Queen Margrethe’s abdication and Prince Frederik’s proclamation soon take place. However, the current monarch will not appear at her son’s side on the castle balcony on January 14, 2024 – for this reason.
On Sunday, January 14, 2024, Queen Margrethe, 83, will abdicate and hand over the scepter to her firstborn Prince Frederik, 55. The change of throne will take place at a meeting of the Council of State, at which Princess Mary, 51, Prince Christian, 18, and Prince Joachim, 54, will be present. The father of four is then officially proclaimed king – but Margrethe will not attend this part of the historic event.
Queen Margrethe will be missing from the palace balcony
During the State Council meeting, Margrethe signs her declaration of abdication and is no longer Queen of Denmark. As the new regent, Frederik then takes over all functions of the head of state in accordance with the constitution. As the palace announced on its website on January 8th, the 83-year-old will then return directly to Amalienborg. This means that she will be missing from the crucial item on the program – the proclamation. At 3:00 p.m., Denmark’s acting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, 46, will proclaim Frederik King of Denmark on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace. The 55-year-old will then wave to the crowd in attendance for the first time as a monarch.
Queen Margrethe stays away from the proclamation because she is no longer a monarch after the meeting in the Council of State. Royal expert Marianne Singer told the Danish newspaper Billed Bladet: “The obvious reason is that she is now an ordinary member of the royal household.” The long-standing monarch is making room for the new royal couple. “Although we would have liked to see Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik together on the balcony, one must remember that this is not an ordinary family. They follow a hierarchical pattern and traditions.”
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Palace follows old traditions
The palace is therefore trying to adapt the change of throne to previous ceremonies – even if there is no tradition of abdication. Because previously the previous regent was absent from the proclamation for another reason. “In Denmark, it has previously been tradition for the change of throne to take place when the ruler dies, as was the case most recently in 1972. In these cases, the change of throne takes place at the moment the regent dies,” the court informed.
Sources used: billedbladet.dk, kongehuset.dk