Guide to the Danish abdication as Queen Margarethe makes way for Prince Frederik
Danish monarch Queen Margrethe announced she will be abdicating from the throne with a bombshell New Year's Eve speech and ever since, officials have been preparing for the historic changing of the royal guard.
The well-loved head of state will formally renounce her throne on Sunday, bringing to an end just over half of a century of rule. She made the sudden announcement two weeks ago, telling the Danish people that her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, will succeed her. Aids have been fine-tuning details for the big day with little turn-around time.
Queen Margrethe is currently the longest-serving European monarch after the death of Her Majesty in September 2022 but the curtain will come down later this afternoon as she hands over the responsibility. The day will begins just after 1:30pm, with Frederik, 55, and his wife Mary, 51, setting off from Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace.
They will arrive at 2pm and soon after, there will be a Council of State, which Margrethe, Frederik, Christian - the couple's son - and the Government and the Council of State secretary will all take part. There, the Queen will sign a declaration of her abdication officially signalling the succession of the throne. Margrethe will then return to Amalienborg while new King and Queen will hold a formal reception.
They will greet the Danish public on the Christiansborg Palace balcony before the country's Prime Minister will then proclaim the King's accession to the throne. After a cannon salute, Frederik and Mary will then take a carriage to Amalienborg before the transfer of the royal colours.
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Queen Margrethe was the first female ruler her country saw since the Black Plague swept through England for the final time. Her namesake, Margrethe I had ruled the Scandinavian kingdoms from 1376-1412 when all three nations, Finland, Denmark and Sweden, had unified under a single ruler. However, at the time of her birth in 1940, only men could ascend to the throne of Denmark.
There has been controversy in recent years. Her youngest son Joachim, 54, is understood to be livid about a 'scaling back' of the Danish royal family. The Queen of Denmark 's decision to strip royal titles from four of her grandchildren sparked a bitter royal row with junior members of the family and the monarch embroiled in a war of words in the press.
A few days after, Queen Margrethe apologised to her family for "underestimating" the impact of stripping the prince and princess titles from the children of her second son, Prince Joachim. But she also stressed that her decision is final and Princes Nikolai, 25, Felix, 22, and Henrik, 15, and their sister Princess Athena, 12, will be known as count or countess and be referred to as their excellencies. His mother's decision sparked anger from Joachim's camp, with the younger brother claiming the kids were upset over their "identities" being "removed".
Joachim told Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet: "We are all very sad. It's never fun to see your children being mistreated like that. They find themselves in a situation they do not understand." While complaining about the ruling Joachim, 53, and his wife Princess Marie, 46, also confessed that not all was well in the royal household.
He revealed his relationship with his older brother and the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary, 52, is a "complicated" one. Joachim criticised his mother's decision to remove his childrens' titles claiming he was only given five days notice to tell his three sons and one daughter.
In a statement, the monarch admitted her decision "makes a big impression" - for which she apologised - but said it has been made as a "Queen, mother and grandmother". It read: "In recent days, there have been strong reactions to my decision on the future use of titles for Prince Joachim's four children. It obviously affects me. My decision has been a long time coming. With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look forward.
"It is my duty and my wish as Queen to ensure that the monarchy continues to shape itself in keeping with the times. It sometimes requires difficult decisions to be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment. Carrying a royal title entails a number of obligations and duties, which will in future be the responsibility of fewer members of the royal family. This adaptation, which I see as a necessary safeguard for the future of the monarchy, I want to make in my time.
"I have made my decision as Queen, mother and grandmother, but as a mother and grandmother I have underestimated how much my youngest son and his family feel affected. It makes a big impression, and I'm sorry for that. She continued: "No one should be in doubt that my children, children-in-law and grandchildren are my great joy and pride. I now hope that we as a family can find the peace to find our way through this situation ourselves."
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