and the twins Vincent and Josephine only move up one place in the line of succession. If Prince Christian ever has children, they will be placed before the three in the royal list.
Two queens: Margrethe retains her title even after her abdication
It is also now clear what title Margrethe has and that since the abdication there have been two royal ladies who have been called Queen of Denmark.
What title does Queen Margrethe have?
“After the succession to the throne, HM The Queen will continue to be Her Majesty and will bear the title HM Queen Margrethe,” the statement said. The fact that the 83-year-old was able to keep her honorary title is anything but self-evident.
In the Netherlands, the former Queen Beatrix, who abdicated on January 28, 2013, only calls herself “Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands.” In Spain, on the other hand, King Juan Carlos I of Spain was allowed to retain the honorary title of king for life after his abdication.
Queen Margrethe becomes representative of the royal family
After her abdication, Queen Margrethe II continues to assume a representative role in the royal family. But she is no longer the reigning queen. After stepping down from the throne, the 83-year-old can be appointed as the king’s representative, the royal family announced. This function is called rigsforstander in Danish. Several members of the immediate royal family can take on this representative role if, for example, the incumbent head of state is traveling abroad or is otherwise unable to attend. For Margrethe, this means that after her abdication she can continue to assume duties as head of state if both the previous Crown Prince Frederik and his eldest son Prince Christian are unable to attend.