COPENHAGEN: Queen Margrethe II, Denmark’s longest reigning monarch, was scheduled to hand over the crown to her first-born son Frederik on Sunday, with thousands gathered in front of parliament from early morning to witness the occasion.
Margrethe surprised the nation of roughly 6 million people on New Year’s Eve when she declared her intention to abdicate after 52 years as queen, becoming the first Danish monarch in nearly 900 years to do so freely.
The succession will take place in parliament at roughly 1300 GMT, when Margrethe, 83, signs the declaration of her abdication.
People from all around Denmark flocked to the city, demonstrating the monarchy’s enormous popularity.
“I was shocked and started crying when the queen announced on New Year’s Eve that she would abdicate,” Karen Holk Jeppesen, 31, a communications consultant, said as she stood in front of parliament, where the new king will be declared later on Sunday.
Jeppesen, who arrived in Copenhagen on Saturday with her sister, said she booked a hotel in the city the day following the queen’s announcement.
“It’s very rare to witness a real historical moment that you know will be written about in the history books,” she told me.
The crown prince, 55, and his Australian-born wife Mary, 51, who will become queen, were to depart the royal castle in a 1958 Rolls-Royce at 1235 GMT. Margrethe, 83, will arrive a few minutes later by horse carriage to enjoy her final trip as monarch through the streets of the city.
The abdication will be signed during a meeting of the Council of State in parliament attended by the government, Frederik, and his oldest son Christian, 18 years old and the next successor to the throne.
Soon after, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will declare the new king on the parliament balcony, and Frederik will deliver a brief address before the new monarch and his wife ride via carriage.
The Amalienborg complex, which was built in the 1750s in central Copenhagen, consists of four palaces arranged around an octagonal courtyard. It is the residence of both the departing queen and the incoming reigning pair.
Hotel operator Scandic’s location near the royal palace sold out of rooms within two hours after Margrethe announced her abdication, according to business director Klaus Johansen.
Margrethe, who had previously stated that she would remain on the throne for life, could not give a precise reason for her decision to step down, but did say that a significant back surgery she had in February last year had caused her to reconsider her future.
“It’s possible she believes Prince Frederik is ready to take over.”
“He’s 55, and maybe the queen wanted to avoid a situation where you would have a very, very old king, as you saw with Prince Charles.” When his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died in September 2022 at the age of 96, the British king was 73.
The new Danish royal couple will ascend to the throne at a moment when the monarchy enjoys widespread public support. According to the most recent poll conducted after the queen declared her intention to abdicate, 82% of Danes anticipate Frederik to do well or very well in his new job, while 86% expect Mary to do the same.
