Danish Queen Margrethe announces surprise abdication after 52-year reign
Global News
Denmark's longest-serving monarch plans to pass the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, on Jan. 14.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II made a surprise announcement on live TV that she intends to abdicate the throne on Jan. 14, capping off a 52-year reign to the day.
The 83-year-old queen announced her plan to pass the throne to her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik during her traditional New Year’s Eve speech.
Queen Margrethe II said she came to the decision after undergoing a successful operation on her back in February.
“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, adding that time has taken its toll on her and her health.
“I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024 — 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father — I will step down as queen of Denmark.”
Queen Margrethe II succeeded her father upon his death on Jan 14, 1972. The Danish royal family does not hold formal coronation ceremonies.
The queen became the current longest-serving monarch in Europe following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. In July, she became the longest-sitting monarch in Denmark’s history.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen extended a “heartfelt thank you to Her Majesty the Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the kingdom.”
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