- Queen Margrethe II abdicates
- Eldest son succeeds
- Back surgery prompts decision
Upon her departure on January 14, Margrethe II will be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.
The monarch of Denmark unexpectedly declared her resignation in her customary New Year’s Eve address.
Scheduled to formally relinquish her position on January 14, Margrethe II will mark precisely 52 years to the day since her coronation in 1972.
Frederik X, her eldest son and the monarch’s eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, will succeed her at the age of 83.
In her speech, Margrethe, who underwent back surgery at the beginning of this year, stated, “The operation inevitably prompted me to consider whether it was time to delegate the responsibility to the following generation.”
With a trembling voice, she declared, “I have come to the conclusion that the present moment is opportune. 52 years after succeeding my cherished father, I will abdicate as queen of Denmark on January 14.
She stated, “I abdicate the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.”
European correspondent for TV 2 Denmark Jesper Steinmetz termed the declaration of her resignation a “complete and utter shock,” adding that it had “put Denmark in a state of disbelief.”
Margrethe, who was born into a royal family as the eldest child of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark, ascended to the throne after her father passed away on 14 January 1972.
After Queen Elizabeth II’s demise in September 2022, she assumed the long-standing monarchical position in Europe.
She is also the only queen regnant in the world, in contrast to queen consorts and queen regents, whose titles are shared with their spouses.
By July, Margrethe had accumulated the most years as the reigning monarch of Denmark.
The previous holder of the record was monarch Christian IV of the 17th century, who, although he formally ruled for 60 years, actually only governed for 51 years and six months due to his childhood during the early years of his reign.
In July 2022, Margrethe commemorated her Golden Jubilee throughout Denmark through a series of events.
Nevertheless, her “extensive” back surgery at the beginning of this year prevented her from attending the coronation of King Charles in London in May.
Crown Prince Frederik and his spouse represented the Danish royal family in her stead.
Also making headlines in September of last year was Margrethe’s decision to revoke the royal titles of four of her descendants.
Other European monarchies employed this action to reduce the quantity of frontline royals.
At the time, the official justification provided was to enable the four children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, to lead more conventional lives.
Later, however, the mother of the two eldest sons of Prince Joachim expressed to Danish media that she was “abruptly shocked” by the decision.
According to Danish journalist Steinmetz, the declaration of Margrethe’s resignation came as an absolute “complete and utter shock.”
“It truly comes as a shock,” he declared.
Since she did not provide any prior notice of her intention to make this announcement, the entire nation is in disbelief.
When asked the reason for her current abdication, he responded, “She stated in her speech that she underwent significant back surgery earlier this year.”
She is doing well and has fully recovered, but she stated that at the age of 83, it is no longer possible to perform the same tasks that were possible when you were younger.
Therefore, I believe she simply recognised that the moment had come; she stated as much in her New Year’s address: she believed it was appropriate to transfer the responsibilities to her eldest son.
He stated, however, that Margrethe had previously expressed a reluctance to abdicate in order to break with family tradition.
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I believe a comparable circumstance in Danish history dates back to the 1400s; therefore, it is completely unprecedented, he stated.
However, Margarethe is also acutely aware of the need to maintain the monarchy’s modernity. I believe we have also taken that into account.
Denmark’s initial reaction is that it is an extremely prudent decision, despite the fact that it comes as a complete shock.
According to royal commentator and journalist Alistair Bruce, the timing of the announcement “surprised many individuals.”
“Recently, she has not been feeling too well. She has experienced chronic back discomfort. “She has undergone several operations,” he explained.
In addition, it has been acknowledged that her energy levels have decreased since the passing of her spouse, Prince Henrik, and I believe that she has likely been preparing for this occasion for some time.
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