From the BBC:
“Queen of Denmark Margrethe II
announces abdication live on TV”
Queen Margrethe II announced her
abdication during her annual New Year's speech. She will abdicate on 14
January, which will be 52 years to the day since she became queen. "I will
leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik," she announced. The
83-year-old is the longest serving monarch in Europe, taking the throne after
the death of her father King Frederik IX in 1972. She revealed the decision was
made after a period of reflection following surgery on her back in early 2023. "The
surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had
come to leave the responsibility to the next generation," she said. "I
have decided that now is the right time," she added, and offered her
thanks to the Danish public for their support over the years.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
thanked the queen for her service. "On behalf of the entire population, I
would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Her Majesty The Queen for her
lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom," she said in a
statement. "Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark and throughout the
years has put words and feelings into who we are as a people and as a
nation."
Unlike British royal tradition,
there will be no formal crowning ceremony for Crown Prince Frederik, who is 55.
Instead, his accession will be announced from Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen
on the day. He will take her place as King of Denmark and head of state in the
country - which is a constitutional monarchy - as well as in Greenland and the
Faroe Islands.
Queen Margrethe is a popular
figure in Denmark, and many Danes had expected her to remain on the throne
until her death. "She is to us what Queen Elizabeth was to you,"
Danish journalist Tine Gotzsche told the BBC. Queen Margrethe attended the
funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and they celebrated their respective
jubilees in the same year. She had not been expected to become Queen when she
was born. But when she was 13, Danish law changed to allow women to take the
throne. More than a decade ago, Queen Margrethe reflected that she was inspired
by the late British Queen "that I must somehow understand that I must
dedicate my life to my nation like she has done, and in that way she has been
very important to me." Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, Queen
Margrethe had become the world's only remaining female sovereign. Known for her
smoking habits and rejection of mobile phones
Some also consider her the
world's longest reigning monarch. The Sultan of Brunei has been on the throne
for longer, but his country only gained independence in 1984. She is also the
second longest-serving monarch in Danish history, surpassed only by King
Christian IV, of Denmark and Norway, who was on the throne for 60 years. Affectionately
known as Daisy, Queen Margrethe is known for her smoking habits and rejection
of mobile phones and the internet - declaring herself "very happy"
without them. Gotzsche said the Danish royal transition is a moment of mixed
celebration and sadness. "She has always been there, she has been ageing
with all of us," she said, but added: "the Crown Prince is in a very
good position to take over, the succession is laid out - it's very logical, and
it absolutely makes sense." During her time on the throne, Queen Margrethe
continued to work as an artist and was well known for her love of the arts. She
also studied in the UK, spending time at Cambridge's Girton College and the
London School of Economics.
Each year on New Year's Eve, she
delivers a speech broadcast on television. This year, aside from the
announcement, she also spoke of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as
well as the importance of addressing climate change. Facing similar challenges
of modern society as other royal families across Europe, the Danish royal
family has decided to slim down its number of royals. This led to a very public
rift last year after Crown Prince Frederik's younger brother Prince Joachim's
children were stripped of their royal titles.
^ This was a surprise. ^
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