Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II to step down on January 14 after 52 years on throne
The 83-year-old monarch, whose role is largely ceremonial, made the announcement on December 31, during her New Year’s speech. She became heir to her father in 1953 at the age of 31, after a constitutional amendment allowed women to inherit the throne.
FollowDenmark's Queen Margrethe II, Europe's longest-serving monarch, will abdicate on January 14 after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, she announced on Sunday.
The stunning news was made by the 83-year-old queen, who took the throne in 1972, live on television during her annual New Year's Eve speech, which is watched by a large number of people in the 5.9 million-person nation.
She stated, "The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation," in reference to the successful back surgery she had in February.
"I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024 - 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father - I will step down as queen of Denmark," she said.
The queen became the longest-serving monarch in Europe following the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. In July, she became the longest-sitting monarch in Denmark's history.
In Denmark, formal power resides with the elected parliament and its government. The monarch is expected to stay above partisan politics, representing the nation with traditional duties ranging from state visits to national day celebrations. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the queen for her life-long dedication to duty.
Born in 1940 to King Frederik IX of Denmark and Queen Ingrid, Margrethe has had widespread support from Danes throughout her life, as they appreciate her subtle yet imaginative nature.
She has participated in several excavations and is well-known for her passion for archaeology. At the age of 31, she ascended to the throne in 1953 following a constitutional revision that permitted women to do so.
