Denmark’s King Frederik X takes the throne as his mom steps down

Denmark’s King Frederik X ascended the throne on Sunday, succeeding his mom, Queen Margrethe II, who formally abdicated after 52 years as monarch, with massive crowds gathered within the capital to witness historical past.

Margrethe, 83, shocked the nation on New Year’s Eve when she introduced she deliberate to develop into the primary Danish monarch in practically 900 years to voluntarily relinquish the throne.

The succession was formalised the second Margrethe signed the declaration of her abdication throughout a gathering of the Council of State at parliament, the royal palace stated. Denmark, one of many oldest monarchies on this planet, doesn’t have a coronation.

The assembly was attended by authorities representatives, Margrethe, Frederik, 55, his Australian-born spouse Mary, 51, who’s now queen, and their oldest son Christian, 18, who’s the brand new inheritor to the throne.

About an hour after the signing, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was as a result of proclaim the brand new king on the balcony of the parliament and Frederik will give a brief speech.

In near freezing temperatures, tens of 1000’s of individuals from throughout Denmark converged on the capital to witness occasions, in an indication of the massive reputation the monarchy is having fun with within the nation of practically six million.

Later within the afternoon, the brand new king and queen had been as a result of experience by horse carriage again to their residence, Amalienborg, a royal complicated constructed within the 1750s and situated in central Copenhagen.

The couple will proceed to reside with Margrethe, who will retain her title as queen, in Amalienborg albeit of their respective palaces within the octagonal complicated.

ROYAL POWER COUPLE

Margrethe, who up to now had stated she would stay on the throne for all times, didn’t give a precise motive for her resolution to step down however stated {that a} main again surgical procedure she underwent in February final 12 months had made her think about her future.

“It could be that she thinks Prince Frederik is prepared to take over now,” stated Lars Hovbakke Sorensen, a historian and affiliate professor at University College Absalon in Denmark.

“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.” The British king was 73 when he ascended the throne after his mom Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022 aged 96.

The new king and queen take the throne at a time of giant public help and enthusiasm for the monarchy. The most up-to-date survey achieved after Margrethe introduced she would abdicate indicated that 82 per cent of Danes anticipate Frederik to do properly or very properly in his new position, whereas 86 per cent stated the identical about Mary.