Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will soon be crowned Denmark’s new Queen following Queen Margrethe’s sudden abdication.
Sharing the announcement in her New Year’s Eve address, the 83-year-old monarch stated, “On 14th January, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark.”
Following her tenure as Denmark’s longest-reigning royal, Queen Margrethe shared that her son, Crown Prince Frederik, will ascend to the throne as King of Denmark, with wife Crown Princess Mary reigning as Queen.
Queen Margrethe will step down from the Danish throne on January 14.
(Credit: Getty)Speaking on her decision to abdicate the Danish throne, Queen Margrethe revealed that her back surgery in February 2023 was the catalyst for her decision to step away from the throne.
“The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future — whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation,” she stated.
“In two weeks time, I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. That length of time would take its time on anyone. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past.”
Australian-born Crown Princess Mary will take over as Queen of Denmark.
(Credit: Getty)Following the sudden news, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen shared a tribute to the outgoing monarch.
“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,” she said in a statement.
The Danish Prime Minister also warmly welcomed the new generation of Danish monarchs to the throne, writing, “The kingdom will have a new regent and a new royal couple. We can look forward to all of this in the knowledge that they are ready for the responsibility and the task.”
Prince Frederik and Princess Mary will be the first new Danish monarchs since 1972.
(Credit: Getty)While Queen Margrethe may be fondly remembered as the nation’s longest serving royal, her reign also marked a great turning point in the Danish monarchy, with a 1953 constitutional amendment allowing Margrethe to become the first woman to inherit the Danish throne.
Following his ascension, the 55-year-old Crown Prince will be proclaimed as King Frederik X of Denmark. Unlike the British Royal Family, Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary will not partake in a formal coronation ceremony. Instead, their ascension to the throne will be announced from Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen on the day of Queen Margrethe’s abdication.
