Sunday, January 14, 2024 – Denmark’s King Frederik X has taken the throne after the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe II.
For many in Denmark who gathered in the capital Copenhagen to witness the start of a new era, his mother
Margrethe was the only monarch they had ever known but her shock abdication on
New year's day 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.
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.
Britain’s King Charles III 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 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.
Watch the video below
Denmark's King Frederik X ascended the throne, succeeding his mother, Queen Margrethe II, who formally abdicated after 52 years as monarch, with large and admiring crowds gathered in the capital to witness history https://t.co/TNamUMdWYI pic.twitter.com/twdlLnMrck
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 14, 2024
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