Frederik After a final carriage tour through Copenhagen in front of tens of thousands of people waving Danish flags, Queen Margrethe arrived at Christiansborg Palace. During a Council of State, she signed shortly after 2:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT) her act of abdication, a first in 900 years in the Scandinavian kingdom, making her 55-year-old eldest son, heir to the throne, the new monarch.
The images broadcast on television shortly after this solemn moment show her very moved, dressed in a dark pink outfit, signing the document before getting up and indicating to Frederik, to her right, to sit in his chair at the end. of table. Margrethe then left the Council, in which the government, the new king, his wife and their eldest son Christian – new crown prince – participate, freed from her role as monarch and head of state. His car left the palace to the cheers of onlookers, many with their heads covered with a paper or plastic crown.
100,000 people present
Frederik Of Australian origin, the latter is the first queen of the country not to have blue blood. “It’s so exciting that an ordinary person like us becomes queen!” enthuses Judy Langtree, a retiree from Brisbane, Australia.
Some in ski clothes, others wrapped in Danish flags, some 100,000 people came from all over the country to see the royal family, some arriving more than five hours early. In Copenhagen, the hotels were stormed and it was almost impossible to reach Copenhagen by public transport this weekend. Access to Christiansborg Palace Square was closed to the public shortly after 1:00 p.m. (12:00 GMT) due to the influx of people. The day’s protocol broadly reflects Denmark’s tradition of succession. No foreign dignitary is invited, and the sovereign, who does not wear a crown, literally does not ascend a throne.
Birthday
52 years ago, on January 14, 1972, Margrethe II became queen at the very moment of the death of her father, Frederik IX, and she abdicated on the exact day of the anniversary of her accession. “This day is therefore very symbolic,” underlines the correspondent who covers royalty for public television DR, Cecilie Nielsen, according to whom Queen Margrethe perfectly controlled her exit.
If the announcement of his withdrawal during his traditional televised greetings on December 31 came as a surprise – his own family was only informed three days before – it was quickly accepted. The Queen underwent major back surgery in 2023. More than 80% support her decision and the sovereign will keep her title and will still be able to represent the royal household during official ceremonies.
Not being attached to the throne until she “falls from it” as she was able to publicly assert in the past will allow her eldest son, whose responsibilities have grown over the last few years, to flourish. in his role as monarch, experts believe. “She thinks that the crown prince is quite ready to take over. And she perhaps wants to avoid a situation like in Great Britain where Prince Charles became King Charles at over 70,” notes Hovbakke Sørensen.
Frederik, crown prince since the age of three, benefits from his own popularity and will impose his style on the Danish monarchy, which dates back to the Viking kings of the 10th century. “Queen Margrethe II is a woman of her time and Frederik also lives in his time. He understood that he could not copy her and managed to create his own image, his own link with the Danes,” assures the historian Bo Lidegaard. In Denmark, the role of the monarch, head of state, is mainly representative and ceremonial. However, he signs the laws and formally presides over the constitution of the government which he meets at regular intervals.