The Danish queen announces her abdication on January 14 during her New Year’s Eve speech live on television, giving way to her son, Crown Prince Frederik.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will abdicate on January 14 after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederick, she said in her annual New Year’s address.
The 83-year-old queen, who took the throne in 1972, is the longest-serving monarch in Europe following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
In February, he underwent successful back surgery.
“The surgery naturally made us think about the future: whether it was time to hand over responsibility to the next generation,” he said in Sunday’s speech.
“I have decided that now is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after succeeding my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark,” she said.
“I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” he added.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the decision in a press release.
He paid tribute to the monarch and offered “sincere thanks to Her Majesty The Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom.”
In Denmark, formal power resides in the elected parliament and its government.
The monarch is expected to stay above partisan politics and represent the nation with traditional duties ranging from state visits to national day celebrations.
Born in 1940, Margrethe has been one of Denmark’s most popular public figures.
The 6-foot-tall, chain-smoking monarch often walked the streets of Copenhagen virtually unaccompanied and won the admiration of Danes for her warm manners and talents as a linguist and designer.
A passionate skier, as a princess she was part of a female unit of the Danish air force and participated in judo courses and snow endurance tests. Margrethe remained tough even as she grew up.
In 2011, at age 70, she visited Danish troops in southern Afghanistan dressed in military overalls.
As monarch, he toured the country and regularly visited Greenland and the Faroe Islands, the two semi-independent territories that are part of the Danish Kingdom.
