Denmark’s King Frederik X has taken the throne after the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe II, looking emotional as he waved to the thousands who gathered in the capital Copenhagen to witness the start of a new era.
For many in Denmark, his mother Margrethe was the only monarch they had ever known. But her shock abdication, after more than five decades on the throne, paved the way for her son, the former Crown Prince Frederik , to succeed her.
The handover took place at a cabinet meeting at Christiansborg Palace in the capital Copenhagen, when Margrethe signed a declaration of her abdication, officially transferring the crown to Frederik.
Large crowds gathered in the streets of Copenhagen, despite frigid weather, the occasional burst of song riding across the crowds as they awaited the historical moment.
The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then publicly proclaimed the King’s accession from the balcony of the palace – a tradition in place since the constitution of 1849.
Frederik followed the proclamation with a short speech, before being joined by his Australian-born wife Queen Mary and their four children, including the Crown Prince Christian, the new successor to the throne.
“Today the throne is passed on. My hope is to become a unifying king of tomorrow,” Frederik said. His mother, he said, “will be remembered forever as an extraordinary regent.”
Prime Minister Frederiksen expressed “a deepfelt and devoted thanks” to Queen Margrethe on behalf of the nation.
“To be queen and king is a link in a more than thousand-year-long chain. When one steps aside, the next is standing at the ready. And the crown prince that now becomes our monarch is a king that we know, a king that we like, and a king that we trust,” she said.
Among the thousands lining the capital was 45-year-old Kasper Wiigh Larsen. “It brought tears in a joyful way to see him do so well up on the balcony, both with his speech and when Mary came out and held his hands and finishing with a kiss,” he told Reuters.
Britain’s King Charles III – who had his coronation last summer – has congratulated the new king and queen.
“I look forward to working with you on ensuring that the enduring bond between our countries, and our families, remains strong, and to working together with you on issues which matter so much for our countries and the wider world,” he said in his message.
Margrethe, 83, was Europe’s longest-reigning monarch and the world’s last reigning queen. She announced her historic tenure would come to an end after 52 years in a stunning live address on New Year’s Eve.
She said she had been reflecting on “whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation” following a recent surgery on her back and had come to the decision “that now is the right time.”
The queen appeared emotional herself and said “God save the King” after she put down her signature to the Council of State, handed over the throne, and then exited the room.
Although no longer the ruling monarch, Margrethe will continue to be titled as Her Majesty and can be installed as acting regent, according to the Danish Royal House. This means that she will be able to perform duties as head of state when both King Frederik or Crown Prince Christian are not able, such as if they were overseas. Other Danish royals who can also assume the role of acting regent if required include Mary, Frederik’s brother Prince Joachim and his aunt, Princess Benedikte.
While the Danish monarchy is one of the oldest in Europe, stretching back more than 1,000 years, there is no traditional crowning moment. As such, world leaders and high-profile dignitaries were not in attendance, with the Danish changeover being a significantly more low-key occasion in comparison to the global spectacle and pageantry of King Charles III’s coronation in May.
Still, the streets were crammed with well-wishers enjoying the spectacle.
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, and its royals perform an important but symbolic ambassadorial role in addition to signing off any new legislation. Formal powers lie with the elected parliament and its government based at Christiansborg Palace in the heart of the capital, Copenhagen.
And it was here that King Frederik X visited for the last time as crown prince on Sunday, and departed as the ruling monarch of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Peoplesmind