Dänemark celebrates: “Long live the king,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen shouted Sunday during the proclamation of Frederick X on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. Then there was a loud cheer among the thousands of people who were in front of the palace. “Hurrah! Hurrah! “Hurrah!” echoed across the palace square and through the neighboring streets.
Frederick seemed very emotional; He had tears in his eyes. Finally he waved from the balcony with his wife, the new Queen Mary. The two kissed in public. Their four children came to the balcony.
The King and Queen of Denmark and their four children after the proclamation at Christiansborg Palace
Source: dpa/Bo Amstrup
Long-serving Queen Margrethe II (83) officially stepped down two weeks after her abdication. The 55-year-old is now at the helm Kingdom of Denmark. His Australian-born wife Mary has moved from crown princess to queen, and the couple's eldest son, Prince Christian, is the new crown prince.
Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) congratulated Denmark's new king. At the same time, Gunther paid tribute to the achievements of the long-time King Margrethe II. “Today is a special day for Schleswig-Holstein,” said the head of government. Margrethe II was on the Danish throne for 52 years, and “from day one she made a great contribution to the relationship between Denmark and Germany.”
The present queen on her way to the monastery on Sunday afternoon
Source: AP/Martin Meissner
The now abdicated queen did much for reconciliation and later closer contact between the two countries. “The border area with Schleswig-Holstein is very important to her. Our country will always be closely connected to her,” Gunther emphasized.
In her New Year's speech on New Year's Day, Queen Margrethe unexpectedly announced that she would abdicate the throne to Frederick on January 14, after exactly 52 years in office. Such a move is highly unusual in Denmark: there is virtually no abdication before death. The last time a Danish ruler voluntarily abdicated during his lifetime was in 1146.
“I've decided now is the right time,” Margrethe said
Margrethe had also stated several times that she wanted to fulfill her duties until the end of her life. However, a back surgery in February 2023 made me wonder if it was time to hand over the responsibility to the next generation. “I have decided that now is the right time,” he said in his New Year's address. “On January 14, 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I will leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederick.
It was in Copenhagen A historic day Even if it's not as lavish a coronation as the coronation of British King Charles III. will give Instead, the reigning king and abdicating queen traveled by car and carriage from Amalienborg Palace to Christiansborg Palace in the early hours of the morning.
There, Margrethe signed his resignation in a meeting with the government that began at 2 p.m. With success: At 2:24pm the first major news broke – the transition of the throne was formally completed and Frederick became the new king.
The moment the queen abdicates for her son (left).
Source: AFP/MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN
King feels “honoured, proud and overjoyed”.
Denmark's new king made his first speech as king on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace. His mother, Queen Margrethe II, will forever be remembered as an extraordinary ruler, the 55-year-old said before describing the task he now inherited from her. “My hope is to be the consolidating king of tomorrow,” he said. He accepts the responsibility “with respect, pride and great joy”.
Repeated cheers erupted from the crowd in front of the balcony, especially when Frederick's wife, Queen Mary, and the couple's four children stepped next to the new king. Frederick concluded his speech with his motto: “United, devoted to the kingdom of Denmark.”
First kiss as king and queen
What: REUTERS
Fireworks from space, greetings and congratulations
In the evening, a huge fireworks display lit up the sky at Tivoli, the venerable amusement park in the center of Copenhagen.
Affectionate messages poured in from near and far for the abdicated king and the new king. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden sent a telegram in which he addressed Margrethe as “Dear Cousin Daisy” – Daisy being the Queen's nickname. Also the British King Charles III. and King Harald V of Norway sent kind words to Copenhagen. Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen raised the flag in space: “Thank you so much Queen Margrethe for everything she has done for our country,” he wrote on social networks with a picture of the Danish flag on the International Space Station (ISS).
U.S. President Joe Biden praised the achievements of longtime monarch Margrethe II. Margrethe's 52-year reign spanned the reigns of ten U.S. presidents, “an era in which the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States served as defense and security forces, trading partners moved closer together,” and bonds of friendship between peoples grew ever stronger, Biden wrote. .With her dedication to her country over the past five decades, Margrethe has set an “incredible example of selfless, principled service”.
The change of throne marked the end of a long era in Denmark. Margrethe sat on the throne for exactly 52 years to date; Since the death of British Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, she is considered the longest-serving monarch on earth.
Prime Minister Frederiksen recently paid tribute to many Danes who may not have known anyone but him. “Queen Margrethe has invented the words and feelings that epitomize Denmark and what we are as a people and a nation over the years,” he said after Margrethe's surprise announcement on New Year's Eve.
. “Amateur alcohol specialist. Reader. Hardcore introvert. Freelance explorer.”